Proper Maintenance And Storage Of Mother Of Pearl Jewellery
Look Younger - Beauty & StyleWhether for decorations or jewellery, mother of pearl has been used throughout history to adorn musical instruments, marble, and ceramics – anything that can benefit from its artistic shine is fair game. Their gorgeous colors are created by carving out mollusk shells, which can cast some amazing reflections that produce a new artistic effect that changes based on the angle from which it is being viewed. Though it used to be worn primarily by royalty, these days it is so affordable that average people can own it, yet it retains the beauty that has prompted families to keep unique pieces over generations.
As strong as it appears, the luster of mother of pearl can easily be lost. It takes proper care to maintain them over a period of years.
Take a look at the following six suggestions to keep your mother of pearl beautiful.
Mother of pearl jewellery is delicate, so always be gentle. Whether you’re putting it on or taking it off, make sure you do it carefully so that the pearls won’t grate on each other. Friction can cause serious damage to your pearls’ nacre, which in time will reduce your beautiful jewellery to dull stones.
Activities that are strenuous should be avoided at all costs. Don’t allow your jewellery to be jostled. In other words, don’t run, don’t crawl, don’t act in any manner that will cause your mother of pearl jewellery to grate against itself. By being overly active, you run the risk of allowing your jewellery to catch on objects as you pass by, which could rip any string holding your pearls together and cause you to lose your mother of pearl or damage it beyond recognition. Necklace strings will deteriorate when exposed to sweat from your body, which will also cause damaging friction.
Don’t wash yourself while wearing jewellery. Avoid bathing or showering while wearing any jewellery. If you let your mother of pearl get dunked in standing or running water, you can ruin the strings of a necklace and once again cause friction that can damage your jewellery and possibly ruin it altogether. Act smart and always remove your mother of pearl before washing your body.
Be sure to let wet jewellery dry before putting it back into storage. If you do let your jewellery get wet, you’ll need to wait until its entirely dry before messing with it again. This helps you in two ways: letting it dry avoids wear and tear on your jewellery, and since it is dry, there is less opportunity for bacteria to grow on your jewellery. Nobody wants to wear a germ infested piece of jewellery on their naked skin.
Dirty jewellery should be cleaned carefully. Your mother of pearl is very sensitive, so many chemicals are too powerful and will be far too abrasive to clean your jewellery without damaging the nacre. For this same reason, never use an ultrasonic cleaner, either. Wipe away the dirt with a soft cloth. If this doesn’t do the trick, try some mild soap and water. Whatever you do, make sure your mother of pearl jewellery is completely dry before storing it.
Don’t leave mother of pearl out in the open. Store your mother of pearl jewellery in a bag made from soft cloth. Keep it away from other pieces of jewellery to avoid wearing down the nacre with friction. This will also help avoid dust issues.
Without a doubt, mother of pearl is one of the most affordable and aesthetically pleasing pieces of jewellery you can own. By keeping these tips in mind, you can count on keeping your mother of pearl in the family for many, many years.
Do you want to find great Mother of Pearl jewellery or maybe advise on making professional elegant accessories? There are many websites with plenty information about the amazing and gorgeous natural properties of Mother of Pearl.
Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 9:19 am and is filed under Look Younger - Beauty & Style. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
