Care and Handling of loose Pearls

There are times when you decide to buy loose pearls instead of the finished pearl jewelry set. This gives you the freedom of making jewelry sets according to your own liking plus the buying price of loose pearls is actually lower than that of the finished products.

To maintain high quality grade of the purchased loose pearls, utmost care and handling is required. Even one scratch or dent decreases its market value so we suggest you follow simple pearl care tips in this article.

First, store the loose pearls in a tight container along with soft cloth probably made of satin or cotton. The soft cloth lessens friction between the surfaces of the container’s insides which prevents nacre scratches. Choose a sturdy container that is not prone to dents. A sturdy container shields the pearls from sudden shock where a small pressure can suddenly flatten the pearl beads.

Choose a storage area with room temperature if possible. Extreme temperatures will cause the pearls to crack. Loose pearls need to be at the driest container possible as small moisture can affect its brilliance.

Move the loose pearls away from strong chemicals like perfume or alcohol. These liquids strip off the nacre of the beads. A pearl with thick nacre has a high market price. Even a small dab of these chemicals would greatly depreciate the worth of the pearls.

Lastly, if you decide to make loose pearls into a jewelry set, ensure the skill and expertise of the jeweler. A hole in the pearl bead can’t be covered back once it is already drilled.