Wearing & Caring for Pearls: What NOT to do.
Whilst pearls are durable, they do require a bit of TLC. Show your pearls that you care by NOT doing any of the following.
1. Wear them in the swimming pool
Harmful chemicals such as chlorine in a pool can effect or cloud the lustre of a pearl and in some instances etch or pit the surface. Plus, wearing a strand of pearls in water can lead the silk thread they are strung with, to stretch.
Pool chemicals can damage your pearls.
2. Store them next to your diamonds
We can’t deny that pearls and diamonds make a very pretty pair especially when they are combined so beautifully in a piece of jewellery like the pearl (pictured below) but when it comes to storing your pearls it’s best to keep them separated. Why? Because diamonds are the hardest gem known to man, much harder than pearls and if stored together, over time the diamond may begin to damage the surface of the pearl.
In Jewellery Diamonds & pearls look great just don’t store them together.
3. Put your pearls on before your make-up
There is a simple rule…pearls should be the last thing you put on in the morning and the first thing you take off at night. Putting them on after you’ve brushed your teeth, applied your makeup, sunscreen and perfume protects them from chemicals found in such items. Then when it comes to taking them off it is always a good idea to wipe them gently with a soft cloth.
4. Not wearing them
Hiding your pearls away in a safety deposit box might seem like a good idea to keep your precious gems safe but actually it can have an adverse effect. Pearls need humidity and moisture to maintain their pretty lustre. So pull them from the box and wear them out and proud! (If you absolutely need store them away then a good tip is put a moistened cloth in an open jar in the safe with pearls)
5. Not getting your pearls re-strung regularly
You may have already lost your marbles but we do not want you to lose your pearls! Strands of pearls are usually strung with silk thread which can weaken over time. It is advisable to get the pearls re-strung every few years.
Cleopatra had expensive tastes.
6. Use pearls as a cocktail ingredient
Legend has it that in an attempt to demonstrate her wealth and power the Egyptian Cleopatra made a bet with her lover Marc Anthony; that she could present the most expensive meal ever known. She won the wager by drinking a cocktail containing a dissolved pearl. According to sources the pearl was no ordinary pearl and was said to have been the ‘largest pearl in all history’. Cleopatra may have won her bet but it just seems a bit of a waste – not to mention extreme. Plus we’re not entirely convinced it would taste all that nice, but if anyone’s game to try we’d love to hear from you!
She may be Lady Gaga but this look is just ga ga!
7. Stick them on the face
This is a look only Gaga can pull off although we’re not even sure she does in this instance. To us it looks like dried porridge but hey she’s Lady Gaga and she always unique! However, we reckon pearls look best as pieces of jewellery around your neck, on your fingers or in your ears rather than stuck on your face.
For more Do’s and Don’ts of Wearing Pearls, check out our pinterest board by clicking here.