Different from other gems, pearls are organic and need special care. Keep pearls away from other gems and store them in a separate jewellery pouch.
Acid is the biggest enemy to pearls. However, some women's skin is more acidic than others. When the pearls contact the acid skin, their surfaces will be slowly corroded. After a period of time, the pearls will lose their luster and the shape will become barrelled. In this case, you have to wipe the pearls each time after you wear them.
You must keep pearls away from chemicals like perfume, vinegar, and lemon juice, and avoid heat as well, because heat can make a pearl dark, dry and crack. Dry air will also damage pearls, so do not keep your pearls in a dry enviroment.
Here are some tips for cleaning and keeping:
Use specific jewellery cleaners only. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners, steam-cleaners, detergents, bleaches, powdered cleansers, baking soda, or ammonia-based cleaners. Do not use toothbrushes, scouring pads or abrasive materials to clean pearls. Do not hang pearls to dry and do not wear pearls when the string is wet, because the threads will break off. Do not let pearls touch hard or rough materials.
The art of cleaning pearls:
After you have worn your pearls, clean or wipe them to prevent the pearls from being eaten away by acid or spotted by dirt. Wipe the pearls with a soft cloth or chamois, and you can even use a drop of olive oil on the cloth to make the pearl shinier.
Pay attention to the drill hole areas when cleaning pearls as this is where dirt collects. After washing your pearls, lay them on a clean and moist towel to dry, then when the towel is dry, your pearls are almost dry.
