|
How to Care for your Pearls
Pearls give the most natural glow under the morning
sunlight. Spotlights also enhance their appearance.
Therefore, if, when shopping for Pearls, the items are
being displayed under direct sunlight or bright
artificial light, it would be best to request to have
them removed before examining them. Furthermore, when
red objects are present around Pearls, reddish
reflection automatically gives the appearance of a thick
nacre. To be safe, it is advisable to shop in the
morning, before the afternoon sky begins to change
color, and to avoid wearing red or similar-colored
clothing.
Storage of Pearls
Be sure to store your Pearls isolated in a
compartmentalized jewelry box so that they don't come
into contact with other jewelry. Do not store your Pearl
jewelry in a security box for long periods of time,
since this may cause the Pearls to dehydrate. It is
recommended to take the Pearls out of such boxes
frequently.
Avoid commercial jewelry cleaners on Pearls unless specifically
recommended for Pearl cleaning. Many commercial cleaners contain
ammonia, which will cause deterioration. Vinegar will also deteriorate
Pearls if not rinsed off right away. Never clean Pearls in an ultrasonic
cleaners which can damage Pearls.
Hairspray, perfumes, and cosmetics can disintegrate the Pearl's surface,
so should always be used prior to putting on your Pearl jewelry.
To clean Pearls avoid abrasive powdered cleaners, baking soda,
toothbrushes, scouring pads, or materials that can damage the Pearls
surface. Gently rub Pearls with a soft cloth to remove caked-on
dirt, body oils, and perspiration (which is acidic) and harmful to a
Pearl's surface and color. Cloth may be dampened if necessary.
Store your Pearl jewelry in a soft jewelry bag, or wrap your jewelry in
a linen handkerchief to protect it from scratches and damage.
Avoid storing Pearls in sealed plastic bags or excessively dry places
which can cause your Pearls to crack. Pearls are composed of approx. 2
to 4% water along with calcium carbonate and organic binder called
conchiolin. Storing Pearls near a heater or places exposed to strong
sunlight results in dehydration and causes Pearls to become brittle and
crack.
Remove Pearls before performing strenuous exercise or work that could
result in damage to Pearl jewelry.
Restring Pearls periodically. When excessive wear is noticeable once a
year is recommended. For your very fine Pearls it is recommended Pearls
be silk knotted between each Pearl to prevent damage from Pearls rubbing
against each other, or getting lost if silk cord breaks.
Pearls that have a dirty oily build-up around the drill holes up can be
washed in a sudsy water with a small amount of mild liquid hand soap.
Lay Pearls flat on a damp absorbent hand towel to dry after washing.
Your Pearl strand should be dry when the towel is dry. To prevent silk
cord from stretching do not wear Pearls wet, or hang Pearls to dry.
What is a Pearl?
A Pearl is a smooth, round growth formed naturally within
the shell of a mollusk due to an irritant and used as a
gem. A Pearl is a hard, roundish object produced within
the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living
shelled mollusk. Just like the shell of mollusks, a
Pearl is composed of calcium carbonate in minute
crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric
layers. The ideal Pearl is perfectly round...
Read more...
The Birth of a Pearl
The birth of a Pearl is truly a miraculous event. Unlike
gemstones or precious metals; which must be mined from the earth, Pearls
are grown by live oysters far below the surface of the sea. Gemstones
must be cut and polished to bring out their beauty...
Read more...
Pearl Luster
Luster is what many experts term the heart and soul of
the sea-grown gem. Throughout history, this unique luster has separated
Pearls from all other gems. For cultured Pearl experts, luster is
perhaps the most important indicator in evaluating cultured Pearl
quality...
Read more...
The History of Pearls
No one will ever know who were the earliest people to collect and wear Pearls. George Frederick Kunz a gemologist in his 1908 masterpiece - The Book of the Pearl, states his belief that an ancient fish-eating tribe, perhaps along the coast...
Read more...
Natural Pearls
A natural Pearl is a Pearl that forms in nature with no
human intervention. Natural Pearls, What is a Natural
Pearl Natural Pearls are grown in wild oysters. The
process begins when an irritant, such as a grain of sand
or a piece of shell, gets inside an oyster's shell...
Read more...
