PRINCESS JEWELERS, Service, Quality, & Trust

Cultured pearls are jewels and should be treated as such. Their hardness on the Mohs scale is 4.0; one of the softest of gems. Cultured pearls are formed when an irritant is inserted into a mollusk. The mollusk secretes a substance called nacre which surrounds the irritant and forms the pearl. The nacre gives the pearl its lustrous rainbow hues. But, the delicate nature of the nacre makes the pearl susceptible to damage.

As with all gemstone jewelry, apply cosmetics, hair sprays and perfumes before donning any pearl jewelry. When you remove the pearls, wipe them, carefully, with a soft damp cloth to remove any remains of these substances. These substances will spot or disintegrate the surfaces of your pearls. Body oils and perspiration are particularly harmful to a pearl's color.

Periodic washing is recommended. Wash gently with a soft cloth in sudsy water using a mild soap(not a detergent). After washing, rinse the pearls in clear water, then wrap them in a clean, damp cotton towel and permit them to dry.

Never use jewelry cleaners which contain ammonia to clean your pearls.

The acid which is on your skin will wear your pearls down over time. You should have your pearls inspected and re-strung about every 18 months, if you wear them very often.

As with other gemstone jewelry, never mix your jewelry items together. Don't toss them into your purse or a jewelry box. Because of the relative softness of pearls, their surface is very susceptible to scratches from hard metal edges or by the harder gemstones of other jewelry pieces.

Place your pearls in a chamois bag or wrap them in tissue before putting them away.