Pearls spell grace and elegance and form a part of every fashionable woman’s wardrobe. Similar to other gemstones, these are also expensive and rare, so it is important that they are taken care of in the proper manner so that they continue to glow in their natural color. There are simple but crucial steps that need to be taken for their preservation. As the chemical strength of pearls are poor, they are more prone to wear and tear. There are two aspects of maintenance, firstly is usage and second is storage which means that these have to be worn and stored correctly.
Usage:
Considering usage, which means mostly means wearing pearl jewelry in the form of necklaces, rings, bracelets, ear rings, etc. the following precautions need to be taken.
- These are extremely delicate. So never pull or tug at pearl jewelry. One has to be very gentle while handling them.
- Never wear them during activities involving water like bathing, swimming, cleaning, etc.
- Avoid heavy activities like cooking, gardening, etc. while wearing these precious beads.
- These react with chemicals present in perfumes, make-up, etc. therefore one should wear pearl jewelry only after application of these substances. While applying perfumes or colognes make sure that they are not sprayed directly on the pearls.
- Also it is important to wipe them after every use with a soft damp cloth like muslin or cashmere or velvet to remove dust, grime, sweat, and other chemicals. Do not expose them to water directly.
Storage:
This is the second important part for maintenance of pearls. How and where they are stored are vital.
- These costly beads need to be kept in soft cloth bags and not in boxes where they are exposed to hard surfaces that may cause scratches.
- Do not keep them with any other jewelry as this may damage them by causing scratches.
- While storing them, keep them flat and never hang them.
- These also need to breathe and need air. So bring them out once every now and then and also inspect them in the process to detect damages that can be repaired.