There are several articles on the internet on how to clean pearls and how to care for pearls. However, most of them are not easy to follow especially since the Indian jewellery items and Hyderabad pearl jewellery have several intricate elements like precious stones and metals.
Caring for a string of pearls is certainly not the same as caring for a sophisticated piece of wearable art made from pearls, stones, crystals and metal!
So, how can you take care of your pearls and maintain your Hyderabad pearl jewellery easily without spending a lot of time or without risking any damage?
If you haven’t bought any pearls, then check out the free guide on the different types of pearls to decide which one to buy.
Read through to learn in detail, or use the table of contents below to jump to any section.
Table of Contents
Why Should You Clean Your Pearl Jewellery?
If you are a pearl lover, you would agree on how precious pearls are. They are stunning products of nature that are farmed by hardworking pearl farmers and are grown over a period spanning several years!
Sometimes it takes about 7 years to get a single round pearl!
Speaking of nature; pearls are formed by organic substances. Therefore, they can be easily damaged if they are improperly maintained.
So, cleaning your pearls is not just to keep them smooth and shiny for life but also shows your appreciation towards nature and its beauty!
Before you move on to pearl caring tips, take a moment to read what one of our customers has to say about taking care of pearls.
“I’ve always been fascinated by pearls. Even as a little girl, I used to love them – more than any other jewellery – because I felt they were feminine and elegant! If you gave me a choice between pearl and gold, I would go for pearls any day – without a blink. But considering that I’ve been pearl-crazy for some time now, I didn’t know how to take care of them until recently. A friend of mine was aghast when she heard that I wore my pearl studs (encased in gold) on my regular swims. She chided me, saying that it’s a shame I was careless with them and didn’t deserve them. Ever since I’ve felt guilty and been ever so careful and cautious not to neglect my pearls.”
1. Wear Often
Unlike other jewellery, which loses its lustre on wearing frequently, the glossiness of pearls lasts longer when they are worn regularly and are in contact with the skin. That is because the oils secreted from your skin help in maintaining the pearls’ shine.
Additionally, pearls also like to get some fresh air rather than be locked up in a jewellery box since they are formed out of organic substances.
However, the lustre of pearls will not remain the same forever. It will reduce over a period of many years.
2. Wipe Pearls with Damp or Soft Cloth
When you wear pearls, you not just expose them to body oils but also dust and pollution in the environment. So, after you are done wearing them, gently wipe the pearls with a damp cloth to remove the dirt and a dry but soft cloth to remove excess oils.
If your pearl jewellery has metal in it, then do not use water on the metal as it may corrode the metal faster. Instead, use a soft cotton or microfiber cloth to wipe your pearls before storing them away.
3. The Last Thing to Put on and First Thing to Remove
Your pearl jewellery must be the last thing you should put on before leaving anywhere and the first thing you remove after you are in your space.
Many people make the mistake of first wearing their pearl necklace or other jewellery before putting on makeup or perfume. Keep in mind that the chemicals used in cosmetics can greatly harm pearls and even metals.
So, wear your pearls when you are done with your make-up.
4. Do Not Get the Pearls Too Wet
After reading the first point or by knowing the fact that pearls come from water bodies, you may think you can wash your pearl jewellery by submerging them in water. But you should not do that.
Pearls can be submerged in water but not pearl jewellery because the binder (epoxy) that holds the pearls to the metal or stones may wear off and damage your piece.
Hence, it is a bad idea if you plan to bathe, do the dishes, go swimming or do a heavy and sweaty workout while wearing pearl jewellery with metal or stones.
5. Do Not Expose Pearls to High Temperatures
The mother of pearl that coats a pearl consists of thin layers. An organic material called “conchine” binds these layers together. When a pearl gets exposed to higher temperatures for a prolonged period, the conchine starts to wear out ultimately affecting the colour and lustre of the pearl. Over time, the pearl loses its original sheen and starts looking dull.
So, if you want your pearls to look as good as new, make sure to store them in an environment with optimum temperatures – keeping them out of direct sunlight. Wearing your pearls while sunbathing is definitely a “No”.
6. Do Not Store with Other Metal Jewellery
If your pearl sets do not have any metal in them, or if you just want to care for a string of pearls, then ensure that even when you are locking them away in your jewellery box, you don’t put them together with other metal jewellery.
That is because the metal from other jewellery might scrape against the pearls and damage them over time.
7. Periodically Restring Your Pearls
Most people do not even think about this. Restringing is an essential aspect of maintaining your pearl jewellery. Unlike pearls, the silk or nylon threads that are used to make your pearl necklaces or bracelets are not going to last for decades.
It is recommended that you restring your pearls once every 12 to 18 months.
Video on How to Clean and Maintain Pearl Jewellery
Conclusion
Those were 7 simple tips to care for and maintain your beautiful pearl jewellery from Pure Pearls.
You do not need any extra equipment or apparatus that you do not already have at home to follow these pearl care tips.
Pearls are beautiful. They are not only great conversation pieces but also amazing attention-grabbers. So, take care of them and preserve them as if they are the most precious thing you own!
Hopefully, this article was helpful. If you do not have any pearl jewellery yet, then check out our collection. We have some of the best and affordable Hyderabadi pearl jewellery in India!