To keep your pearls in perfect condition and maintain their luster and brilliance, you have to keep several things in mind. First of all, you must understand that pearls are organic substances and therefore need special care. They will easily get damaged by any harsh material that comes in contact with them.



To keep pearls looking their very best you need just a little knowledge on how to care for them correctly.

All pearls, including freshwater pearls are delicate organic gems that are made of the natural product called calcium carbonate. This product is drawn from the lake or river by the mussel that the pearl lives in. Pearls were once living and growing so you will have to take special care to keep them from harm. Ironically, the products that harm pearls most are the very things that the woman uses always uses. These are perfumes, hair sprays and cosmetics and face creams she will definitely use. These grooming products and other household chemicals if sprayed near pearls can build up on the pearl and damage the luster. The nacre can become marked, dull and pitted. They will tend to loose the exquisite luminous luster that defines a pearl.

Rules of Pearl Care

The most important point to remember to prevent damage to your pearls is by following the golden rule of putting your pearls on as the last thing you do when finishing your grooming. Put the pearls on after you have applied make up, perfume and hair sprays, never before. Never spray perfume on the neck area where the pearls will actually rest. Also avoid touching your pearls when you have just applied hand cream. If you need to reapply hair spray at some time, slip the pearls off for a moment and put them well out of range. Likewise make pearls the first thing you remove after a night out. Only after this you may remove your makeup, wipe your face and neck with cleansers or facial wipes, or night creams. Soon as you remove your pearls wipe them with a soft damp cloth. Buff them occasionally with a silk cloth to enhance their shine and luster. Be careful not fling them in a jumble on the dressing table; instead ensure that you put them back in their original container.

Storage

Mostly pearls are sold with a silk jewellery pouch and this is the best way to store your pearls. Velvet lined boxes with separate compartments are also safe to use as are chamois leather pouches. When pearls are transported, they may be wrapped in bubble wrap for protection, but you should never store the pearls in this plastic long term.

If you throw pearls into a jewel box full of other tangled jewellery your pearls will soon lose their lustrous sparkle, the surface will become scratched, wires will become bent and clasps scratched.