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
