Pearl Cleaning
When cleaning pearls, consideration should be given to the fact that pearls are made up of organic materials. They are therefore extremely susceptible to damage by abrasives, or harsh substances such as detergents.
By far the best method to clean your jewelry is to use a very mild face-soap, diluted in a high volume of tepid water and soak the pearls in the liquid for about one hour: never use dish washing soaps or powders. After this, take the pearls out of the water and with a damp cotton-bud lightly brush over the entirety of the jewelry, paying special attention to clean the string, knots and drill holes.
Lastly, lay the jewelry flat on a damp soft cloth and let them dry at room temperature; the less contact the pearls have with rough surfaces the better, so if you do use a cloth try to make sure it’s ‘Chamois’ or something similar and always slightly damp. When you see that the under cloth is dry then they are ready for the next stage. It’s a good idea to think of pearls, and their constituent material ‘nacre,’ as being similar to skin in that they are porous and soak up what ever surrounds them. Therefore some form of moisturizer is a good finish to the cleaning process. Obviously you never use face moisturizer, but a touch of organic olive oil lightly applied with a cotton-bud across the whole surface of your jewelry will ensure that it has a lasting luster.
Care Check List
o Never wear your jewelry in the shower, bath or while swimming.
o Always take them off beforehand.
o Never expose pearls to household detergents.
o Always take them off beforehand.
o Never wear your pearls while the string is wet.
o Always let your pearls dry before wearing.
o Never hang them up to dry i.e. after cleaning.
o Always leave your pearls laid flat when drying.
o Never wear them while applying makeup, hairspray
o Always put your pearls on after applying cosmetics
o Never use ultrasonic or steam cleaners when cleaning pearls.
o Always use a little mild soap i.e. Ivory soap and a lot of lukewarm water.
o Never clean pearls with abrasive materials like toothbrushes or scouring pads.
o Always clean your pearls with a damp ‘Chamois’ or very soft cloth.
o Never wear pearls next to harsh fabrics like pure wool.
o Always wear pearls next to the naked skin.
o Never leave your string of pearls unchecked for repairs for more than one year.
o Always make sure to take your pearl jewelry to be strung at least once a year.
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