Food & Drink2 mins ago
Whaddya Know About pearls?
After watching one of those TV shows about people selling all their stuff so they can buy their grandchildren a computer etc etc, my mother and I have been looking at her pearl collection.
We understand about the difference between cultured pearls and natural pearls...natural pearls are pearls the whole way through and cultured pearls are beads that have had a very thin pearl layer grown over them. BUT there are also some other ones...they are very big, not like the cultured ones my mother has, bigger and more plastic feeling, they are also very silver looking. Are these cultured also or are they just plastic beads painted with something to make them look like pearls?
Also, what is the rough value of pearls these days? Natural and cultured and what is the best way of cleaning them?
Answers
No best answer has yet been selected by Chappers. Once a best answer has been selected, it will be shown here.
For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.With the big pearls, rub them against your teeth - if rough they are real (or at the least large cultured pearls) if smooth they are fake ones. Works for all pearls.
The value is very tricky - depends on coulour, age, size, quality, setting, other precious metals etc. Best to take to a couple of shops to get them valued, or antiques dealers if you think they warrant it. Sounds lovely - wish i had a pearl collection.....
To clean use a damp cloth, if necessary use a very mild detergent solution but wipe thouroughly with a damp cloth. Perfume, makeup and sweat all affect pearls, and so it is best to apply hairspray etc before wearing. Dont use hot water, steam, or ultrasonic jewellry cleaners - they absorb nearly anything and are very sensitive.
However the best way to keep a string of pearls glowing is to wear them - the body's natural oils keep them shiny and stop them drying out!
My second fishy answer tonight, but I remember that the scales of the Bleak (Alburnus alburnus) were used to make "Essence d'Orient" with which they coated the insides of hollow glass beads with to make artificial pearls.
As for cleaning - don't use acids!! Mother of Pearl, or nacre, is composed largely of a form of calcium carbonate (aragonite) and will be damaged by weak acids and will just dissolve in stronger acids.
http://www.gets.cn/wh...-Pearl-Beads-313.html
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