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Caring for your Pearls
Once you have selected your pearls, proper care is
required if you want your pearls to keep their lustrous beauty and pass
your treasure to future generations.
1. Store or wrap your pearls in a soft-lined separate pouch to prevent
scratching the pearls surface on metal edges and other stones from your
other jewelries. |
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The compact crystalline structure of pearls makes them
very durable but they are soft gems with the same hardness as an opal.
2. Pearls need moisture. For temporary storage, you can
use a plastic bag with seal to protect them, but do not store pearls in
an air tight environment for a period of time. Be specially carefully if
you store your pearls in a safety deposit box or vault. These areas are
very dry. Place a damp ( not wet ) cloth in the box with your pearls,
and check it periodically. Re-dampen the cloth if necessary. Do not
create an overly damp place; too much moisture in a dark environment can
cause mildew.
3. Avoid contact with these substances : vinegar, ammonia and chlorine
bleach of kind, inks, hair spray, perfume, toilet water and cosmetics.
Wear your pearls after spraying your hair, spraying perfume and putting
on make up. These substances will spot or disintegrate the pearl surface.
Be specially careful with vinegar, ammonia and chlorine. Vinegar is an
integral part of salad dressing, and a dip while eating onto your pearl
ring for example can have unfortunate results. Keep in mind many
commercial jewelry cleaners contain ammonia, so they should be avoided
for pearls. Also, many household cleaners contain ammonia so take care "spritzing"
glass so none of these solutions touches your pearls.
4. Wipe your pearls gently with a dampen towel before putting your
pearls away. This is to remove body oils and perspiration which are
harmful to a pearl's color.
5. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners as these can damage your pearls specially
if the nacre is thin. |
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