Down through the centuries, many famous personages have sought exotic treasure in the form of pearl jewellery. Today any man or woman can enjoy the beauty of pearl with a little knowledge about how to choose them and how to care properly for them.
When choosing pearl jewellery, look for top quality pearls with lots of iridescence and luster. Other important qualities to consider when selecting pearl jewellery are the thickness and quality of the nacre (outer layer), color, surface perfection, size and shape. Nacre is the most important quality, because its thickness and size will determine how long the pearl will last. With strong, thick nacre, freshwater pearls will last about 70 years and saltwater pearls about 150 years.
The most desirable colors in pearl jewellery are rarer white pearls with rosy overtones. Cream-colored pearls, being more common, are often less expensive. These days much fashionable pearl jewellery is made with pearls of many colors, such as black, brown, gray, blue, green, gold or pink. Have colored pearls checked by a graduate gemologist to be sure they aren’t dyed.
There are four categories of pearls: Akoya, Tahitian, South Sea and cultured. The first three types of pearls come from oceans. Tahitian and South Sea are self-explanatory; Akoya pearls come from Asian waters and are prized for their roundness.
When shopping for pearl jewellery, don’t pass by cultured pearls, thinking they’re “fake.” Cultured pearls are as real as natural pearls; the only difference is that the mollusk has been helped to create a pearl by the insertion of an irritant or “nucleus” of some kind. Science may help nature in this regard, but there’s no guarantee that a cultured pearl will be fit for pearl jewellery, just as there’s no guarantee that a natural pearl will be valuable.
Careful maintenance of pearl jewellery ensures it will last the maximum time. Acid environments harm pearls, so it’s essential to store them wrapped in tissue in a separate box. Keep pearl jewellery away from other jewelry so it doesn’t get scratched.
Protect pearl jewellery from exposure to direct sunlight, high heat and chemical pollutants such as the chlorine in swimming pools. Occasionally wash your pearl jewellery with gentle soap in warm water, and dry with a soft tissue. Once every two years or so, polish pearl jewellery with a soft tissue bearing a drop of olive oil.
Put on cosmetics, including perfume, and allow to dry on the skin before donning pearl jewellery. Upon returning home, remove pearls immediately and wipe gently with a tissue before returning to storage. Have pearl jewellery checked yearly by a jeweler and replace line or thread as needed.
Lastly, don’t do the housework while wearing your pearl jewellery. Exposure to cleaning chemicals can be toxic to pearls. Why risk your precious pearl jewellery to look like a stereotypical housewife?
Real Pearl Jewellery 