Caring for your jewelery, part 2
Be very careful with pearls: You have to be especially careful with pearls, since being an organic element it can be damaged by any type of chemical product. An important tip is that you never wear perfume with the pearls on as they can spoil and turn yellow. Better put the pearls at the end after you have fixed yourself and never forget to wipe it with a damp cloth (without any soap or chemical product) when you return home and put them later in a cloth where they do not rub against other jewels or objects.
On the other hand, contrary to what people may think, never wear pearls to the beach. People think that since pearls come from the sea it is good that they return from time to time to visit it, but it is a mistaken belief because the salty water, the erosion produced by the fine sand, together with the sunscreen creams they will end up spoiling them in no time. On the other hand, re-thread the pearl threads (put a new thread on them) every so often since the threads over time, moisture and wear can break.
Lastly, store the pearls in humid places to keep them beautiful. For example, we put small glasses of water in the windows to keep them moist. I have generally observed that pearls look best in humid cities near the sea. The most incredible pearl necklaces that I have seen in my life have been in San Sebastian, why is it?
How to care for gems: Diamond is the hardest substance that exists and is the most resistant material to being scratched but that does not mean that it cannot be flaked (broken). We do not have to neglect the good maintenance of the piece so that it looks in all its splendor. There is one thing that as a jeweler I have seen and continue to see for a long time and it continues to outrage me. I continually see customers who return to the jewelry store saying that their diamonds have lost their original brilliance. Diamonds do not lose their shine, the problem is that they have to be cleaned regularly.The diamond is a gem that loses all its gemological qualities when, when passing through the light, it is unable to refract in all the facets of the diamond cut (the diamond cut is the type of cut that best exploits the refraction of light and therefore more brilliance gets). Therefore, it is advisable to wash it every so often with a little soap dissolved in water (it is very useful to use a toothbrush to do this). Can you imagine a stained couture dress? Well, the same thing happens with dirty jewelry. With colored stones the same procedure can be used except with the emerald. Emerald is the most delicate gemstone that exists, its hardness is inferior to the rest and that makes it extremely fragile. Therefore, as with pearls, no chemicals. Wipe them over with a damp cloth gently and you’re done.
Greetings from the entire Germán Joyero team and remember that good maintenance saves money in the long run. www.germanjoyero.com