subject: Take Care of Your Pearl Earrings [print this page] Take Care of Your Pearl Earrings Take Care of Your Pearl Earrings
Of all jewelry pieces, pearl earrings are the easiest to care for. Because of their location on the body, they are not subjected to harsh chemicals such as cleaning detergents and the like. Women don't usually go swimming with elaborate earrings on or take showers with dangles of pearls and diamonds. Generally pearls are quite durable and do not need a lot of care, just common sense is all that is needed. Keep your pearls out of water. Remove them before swimming, entering a hot tub, showering or washing your hands. Pool chemicals can damage cultured pearls and even tap water may be too harsh.
Cultured pearls are made from nacre, a substance that oysters secrete. This component makes pearls soft and porous. Pearls rarely crack or shatter but they do damage easily. One should store pearls properly. Keep them separated from other pieces that could scratch them. A good option is to cover cultured pearl jewelry in a soft cloth, a pouch or lined box. If you wear your pearls regularly your body's natural oils will heighten their luster and shine. Clean your pearls with warm water and mild soap, but do not soak them. Let them air dry on a soft towel. Protect cultured pearl jewelry from damaging elements like light, heat and chemicals. Put on your pearl jewelry only after blow-drying your hair and applying cosmetics, perfume and hairspray. Do not wear cultured pearls in bright sunlight for long periods. Never dip your pearl earrings in any metal cleaning solutions such as silver polish. A dry chamois cloth or felt is the best way to polish your pearl earrings.
South Sea and Tahitian pearl earrings are more exotic, rare and expensive so you might want to be more careful in you're your cleaning technique. The following paragraph will instruct you on this matter.
Run warm water over a soft tissue and use this to gently rub your pearls to clean them. Use warm water once a year to remove the dirt and oil that can accumulate. If your pearl earrings contain a large amount of dirt, you can soak them in a clean sink with warm water and a few drops of mild dish washing detergent. Drop the dish liquid into the running tap so that lather forms. Do not allow the pearls to soak for more than 30 minutes. Rinse the pearls with warm water to remove any detergent that has been left behind after soaking. Place the pearls on a soft cloth for 36 to 48 hours after they have been soaked in order to let them dry out. Pearls are porous so it can take them a while to dry.
