Pearl Guide

Pearl Guide - Part 4
Care and Storage of Pearls
 
A reminder...Pearls are organic creations. It’s their special surface that makes them so beautiful so taking good care of them will help them last and look lovely for a long time. Pearls are very soft, a 2.5 on the Mohs hardness scale, meaning they can scratch easily. Keep pearl jewelry away from all types of chemicals, especially chlorine, ammonia, hair spray, lotion, perfume and makeup. 
Wearing...As “water creatures” pearls like moisture, but get the most benefit when they absorb it from the air or from your body. They also benefit from the oils in your skin. So, wearing pearls is actually healthy for them! However, avoid rough fabrics and practice the “last on, first off” rule for pearl jewelry. Never swim, shower or wash dishes while wearing pearls. 
Cleaning...While moisture is good for pearls, perspiration can be acidic, which is not good. After wearing your pearl jewelry, use a soft dry cloth to wipe them down before putting them away. If your pearl jewelry becomes dirty, use mild, non-perfumed soapy water on a damp cloth to gently remove the dirt. Pearls should not be submerged in water or any liquid as it can eat away at the epoxy in mountings and damage silk threads. Let pearls dry completely before putting them away. Never, ever, use steam, ultrasonic or jewelry cleaners. If in doubt, take them to a reputable jeweler for cleaning. 
Storing...It’s best to store pearl jewelry in a fabric lined compartment in your jewelry box or drawer, or in a soft fabric pouch.  This keeps them away from other jewelry pieces that could scratch the soft surface. Pearl necklaces and bracelets should be stored flat, as hanging them will stretch any silk used in construction. Never use closed plastic boxes or bags for storing pearls. All storage locations should be somewhere with some ambient moisture, as hot, dry conditions can cause pearls to crack. Strung pearl jewelry should be checked once a year and re-strung every few years, based on the advice of a reputable jeweler. Keeping pearl jewelry separate is also best when pearls are designed together with metals and other semi-precious or precious stones.
 
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Pearl Guide - Part 3
Unique Properties of Pearls

Historically, pearls have been thought to promote faith, charity and integrity. Pearls have been worn for thousands of years and are one of the most sought-after gems. Pearls are the only gems that are created by a living being: freshwater and saltwater mollusks.

Because of their organic origin, pearls are “gems,” but not “stones.” In ancient civilizations, pearls were the ultimate symbol of wealth and social status. They have been associated with love and marriage and were believed to have an ability to protect the wearer from harm. 
 
 
Since pearls are grown in a mollusk, they are truly organic and no two are ever exactly alike, unlike gems that are mined from the earth and cut into shapes. One of pearls’ most unique properties are optical, caused by the refraction of light as it passes through multiple layers of nacre.
The unique color combinations that can be seen, especially in sunlight, are called“orient” and “overtones.” These colors cannot be found in inorganic gemstones and cannot be replicated in a lab. Pearls are frequently paired with inorganic gemstones and metals as their luminescence enhances so many other colors!
 
 
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Pearl Guide - Part 2 
Freshwater Pearls
Here are examples of the wide variety of shapes, colors and luster of some of the freshwater pearls in my collection!
 
People often ask if freshwater pearls are “real” pearls. 
Using the test in Pearl Guide, Part 1—check it out below if you haven’t read it—absolutely! 
Freshwater pearls are grown using mussels that reside in freshwater, as opposed to salt water. They come in a wide variety of shapes and the “type” is found in its name. For example: potato, stick, button, coin, drop, off–round, round and baroque. Baroque means “not round” so these pearls come in a multitude of unusual shapes. Typical sizes for freshwater pearls are 5-10mm, although they can be as small as 1-2 mm and as large as 15mm. 
Pearls are evaluated using a number of criteria. The most important to me in buying and using freshwater pearls are surface quality and luster, together with color. Surface quality should have minor divots or blemishes, with 75-90% clean surface area. Luster is about reflections and is what creates a fabulous pearl. Look for bright reflections; this is a good pearl.  Pearls with poor luster appear dull and flat. 
Colored freshwater pearls can be natural or dyed. Typical natural colors include white, cream, yellow, orange, pink and purple. The color depends on the type of mussel, its diet and growing environment. Color also has some other characteristics. First is the bodycolor, which is the pearl’s main color. Overtone is a translucent color that lies over the main bodycolor, which is more likely to be found in saltwater pearls. Freshwater pearls have something called “orient”. This is where they shimmer! Take your pearls into the sunlight and see what happens. If you see multiple colors just below the surface, that is orient! The cost of jewelry containing freshwater pearls will vary depending on all of these factors. 
 
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Pearl Guide - Part 1
How To Tell If A Pearl Is Real!
 
There are so many beautiful shiny objects called “pearls” these day, but it's easy to tell the real ones from the fake ones. To do so, gently rub the pearl against the front of your tooth; if it feels gritty, then it’s a real pearl, whether cultured or natural. If it feels smooth, then it’s not a real pearl regardless of the description. Be careful to not use the edge of your tooth, as you could scratch the pearl!
What kind of pearls are there?
There are really just two kinds of pearls- freshwater & saltwater- with both being real pearls. The details of various pearl descriptions tell a bit about the environment they were grown in as well as the color, size, shape, & price. Pearls come from mollusks even though some folks talk about pearls coming from mussels, which are a type of mollusk. Within the freshwater & saltwater, basic growing conditions have many more possibilities!