Freshwater Pearls
Freshwater Pearls are a kind of Pearl that comes from
freshwater mussels. They are produced in Japan and the
United States on a limited scale, but are now almost
exclusive to China The U.S. Federal Trade Commission
requires that freshwater Pearls are referred to as..
Read more...
Biwa Pearls
Biwa Pearl is a freshwater Pearl cultivated in a mollusk
only in Japan's Lake Biwa. Biwa Pearls are produced at
lake Biwa, Japan using freshwater clams. They are
irregular in shape but have good color and luster.
Instead of a bead a small square of mother of...
Read more...
Saltwater Pearls
Although freshwater Pearls can be grown in mussels and
other mollusks, saltwater Pearls are always grown in
oysters. Most saltwater Pearls are harvested in the Red
Sea, the Persian Gulf, and the coastal waters of India
and Japan. Generally, saltwater Pearls...
Read more...
Cultured Pearls
Cultured Pearls are those in which humans take a helping
hand. By actually inserting a foreign object into the
tissue of an oyster or mollusk, Pearl farmers can induce
the creation of a Pearl. The same natural process of
Pearl creation takes place...
Read more...
South Sea Pearls
South Sea Pearls is a generic name for the
Pearls, usually 9mm-16mm in size, produced by the two groups of large
Pearl producing oysters. These oysters can grow to 25-30 cm in size, and
are much rarer than their Akoya counterparts....
Read more...
Tahiti Cultured Pearls
Tahiti cultured Pearls are Pearl concretions
that are secreted inside the black-lipped Pinctada Margaritifera species
of Pearl oysters cultivated mainly in the lagoons of French Polynesia.
They consist of thick Pearly layers containing organic substances..
Read more...
Akoya Pearls
Akoya Pearls are found only in Japan, China,
and Vietnam. Japanese Akoya Pearl farms are shifting towards the warmer
Chinese waters, where these Pearls take only half as long to grow.
Overtone colors of Akoya Pearls include white, cream, rose, silver, and
green...
Read more...
Mabe Pearls
Mabe Pearls are large, hemispherical cultured
Pearls that grow attached to the inside shells of oysters. Mabe Pearls
are of hemispherical shape, grown against the inside of the oyster's
shell, rather than within its tissue. Mabes occasionally appear in
nature...
Read more...
Blister Pearls
A blister Pearl (also called a button Pearl)
is a Pearl that developed attached to the inside of a mollusk's shell.
This type of Pearl must be cut off the shell, and is therefore
hemispherical. Because of their shape, blister Pearls are mostly used
for earrings...
Read more...
Rainbow Mabe Pearls
In general, you would think that all Pearls are round
shaped or spherical. However, Mabe Pearls are not
completely round. They come in various shapes. The
subtle hues give it a unique presence, a quality that
can't be found in other Pearls. Mabe Pearls are suitable
for...
Read more...
Mother of Pearl
Mother of Pearl, also called nacre, is an
iridescent layer of material which forms the shell lining of many
mollusks. The Pearly internal layer of certain mollusk shells, used to
make decorative objects. Also called nacre. Pearl oysters and abalone
are both sources of mother of...
Read more...
Keshi Pearls
Tiny Pearls, some a little bigger than a grain
of sand, which form naturally in many cultured Pearl oysters. Keshi is a
Japanese word for "poppy seed". Thus, keshi is also called the seed
Pearl deriving the name from its size. Keshi Pearls are irregularly
shaped...
Read more...
How to Care for your Pearls
Pearls give the most natural glow under the morning
sunlight. Spotlights also enhance their appearance. Therefore, if, when
shopping for Pearls, the items are being displayed under direct sunlight
or bright artificial light, it would be best to request to have them...
Read more...
Back to 'All About Pearls' Summary
Ever since the ancient Egyptians first started creating
jewelry, Pearls have become one of the highest regarded gemstones. Even
today Pearls still hold their value due to the rarity of "mother nature"
creating this form of jewelry. Pearls are created from a core. The core
of a natural Pearl is simply a fragment of shell or fishbone, or a grain
of sand that strays into the unsuspecting Pearl oyster's shell. To
protect itself from this irritant the oyster secretes multiple layers of
nacre, forming a Pearl...
Read more...
|
How To Care For Pearls
