Pearls contain organic substance, which can dry out and decay, which is why pearls have their certain life span, after which pearls start to grow dim, exfoliate and are finally destructed. This means special attention is required to ensure pearls will stay beautiful and last for hundreds of years.
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.
"Pearls," he said, "must be worn frequently to preserve them. If you take a pearl necklace and lock it up you will find that in the course of years the pearls become dull and lose the sheen that makes them so valuable.
As mentioned, pearls are ranked 2.5 on the Mohs Hardness Scale which means that a pearl is considered a soft gem and can easily be scratched. But with adequate care, pearl jewelry can last for a lifetime and be passed down through generations. The good news is that special care is not hard to do.
Did you know that pearls can change colors? It's something that can happen over time. White pearls slowly turn yellow as they age. Many people don't understand how this happens, or how to prevent it.
Unfortunately, if real pearls are kept in a dark box for a long time they can become dry and yellowish too. Cream is a natural colour for many pearls.
There's no doubt that pearls are one of the most popular and beloved gems in the world. They range in prices from a $100 or less all the way up to thousands and even millions of dollars.
Astrology says that the people whose zodiac signs lords are Mercury, Venus, Saturn and Rahu should never wear pearls. Pearls harm the natives of these zodiac signs. This means that people of Taurus, Gemini, Virgo, Capricorn and Aquarius ascendant should not wear pearls.
High-Quality Pearls are a Wearable investment
While you might think that gold and silver is an obvious choice when buying investment jewelry, pearls are an excellent alternative. In recent years auction houses such as Christie's have sold pearl jewelry far exceeding the value of other gemstones.
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. Make sure to put pearls on after finished spraying perfume or hairspray and putting on makeup.
Is it OK to wear pearls everyday? Absolutely. Pearl jewelry should be worn and enjoyed frequently, so avoid leaving your pearls in a security box for long periods of time. But as many jewelry, pearls are beautiful, but they are delicate and should be worn with care.
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.
Pearl jewellery and pearls are not traded like gold or silver. They are considered elite gemstones and do not have a high resale value, at least as of now. Used pearl jewellery, which is sold for higher prices, is usually that which has been worn by celebrities, queens or antique pieces.
The qualities that determine the overall value of a natural or cultured pearl or a piece of pearl jewelry are size, shape, color, luster, surface quality, nacre quality, and—for jewelry with two or more pearls—matching.
Therefore, when you rub a real pearl with nail polish remover, it should not lose its luster or become damaged. However, the same cannot be said for fake pearls, which are often made of plastic or glass and can be easily damaged by the acetone-based solvent.
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.
Freshwater pearls are cheaper because they are easier to extract, making sea pearls more valued. Why? Sea pearls are larger, more beautiful in shape, luster, smoother surface and, of course, much more expensive than freshwater pearls.
The etiquette on wearing a pearl necklace during the day, traditionally, is to wear a single pearl stand with a blouse. Over the years, as with so many things, the rules have gone out the window and pearls are no exception! The joy of owning pearl necklaces is that they really do with everything, on every occassion.
In general, pearls are not a gift. Giving pearls to someone, whether a bride or a just a romantic gesture later on in the marriage, can be seen as a bad omen inviting sadness into their life. When giving gifts, stick to stones over pearls to make the right impression and avoid superstitions.
Don't 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. Wearing a strand of pearls in water can also lead the silk thread they are strung with, to stretch.
After many, many years of diving for pearls, divers have made natural pearls so rare; some say they are close to becoming extinct. Therefore, they are hard to find on the ocean's surface these days. Because of this rarity, natural pearls are generally much more expensive than cultured pearls.
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.
Because South Sea Pearls form over longer periods of time, they are more costly to cultivate. For this reason, there are a limited number of South Sea pearl farms, making the truly prized South Seas exceptionally rare. Not all cultured pearls are good enough to become Assael pearls.