Wedding Forum - Cleaning Pearls?...

Hi Kisseymad1

The answer is VERY CAREFULLY!

Pearls have a kind of hard shell which is what gives them their lustre but when we say hard we just mean not a soft as the inside. The coating is very fragile and will chip or flake if you are not careful.

Cleaning is best done regularly but if they are really dirty one method of sprucing them up is to put them in a bowl with RICE FLOUR and then swirl them around (gently) for a few minutes. Then take them out and shake them gently to remove the excess flour. Finally brush them with a make-up brush or very soft paint brush to remove the rest of the flour.

For normal regular cleaning you should make a solution of warm water and very mild soap flakes. Swirl the pearls in the solutuon for a few minutes then allow them to dry completely on kitchen paper. DO NOT USE kitchen cleaning products of any kind especially if they are ammonia based. Avoid any chemicals that your pearls may be exposed to including: ammonia, vinegar (salad dressing), alcohol, hair spray, bleach, or chlorinated water such as swimming pools or hot-tubs

One other important tip is to avoid getting perfume, make-up or lotions on the pearls. Always allow a few minutes after applying anything before putting the pearls on. this will allow your skin to dry and avoud coating the pearls with gunge.

If they are really old you might want to consider having them restrung & cleaned professionally. If you search online using the search term "Restring Pearls" you'll find several companies who will do it for you. They include cellini and absolutepearls. We cannot recomend them as we don't know them but they appear to be reputable companies

whats wrong with Ernest Jones????

think you might be surprised there!! I am sure they are trained enough to advise on how to clean pearls. Its not exactly a specialist subject is it.

I also have been given some antique pearls and am just going to make a warm water soap solution and gently clean using that, then dry carefully...

p.p.s Oyster-shaped. Doh!

thank you for the tips, i will try the rice flour but i think they need re-stringing soon anyway, thank you Smooch.

Katemb87 i know what you mean, i would really like to wear them as they ment so much to my nana. good luck with the cleaning.

x

You might find that getting them restrung will help a lot. And also pearls look better for being worn.

Please don't use any chemicals anywhere near the pearl. Pearls are mildly porous and the pearl could easily be damaged. Use a silver polishing cloth.
If you need to clean a pearl necklace use a pearl cloth. Do not get the silk wet because, staying damp inside the pearl, it will start to rot.
Getting pearls re-strung should not cost more than £30 and in that fee from online pearl experts is return postage, pearl cleaning and clasp check
If old pearls have gone yellow it might mean that they are imitation. Back in your grandmother's day there were no cultured pearls and only some very expensive imitiations. They were a tradional present from a father to daughter either on 21st birthday or wedding day.
To tell, rub one of the pearls very gently on your teeth. A real pearl will feel faintly gritty (not very gritty, just faintly) while an imitation will feel smooth
Always use an expert when it comes to pearls - most bricks and mortar jewellers are clueless