Cleaning the Tear Drops of the Gods

Pearls have been prized since ancient times. Some civilizations, such as the ancient Greeks, believed pearls to be the "tear drops of the gods," while others believe that pearls are pieces of moonlight captured by oysters. No matter your trust pearls have been loved for thousands of years. In the past pearls were prized possessions and only nobility and the wealthy could afford pearls but recently a way to culture pearls have made them ready to most people. Even with the availability of pearls people still covet them.

Pearls are one of the only gems in the world that can be worn naturally; no cutting or polishing is required, only a straightforward cleaning. They are an organic gemstone with a hardness of 2.5 - 4.5 on a scale of 1 - 10. A good cross reference is diamonds which have a hardness of 10 and amber and pearls being the softest of the gemstones.

Pearl

Pearls are created by a foreign object entering an oyster mollusk, that foreign object is coated many times with nacre. In cultured pearls humans place a small foreign object into them, the object is normally a small round bead. Although other shaped cultured pearls have been made, round ones still remain the most valued. Non-cultured pearls are graded in carats while cultured are graded on size in millimeters and they are valued based on the thickness of the nacre, size, color, and luster.

Because pearls are not as hard as other gemstones special precautions must be made with them.

1. Pearls should all the time be the last thing you put on and the first thing you take off. Because a value is partially based on its luster, never spray perfume on yourself while wearing them. Also avoid soaps or lotions coming in feel with your pearls, this is especially important when they are set in rings or bracelets.

2. After wearing your pearls clean them off with a soft damp rag and pat dry with a soft towel. Do not brush them or use whatever to clean them other than a soft towel as this will dull them and make them look like a cheap bead. Never use paper towels they will scratch the exterior and again dull the luster.

3. You can clean your pearls with a mild soap and a soft cloth. Do not use any abrasive cleaners or jewelry cleaners as they will remove the luster and destroy the value.

4. Your pearls should all the time be cleaned by hand; never use a machine. Hand washing it the only way to ensure delicate handling.

5. Store your them in a soft velvet or a soft cloth bag. Keep your them isolate from other jewelry and do not put other object in this bag as they may scratch or gouge your pearls.

6. Most pearls are strung on silk because silk wears with time they will need to be restrung periodically. It is advised to go to a jeweler to have the pearls strung. They can also be strung with nylon and beading wire. Nylon strands will need to be restrung as well but beading cable will not need to be restrung as often.

Natural and cultured pearls maybe cleaned same way.

Cleaning the Tear Drops of the Gods

Related : The Bests Rings