Pearl Care

Angela Cisneros
Jun 6
2 min read

Updated: Jun 12

Pearls have been the object of beauty throughout history and are the only gemstone made by an animal. Along with Alexandrite, they are the birthstone for June. There are properties to pearls and pearl settings that make caring for pearl jewelry different from other gemstones. As the saying goes, pearls should be the last thing you put on and the first thing you take off, and here is why:

· Pearls are porous. The beautiful luster of pearls is created by layers of secretion from the mollusk, called nacre (pronounced nay-kur). Nacre is not hard like a gemstone, so perfumes, body oil, and lotions can seep into it causing a pearl to deteriorate. Putting them on after you have sprayed your perfume and put on your lotion while getting ready is important. Also, not touching them constantly will keep your pearls in better condition for the long run.

· Pearls have unique setting styles. Setting a pearl into jewelry is different than a traditional mineral gemstone. Holes are drilled half way through a pearl (for earrings or a ring) and epoxied onto a gold or platinum rod. The epoxy is durable but does breakdown over time, especially when a ring, let’s say, is put under water a lot for hand washing. For a strand of pearls, the holes are drilled all the way through and strung on silk. Due the nature of silk, it deteriorates at a much faster rate when it comes into contact with perfume, body oils (through lots of touching of the silk), and lotions. Putting your strand on last will keep the silk lasting longer and from the strand stretching out as fast. As you can probably deduce, putting a strand of pearls in liquid will greatly speed up the deterioration.

I always think of pearl jewelry as a summer staple because they literally come from the water, and I would love to help you with pearl jewelry! Angela Cisneros Jewelry Concierge brings back the joy and confidence of jewelry shopping, so that you can celebrate with ease! My by-appointment approach means:

One-on-one appointments (personal attention and no crowds!)
Discretion and privacy (surprises remain surprises!)
Expert help from a Graduate Gemologist with 27 years of experience (yep, that’s me!)

Learn more about me and my process: www.AngelaCisneros.com

Book your FREE appointment with me today! www.AngelaCisneros.com/book-appointment