Looking for tips for cleaning pearls with salt? Keeping pearls looking new as they did when you first got them from the jewelers requires special care. To keep their luster, one needs special care. Let’s now look at how you can clean your pearls with the option of using salt included.
Something worth keeping in mind is that natural pearls are made by chance and tend to be expensive. On the other hand, cultured pearls, which are more common, do follow a similar process of a natural pearl with some variation.
They form when a shell bead nucleus gets inserted within an oyster. That irritates the oyster, causing it to produce the outer layer; the nacre layers is what pearls are composed of.
The coating formed is delicate- if you leave pearls intertwined, they will scratch and thus need special care.
Can you clean pearl with salt?
Cleaning pearls typically requires one to be delicate. That’s why it’s counterintuitive when you learn that you can clean your pearls using salt.
However, you’re not to use raw salt as that will scratch the pearls. You ought to dilute it in water.
Tips for Cleaning Pearls with Salt
Some jewelers suggest that you should dilute the salt in lukewarm water. After, for thirty seconds, swirl the pearl jewelry around, changing directions every so often.
That way, you’re sure that the salt gets into all the spaces to remove the dirt and oil.
Ensure that you only do this for 30 seconds since the silk thread doesn’t do well in water generally.
After, rinse the pearls under running water for a few seconds. Once done, lay them out flat to dry on a soft cloth after patting the pearls dry.
Another professional method to clean your pearls
Here, let’s look at a few more techniques that professionals use to clean pearls that you can do at home.
- Pearls typically do get cleaned using a soft cotton cloth, or if you have one, a small piece of chamois leather. Slowing wiping the pearls down with these materials removes any dirt or chemicals and keeps the pearl’s luster.
- If you got perfume or anything acidic on your pearls, you need to go a bit further to clean them. In a basin with lukewarm water, add a mild detergent. Ensure that it doesn’t have any particles, and the soap is completely integrated into the water. From there, put the soft cotton in the water, wringing some water, and use the cloth to rub substances off it. It’s quite surprising how much dirt tends to come off. Be gentle, as the nacre layer is thinner than one might expect.
Tip: Don’t soak your pearls in water as it might cause the silk thread to stretch and weaken. That leaves your jewelry compromised, as a bit of strain on the thread might cause it to break, sending your pearls falling to the ground.
- Once done, use another cloth, dampening it with lukewarm water. Now go through each pearl, wiping them down to ensure that you’ve removed the soap residue. This step is essential as leaving the soap on the pearls will make them lose their luster. Remember to clean the clasp, as that too does need care. Once done, place the jewelry on a soft cloth and leave it to dry completely. You want the silk to dry out naturally so that it can regain its elasticity.
How to protect your pearl
Pearls are delicate and thus need a lot of care. An aspect of pearls that people overlook is their ability to absorb chemicals.
Pearls are alkaline and will therefore react to anything acidic. When they come into contact with lotion, perfume, makeup, or even hairspray and fake tans, the damage is inevitable.
That’s why pearls should be the last thing you put on after you’re done with your beauty routine. You ought to also ensure that the products you put on your neck or wrist have dried before you wear your pearls.
You should, of course, not wear your pearls in the shower and when entering a large water body, the pool and ocean included.
You want to keep your pearls from getting wet and also not exposing them to chemicals. Shower gels, chlorine, and salty water affect the integrity of the pearl, causing damage to it.
One thing to keep in mind is that the oils on one skin give pearls their luster. They coat the pearls, making them shine.
That’s why you’re advised to wear your pearls for a few hours after cleaning them. That way, they’ll be coated with the oils and become shiny once again. When you’re storing the pearls away, use a soft damp cloth to wipe the silk that’s stringing the pearls together.
Once you’re done cleaning the pearls and they’ve gotten some of that shine back, wrap them in a tissue, velvet, silk, or chamois leather, and store them in a box.
Pearls ought to get kept in their own space. Placing them with other jewelry is a guarantee that they will scratch, and that’s the last thing you want to happen to your precious pearls.
You equally don’t want to leave them out in the open where they can gather dust. You don’t want to put them in an airtight space since the silk does need to breathe to prevent them from yellowing.
When wearing or even storing your jewelry, one thing you want to avoid is high temperatures. That’s why you’d rather leave your pearls at home instead of wearing them on a hot sunny day.
We mentioned that the nacre is already thin, and it’s held together by organic material. The pearls, to a degree, is still alive. The high temperatures will dry out the moisture, causing the pearl to discolor and lose its luster. Thus, keep the temperature and direct sunlight in mind when you’re wearing the pearls.
Another handy tip for protecting your pearls is to wear them often. Since pearls benefit from the oil on our skin and need to breathe and get moisture, wearing them often gives them just that.
You’re not only prolonging the life of the jewelry, but you’re also making a statement. Pearls are delicate, and for a long time, have been seen as a sign of purity. The meaning has changed, but it still carries gentleness and an air of sophistication with it.
Conclusion
Maintaining your pearls in good condition need not be stressful. With the tips shared here, you can be assured that you’ll keep your pearls for life.
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Tiger is a fashion&jewelry lover. He is also a fashion jewelry manufacturer that help thousands of small business to grow and also do business with some big fashion jewelry brands. He is a truly metal expert and he will share some information you are looking for.