You can clean or brighten new or vintage pearls at home using a mild detergent or dish soap. If your pearls have become yellow, try whitening them or restoring their shine with acetone. Acetone will not harm pearls, but never use ammonia, vinegar, or chlorine bleach near your pearls.
Over time, pearls can become yellowish. When this happens, you can clean your pearls to restore their color and luster. Bear in mind that acid and alkaline chemicals can cause irreparable damage to pearls. This pearl cleaning process should therefore be undertaken with the utmost care.
Worn often and properly cared for, pearls can look as good in 50 years as they did the day they left the store. Pearls are not the most durable of gems. Most everyday items at home and in the office are tougher than pearls, so careless contact can cause damage them over time. Chemicals are the primary threat.
The sad reality is that old, second-hand cultured pearls aren't worth a lot. There's no obvious place to sell them and you won't get much from a jeweller or by putting them on eBay. Our advice is to keep them as a memento or give them to someone who'll appreciate them.
The lip determines the pearl color. While the white pearls are also priced by jewelers, the gold pearl variety is the most coveted color. The gold South sea pearl's color can range from creamy white to deep gold, and the darker the color, the more expensive it becomes.
NEVER USE DETERGENTS, HOUSEHOLD CLEANERS, COMMERCIAL JEWELRY CLEANERS OR TARNISH REMOVERS ON PEARL JEWELRY. Never use your pearl cleaning brush for anything else, and store it where it will not become dusty or soiled. Pearls will naturally darken slightly with age and wear.
After all, pearls have a predicted lifespan of from one hundred and fifty to two hundred years if cared-for properly. All pearls, whether natural or cultured, anorganic, which means that they were composed by a living organism. "That is the very essence of the warmth and softness of their glow".
Wetting pearls is never a good idea, as it begins to destroy the jewel. Pearl necklaces are damaged when they get wet, because the water damages both the thread and the pearl . When wet, the thread that holds the beads together begins to stretch and lengthen, so it quickly loses the desired shape.
Keep pearls away from chlorine bleach, hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, ammonia, hairspray, perfume, and cosmetics, as these substances will damage the pearl surface.
If your pearl is authentic, you'll notice bubbles starting to appeal on its surface. This is because the acetic acid in vinegar is strongly reactive when exposed to calcium carbonate.
Real pearls wear out and age, what is visible in getting mat, cracking, peeling, chipping off, and finally scattering into a fine powder. The life of a natural pearl is estimated at about 100-150 years, but there are few specimens up to several hundred years.
The value of a pearl can vary dramatically depending on many factors, such as its type, size, color, surface quality, and more. A wild pearl will be worth more than a cultured pearl. However, on average, a pearl's value ranges from $300 to $1500.
Pearls are organically created, so they can be quite delicate. Please avoid any harsh product coming into contact with your jewellery. Cosmetics, moisturisers and perfume may damage the pearl and its jewellery setting. It's always best to wear your pearls last when getting ready, and take them off first.
Do pearls lose their luster or become dull? It's possible that pearls can lose their shimmer and shine over time, but you can prevent it from happening by learning how to clean your cultured pearl necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings.
Not just because of the unique color, size, shape, and place of origin, but also accounting for the fact that these gems are made by living oysters. The price of a pearl now averages between $300-1,500, and there are a few factors to consider when questioning both quality and value.
It's pretty much impossible to tell the difference between a natural and cultured pearl by just looking at its outer appearance. The only way to make absolute certain whether a pearl is natural or not is to perform an x-ray of the internal structure of the pearl.
This is because a real pearl has small ridges on its surface. These ridges may not be visible to the naked eye. However, experts and jewelers can check the “natural flaws” in a pearl using a magnifying object. In real pearls, these same ridges can be felt using the teeth.
South Sea. South Sea pearls are often referred to as the Rolls Royce of pearls. They are the largest and most valuable pearls grown today, with average sizes ranging from 10 to 15 millimeters. South Sea pearls grow in a large pearl oyster native to Australia, the Philippines, Myanmar and Indonesia.
Scallop pearls are among the rarest pearls in the world. Similar to Melo Melo and conch pearls, scallop pearls are classified as non-nacreous natural pearls. This means that instead of being composed of nacre or aragonite, they are formed from calcite. Scallops, a type of mollusk, form these pearls.
Pearls are a Good Investment
Both natural and cultured pearls are fine gems similar to diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires. Though pearls do not increase their value the same way as the mentioned gems, pearls can still retain their original value, especially if you care for them.