How to clean a yellowed pearl necklace? Pearls represent a chic and prestigious jewel that has a great value. Whether it is a monetary or sentimental value, one must take care of his cultured pearl necklace.
10-Trucs presents today tips and advice for cleaning cultured pearls.
1. Clean a pearl necklace with olive oil
To clean, maintain and shine cultured pearls, olive oil and a natural product to try now. Whether it’s a necklace, a bracelet or earrings, olive oil will indeed restore a beautiful shine to your pearls.
- Pour a few drops of olive oil on a microfiber cloth
- Gently rub the natural pearls one by one
This cleaning tip is particularly effective for Tahitian pearls.
2. Salt water bath for her pearl necklace
Salt water is another trick for cleaning a pearl necklace or other jewelry made from cultured pearls.
- Simply add a little salt to a basin of fresh water
- Soak your pearl jewelry for about ten minutes
- Remove the necklace from the salt water and let it air dry on a clean cloth.
So once in a while, dip your pearls in a little salt water for effective cleaning and instant shine.
3. Simply chamois
To always have beautiful, clean and shiny pearls, a little regular rubbing is necessary. No need to add a cleaning product for regular cleaning, especially for cultured pearls:
- Tahitian pearls
- Australian pearls
- freshwater pearls
- Akoya Pearls
- South Sea Pearls
Simply use a chamois or a very soft, slightly damp microfiber cloth.
It is common to see the white pearls of a necklace or other jewelry turn a little yellow. But here it is, how to clean the pearls yellowed by time or by poor maintenance?
Unfortunately, if the pearl necklace is very yellowed, it will be difficult to restore it to its beautiful white color. On the other hand, it is possible to prevent the yellowing of the pearls with a small cleaning of soapy water.
- Add a few drops of liquid soap to lukewarm water
- Moisten a chamois leather with soapy water and rub the beads one by one
- Allow to air dry before wearing the necklace again
5. Never use to clean a pearl necklace:
Cleaning product for precious jewels:
There are many cleaning products specially designed for precious jewellery, but none (or almost none) should be used for natural pearls. Whether it is a cleaner for gold jewelry or even for cleaning diamonds, it should not be used on cultured pearls.
Ultrasonic cleaner:
These ultrasonic devices are really to be avoided for cleaning pearl jewelry. Indeed, the ultrasounds risk damaging the pearls of your necklace or bracelet.
Mildly abrasive cleaner:
For some jewelry a mixture of water, vinegar and baking soda can be effective for cleaning. But for a natural pearl necklace it is to be avoided because you risk damaging the pearls forever.
Also never use chemicals, alcohol, lemon, acid, hairspray, chlorine or pure vinegar to wash your cultured pearls.
6. Entrust your pearl necklace to your jeweler
For those who want a professional cleaning of their necklace or other pearl jewelry you can of course take them to your jeweler. Indeed, if your pearl necklace is yellowed or tarnished, the right solution may be professional cleaning.
Ask your jewelry store if the cleaning service is offered and at what cost. Also, be sure to only deal with a professional to avoid ending up with a lackluster and even more tarnished pearl necklace.
The jeweler is also recommended for a good cleaning and polishing of gold jewelry. To discover tips on this subject, it is here: How to make yellow gold shine?
7. Where to store your natural pearl jewelry?
Cultured pearls are very fragile and therefore require a lot of care and maintenance. Therefore, they must be kept away from other jewelry to prevent them from being scratched and damaged by other metals and precious stones.
If you still have the original box you had when you bought the necklace, then store them inside to avoid contact with other jewelry.
8. Other Pearl Jewelry Care Tips
Finally, here are some other practical tips for taking care of your pearl necklace:
- Never wear a pearl necklace in the pool
- Never use baking soda to clean a stain
- Never place cultured pearls on cotton (dries out the pearls)
- Be careful not to spray perfume on the pearls of your necklace
- Remove pearl jewelry before showering or bathing
If you also have a pretty sterling silver chain, come and discover our tips for cleaning it: How to wash silver jewelry?