Do you like wearing pearl jewelry? Do you know that most of the pearl jewelry that we wear today is cultured pearl jewelry? A bead is inserted into a clam or an oyster to be coated with nacre which gives the pearls their breathtaking shape. The thicker the nacre of the pearls is, the better it will be as the pearls become more durable and their quality increases. The thickness of nacre, which is the outer layer of the pearls, is determined by the water in which the beads are coated with nacre, the type of the creature that is responsible for coating the beads and the period of time in which the beads are left to be coated with nacre. Whether the nacre coating of the cultured pearls is thick or not, the pearls stay more fragile than other gemstones that we know and this is why you have to know how to take care of them. To know how to do that, take a look at the following tips.
1. Wear them after make-up and perfume: Wear your pearl jewelry after putting on your make-up and wearing your perfume. This will help you to keep your pearl jewelry clean.
2. Keep away from creams: Take off the pearl jewelry that you wear when you apply creams on your hands and body.
3. Store them to be protected: Do not leave your pearl jewelry without being stored as after taking it off, you have to clean it and store it in a good box or case to be protected from being damaged.
4. Clean your pearl jewelry regularly: After taking your pearl jewelry off, you have to clean it through using a dry or dampened soft cloth which is lint free. Leave the jewelry to dry before being stored when you use a dampened soft and lint-free cloth.
5. Clean your dirty pearls: You can make your dirty pearls clean through using water and mild soap such as Ivory soap that is not harmful.
6. You have to totally avoid these cleaners: There is a number of cleaning solutions that you have to completely avoid such as ammonia-based cleaning solutions, harsh detergents, abrasive cleaners and ultrasonic cleaners because all of these solutions and cleaners can remove the nacre coating and make your pearl jewelry damaged.
7. Do not use abrasive cloth: Using abrasive cloth for rubbing your pearl jewelry is also harmful and this is why you have to use a soft, lint-free cloth in order to protect the nacre coating from being damaged.
8. Store your pearl jewelry alone: You should not store your pearl jewelry with other pieces of jewelry that you have because it may be scratched. Put it in an individual place in your jewelry box or in a soft bag.
9. Wash your pearl jewelry immediately: In case your pearl jewelry is exposed to fruit juice or vinegar, wash it immediately and wipe it with a dry and soft cloth which is lint free.
10. Do not leave your pearl jewelry wet: Water has the ability to erode the nacre coating of your pearls and this is why you have to quickly dry them with a soft, lint-free cloth.
11. Protect your pearls from the surrounding conditions: It is not recommended to expose your pearl jewelry to high temperature which is over 60 degrees C, strong light and dryness.