Pearls have long been valued by people, not only as a rare and beautiful jewelry, but also as a symbol of tenderness and purity. However, jewelry made of these natural beads does not tolerate dust and other contaminants, and is difficult to clean at home. Pearl jewelry needs to be cleaned regularly, and you need to follow certain rules so as not to damage the fragile pearls.
Methods and means of cleaning
Pearls, also called a living stone, are very sensitive to pollution and humidity. If you want your pearls to preserve their integrity, original color and their beautiful pearlescent shine, they can’t be excessively dried or moistened. You can clean beads or necklaces made from this mineral in the following ways:
- The easiest and most affordable way is to clean the necklace or beads with soapy lather. You can use mild shampoo or a gentle soap with low alkalinity to make the lather. Wipe your pearls with a small amount of it, applied with a cotton pad.
- You can also clean this jewelry at home using potato starch. Roll the beads in starch powder, and then carefully wipe with a velvet cloth. This will help get rid of dust and greasy marks on your favorite piece of jewelry.
- If your beads are very dirty, or yellowing, you can clean them using a strong saline solution. This is an old-school method that makes cleaning pearls at home easy. However, you need to be careful and use the finest salt if you don’t want to scratch your delicate living stones with the salt crystals. Don’t forget to also rub the necklace with a velvet cloth when you’re done.
- Extra Virgin olive oil helps restore luster to tarnished beads, and removes stuck-on dust. It is applied using a soft cloth or a cotton pad.
These pearl cleaning solutions are very simple and available to everyone. You should clean your pearls regularly, so that excessive dirt and skin oils don’t accumulate on the necklace. But remember, you are dealing with a delicate material, whether natural or artificial, so be very careful.
Useful tips and warnings
Professional jewelers mention a number of very common mistakes when cleaning pearl beads at home. Usually, mistakes are associated with care products and storage techniques.
Natural pearls should not be exposed to direct bright sunlight. In addition, this material does not like excessive dryness, which can make it crack, but it also does not tolerate excessive moisture.
Too much moisture can make pearls cloudy, so they should be stored in a dry and dark place.
You can’t use any cleaners containing acids or alkali to clean your pearls. In addition, cleaning agents with abrasive particles may scratch the delicate surface of the beads. That’s the same reason why you can’t use hard brushes and sponges for cleaning pearls.
Using hot water can cause a change in the color of pearls, as well as remove their natural pearly luster.
Perfumes containing essential oils can also ruin the appearance of pearls.
As you can see, cleaning your pearls isn’t particularly difficult, but it requires following a number of rules and restrictions. If these simple rules are followed, pearls can bring joy to young brides and mature ladies who are into Chanel style alike.