How to care for pearls?

Pearls are a gem that is not considered a mineral in its own right. It consists of 85-90% of calcium, 7-10% is organic matter (conchiolin forms the frame of the pearl), and the rest is water.

The value of natural pearls is ensured not only by their rarity and natural origin, but also by the fact that they are not eternal. The stone undergoes gradual decay and has a certain shelf life. Over time, the underlying organic substances dry out, which is expressed in the emerging yellowness on the surface, then in delamination and complete destruction. Since pearls are fragile enough, proper care is essential. To make the products serve you as long as possible, use the tips from this article.

Natural minerals are very capricious and whimsical. Despite being an organic stone, pearls are quite fragile. It is easy to scratch and may not survive a fall from even a small height or a hard contact with a harder surface.

But careful handling includes more than that.

You need to follow:

• beyond the temperature - high temperatures have a negative effect on the material;
• for the purity and humidity of the air - a too dry environment will lead to faster decomposition;
• in the absence of direct sunlight;
• avoid contact with chlorinated water, cleaning and hygiene products.

Do not forget to take off your jewelry when you go to the pool, sauna, relax on the beach or in nature, especially if you are going to wash the dishes or start cleaning the house. It is better to remove rings, earrings and pendants before going to bed, after removing traces of wear with a soft, slightly damp cloth.

Pearls can be restored to their former shine, evenness, and the stone can be refreshed.

However, the incorrect choice of the means, which, in your opinion, should restore the jewelry, can be a fatal mistake. We advise you to treat the recommendations very carefully and not to improvise using folk methods.

• The best pearl cleaner is a professional jewelry paste. It is applied to soft fabrics without hard particles in the pile. Rub each bead separately, even if you have a massive necklace with many balls. The cleaning should touch every element. After wiping with the paste, you will need to re-process each bead, but with a dry, lint-free cloth. The disadvantage of such a professional approach is that it cannot be used too often, otherwise the active ingredients in the composition will negatively affect the pearls.

• You can quickly and effectively return the shine at home with a soapy solution. Fill a small container with water, add perfume-free soap (liquid or soak solid, one spoon per liter of water is enough) and immerse the products in the solution for a few minutes. After the procedure, remove moisture and soap residues with a soft, lint-free cloth. You can also use cotton pads.

• You can take care of pearls with olive oil. Apply a few drops of oil to a cotton swab and treat the pearl. Then wipe off any remaining oil with a clean, dry, lint-free cloth or fresh cotton pad.

• Another way to liven up a decoration is by using starch. Take a piece of velvet cloth and sprinkle it with a little starch. Then place the dirty pearls on the cloth and gently rub the bead. The remains of the powder can be removed with a damp cloth or cotton swab, and then you need to wipe the pearls dry.

A separate line in the care of pearl jewelry is the necklace. The difficulty lies in the fact that nylon or silk threads are used to bind natural stones. They are less durable than stones and wear out faster. therefore, leaving (and it will be mechanical in any case) must be special and divided into two parts:

1. care for beads;
2. cleaning the thread.

You now know how to process natural stone, but there are also less expensive, but more common artificial pearls, which also require care. Let's see how to do it right.

The artificial version, the so-called Roman beads, is stronger than river or sea pearls, so you can handle it not so reverently, but still correct. In no case should jewelry be soaked in water with a high temperature, exclude the possibility of acids, vinegar and caustic household products.

The rules of wearing and taking care of the correct storage of such headsets should concern not only pearls, but also the metal that borders the stones. Keep in mind that silver and gold darkens over time, and even if the stone itself does not lose its luster, the jewelry as a whole will take on an untidy look and will require correction.

When buying specialized cleaning products, it is better to check that the composition is not too concentrated., because pastes or powders will fall not only on the metal, but also touch the stone. And what works well for one element can destroy another.

Not everyone takes this type of cleansing seriously, some do not consider such procedures a necessity, but forewarned means forearmed. Better to be aware if your opinion will change over time.

Washing home decorations with soap and water is a simple step and should be taken as a rule. This helps to maintain the appearance of the stone. But if this is your favorite ring, earrings or pendant that you wear constantly, in addition to physical, you will also need energy purification. If the product contains natural stone, it will absorb the energy of the owner, both on good days and on bad ones.

Particular attention should be paid to energetic cleansing if you got the jewelry as a gift or inherited from another person. There is a belief that, along with a gift, you can get the fate of the person who wore the item before you. Most likely, you do not want to adopt other people's life stories, so here are a few examples of how you can clear the aura of a stone.

• Energy-efficient and safe - Cleanse in whole grains of rice is considered physical. They will not affect the metal, damage the stone, or change its color and structure. Place the product in a small bowl filled with rice and leave it there for 24 hours. Rice for cleaning can be reused, but it should not be eaten.
• Some people use a non-standard way to get rid of someone else's or negative energy - sound vibrations. People either recite mantras and prayers over the decoration, or record the ringing of church bells. You can treat this non-standard way in different ways, but you must admit that you cannot fail to notice a pleasant lightness in your soul when you hear the loud bells ringing.

Salt, sun and fire can often be found in recommendations for cleaning stones. But in the case of pearls, we recommend strictly abstaining from such methods. Perhaps you will be able to direct the energy in the right direction, but outwardly the product may be irretrievably damaged.

Now that you know everything about storage, remember the rules of wearing, and use the cleaning techniques correctly, your pearls (sea, cultured or artificial) will serve you for many years.

Tips on pearl care are waiting for you in the video below.