April 26, 2012

Pearls of Wisdom

Posted in jeweler, jewelry care, pearls tagged , , , , , , , , , at 8:48 pm by rosediamonds

Real or Fake?

Pearls mave been copied for centuries.  By glass, by plastic, etc.  Faux pearl quality varies.  Look near the drill hole for mold line “seams” and flat “lips” from injection molding.  Weight can also be a clue.  Pearls that are featherlight are usually plastic.

Cultured pearls/Natural Pearls have a grainy exterior.  DO NOT PUT PEARLS IN YOUR MOUTH!  Goodness knows when they were last cleaned or where they have been!  A more sanitary test is to gently rub them against each other (in a motion similar to getting a stain out of fabric)

4 Kinds

  1. Freshwater
  2. Akoya/Saltwater
  3. Tahitian
  4. South Sea
Different species of oysters for each.  Akoyas grow in very cold salt water, while the others tend to grow in warmer water.  Freshwater pearls grow in fresh water–duh.

How to Clean

Warm soapy water–baby soft toothbrush–lay flat to dry (so you don’t stretch the silk) NO CHEMICALS.

How to Store

ALONE.  Silk pouches or pearl cases are nice.  Do not store with other jewelry–diamonds, sapphires, etc can scratch the delicate exterior of the pearl.

How to reinvent

Layer with other necklaces of different lengths

Have them re-strung in long stations that you can wrap around

Where they come from

Mollusks.  Most are imported from the Pacific Islands, China & Japan