Pearls will vary in quality and price based on the origin, color, shape, size and luster (thickness of the nacre). In the care of your pearls, please remember to always wipe your pearls with a soft tissue before and after wearing them. This will avoid their staining due to body perspiration, because over a period of years this acid can dramatically dull your pearls.
Pearls and coral are a few of the select gems produced by living creatures, thereby making them a very special keepsake. They have a hardness of 2.5-4 on the Mohs' Scale. Never allow them to come in contact with anything which might contain acid. This includes detergents, hair spray and perfumes . Always remove a pearl ring before bathing or washing your hand or doing dishes. Apply hair sprays and perfume prior to putting on your pearls. Do not wear pearl rings, bracelets, or necklaces with other items of harder composition that can come into immediate contact. For example, wearing a bracelet on the same wrist as a gold watch can damage your pearls. The luster of your pearls can be preserved indefinitely by just an occasional cleaning with a specific pearl cleaning solution or by making your own with a mild solution of clear mild soap and warm water. Colored liquid soap can stain your pearl stringing material. Follow this with drying and polishing them with a clean, soft, dry cloth. Never store them loose in a jewelry box with other rings or objects that will scratch them. Store them in their original pearl box or bag for safe storage and keeping.
Pearls (especially half drilled ones mounted on pegs for rings and pendants) need care when worn in very cold weather. The metal peg and the calcium expand and contract at different temperatures which can loosen the pearl cement and can result in a lost pearl. Therefore, wear gloves and cover necklaces while outdoors. Try to warm pearls slowly, avoiding temperature swings such as going in and out of doors many times. Always remember to keep your stringing material in good condition - be it nylon or silk, via the same care as the pearls. We recommend that all major sets of pearls be strung with knots between each pearl to avoid a total loss if broken while wearing them. This simple care will assure you the lasting beauty of your pearls for many years to come. All repairs and refurbishments done to mountings with pearls, require their removal and resetting to avoid damage by a jeweler's torch.
For a large selection of cultured, freshwater and Princess Pearls and for any and all repairs and alterations, stop at the region's leading repair center - Ralph Miller Jewelers, 28 & 30 West 8th Street Erie, Pennsylvania.
