How to handle, store and care for pearls |
Handling of pearls
1) Wearing pearls
First of all, pearls should be worn after dressing up. If you use lotion or perfume spray after wearing a pearl necklace, earrings, or ring, the liquid will come into contact with the pearls, which will damage the mother-of-pearl and absorb dust, etc., causing stains. It may adversely affect the quality of pearls. Please follow the rule of "Pearl last".
Next, check the pearls before wearing. As for the necklace, pick up one side of the clasp and let him hang it down like a string.
If there is a gap of more than one bead in the thread, it is evidence that the thread is stretched considerably. It is necessary to change the thread so that the thread does not break. Also check the condition of the beads. In particular, examine the beads near the ends, which always come directly into contact with the neck. Are there pearls damaged by sweat? Since the center of the necklace rarely touches the skin directly, it is less likely to get damaged, but the ends of the necklace come into direct contact with the back of the neck, and are often damaged by sweat, so please be careful. . Please check
the clasp at the same time as checking
the necklace. Even if the clasp comes off and the necklace slips down, you may not notice it in a crowd or on the floor where there is no sound. Similarly, check the clasp when wearing the brooch.
In the case of rings and earrings, please check if the beads are firmly attached to the base. Be careful if the pearl seems to be wobbly. Normally, pearls are glued to the core rod of the stand with a two-component adhesive, but the bonding strength varies depending on the bonding conditions. Also, the hole drilled in the pearl may be shallow or the diameter of the core rod may differ from the hole diameter, so the adhesion may be weak. Be especially careful with rings with several small pearls. If you notice any of these problems
, stop wearing them and have them repaired at a specialty store as soon as possible. For broaches and necklaces that use many pearls, it can take months to repair even a single lost pearl because it is difficult to replace with the same quality.
When wearing pearls, be careful not to hit them against hard objects.
When getting in and out of a car or entering or exiting a building, pearls often hit hard objects. Also, be careful about what you eat and drink at parties and dinners. There have been cases where part of a necklace has fallen into a container containing juice, and the juice's pigment has adhered to the pearl, discoloring it. Avoid acidic foods such as vinegar and lemon juice. These can damage the pearls.
2) Storage of pearls
The keyword when storing pearls is "avoid". Do not expose pearls to extremely abnormal environments such as strong light, heat, acid, or humidity. Also, when storing jewelry in a jewelry box, separate it from other hard jewelry, or put jewelry in a plastic bag or wrap it in cloth to avoid direct contact. Instead of keeping it in storage for the whole time, take it out from time to time and give it a light polish.
3) Taking care of pearls
"Immediately" is the key word in taking care of pearls. When putting away the pearls you were wearing, take good care of them. Are you still sweating? Is it dirty? Are there any new scratches or discoloration? Is the string of the necklace loose? Are the beads of your earrings or rings coming off or wobbly? Wipe off sweat immediately with a soft cloth.
If you find something wrong with the pearl, such as a rough surface, do not leave it as it is. There are pamphlets that often advise you to wash pearls if they get dirty, but if possible, it is better not to do your own maintenance.
With a little care like this, you can extend the life of your pearls.