Pearls and caring for them
Be careful with your hygiene and cosmetic products
Personal care products can damage pearls. Cosmetics, sunscreens, perfumes and hairspray contain chemicals that can affect the shine of a pearl. The natural acids in body oils and perspiration can damage pearls in the same way. A good rule of thumb is: put the pearls on last and take them off first.
Protecting pearls
After wearing your pearls, you can clean them with a damp, soft cloth to remove the harmful substances that can affect the mother-of-pearl. Always keep the pearls separate from other hard jewellery such as rings or bracelets to prevent them from being scratched.
Pearls are best kept in a soft cloth bag or in a soft lined jewellery box. Never store pearls in an airtight environment such as a zip lock bag. Pearls are organic and contain traces of water. Storing them in an airtight environment will make them brittle and might damage the shine.
Re-stringing your pearls
If pearls are worn frequently, they should be re-strung about once a year to keep the strand from breaking. Pearl knotting is a real craft, the thread must be knotted between each pearl to prevent all the pearls from falling off the strand in case of a break. The knots also prevent damage because the pearls cannot rub against each other.
You can have your pearls knotted again at a jeweller who usually charges a fixed amount per knot, plus the costs for attaching the closure, you can easily assume an amount of at least €50. We offer a cheaper alternative for our regular customers: our experienced knotter Nelly (60 years of experience) can knot the pearls again for you, please contact us for more information.
Bron: https://nl.wikipedia.org
