Fashion Style & Jewelry

So you have just inherited Aunt Bessies Pearl necklace or you just bought an old one in a vintage shop. You get the pearls home and they lack the luster of new pearls. You tried washing with a mild soap and water solution but you are not happy with the way that looks. You next try your jewelry cleaning cloth and they still do not appear as you would like them. What ever you do, do not put them in regular jewelry cleaner as it will eat the top layer off and ruin your pearls. Many a beautiful strand of pearls have been lost this way! What are you going to do with them? Are you going to just throw them into your jewelry box and never enjoy them? That is no good! What a waste of such natural beauty.

Stop and consider a moment the miracle of nature that Pearls are. How they start as a tiny grain of sand inside an oyster and they grow into a lovely and beautiful gem. And now a days with the art of science we can alter the process to make fresh water pearls, as well as alter the color and end up with beautiful hues such as pink and lavender. My favorite pearl is the Tahitian Pearl, also known as one type of black pearls. I consider Pearls a divine gift from the angels.

When I was growing up I was told to keep my pearls and opals in good shape I needed to rub them on my nose where the nostrils meet the face and it is a bit greasy and that would keep them shining and beautiful. It takes a lot of nose oil to keep a 24″ strand of pearls fresh!

So how do you ask, does one clean a Pearl? How do you clean a pearl without ruining the hue and outer shell of the Pearl? The answer is simple. Splash your pearls in a very dilute soap and water mixture using a mild soap like Ivory. Do NOT use a oil dispersing soap such as Dawn as it is too strong for the pearls. After splashing the Pearls, dry them by placing on towel and patting dry with another towel. Pour some Olive oil in a small dish and dip a portion of your pendant in and then with a soft cloth rub into pearls and remove excess oil at same time. Repeat this process until the whole pendant is clean and beautiful with a lovely shiny hue!

So don’t let those old pearls sit and dry out and not be worn. Restore their natural beauty. A little olive oil goes a long way! Time to enjoy and wear your pearls!

It needs to be stated at the outset that pearls should always be cleaned with delicate natural cleaners rather than harsh ammonia-based cleaners, or any other proprietary cleaner used for getting jewellery nice and sparkly. Pearls are very delicate natural organic substances, unlike the metal and crystalline rocks that make up most jewellery (other exceptions are ivory – if you have inherited some – amber and coral, and also polished wood.

However, don’t reach for the natural cleaning product that you use for most other domestic cleaning purposes, vinegar. Vinegar is an acid and reacts with alkaline substances. Pearls are made from calcium carbonate, which is an alkaline substance, so vinegar is even worse for pearls than commercial jewellery cleaning products. Readers may recall the related legend about Cleopatra that is parodied in the Asterix cartoons. If you haven’t heard this legend, the story says that Cleopatra and Mark Antony (possibly – it could have been Julius Caesar) had a bet on as to which one of them could put on the most lavish, most expensive feast. Cleopatra had pulled out all the stops, but her efforts failed to impress Mark Antony. Her response was to snap her elegant fingers for a cup full of vinegar, and she promptly took off one of her priceless pearl earrings – the pearls were extremely large and worth, according to the various sources, 15 provinces – and dropped it into the vinegar. A few stirs (or a few hundred), and she promptly drank his health and won the bet. The moral: don’t get vinegar anywhere near pearls, and try not to mess with Roman generals.

The best way to get pearls glowing with that gentle lustre is to let them sit next to the skin frequently, moving gently. In other words, pearls look their best when worn frequently. The combination of natural body oils at the neck and/or wrist (assuming that you have a pearl necklace or a pearl bracelet) mixed with the gentle buffing of a soft substance that is similar to but much finer than chamois leather – your skin, even if Father Time and Mother Nature have left fingerprints all over you – is perfect for cleaning pearls. Pearl earrings of the long and dangly kind manage to get enough buffing and oils as well, and also should be worn frequently.

Pearl rings, however, are another story. These should be kept for special occasions only, as hands are exposed to many more substances than necks. Handwashing, for example. Soap is no good for pearls, and alcohol-based hand sanitizer is even worse. Take your pearl ring off – carefully – if you have to wash your hands if you are wearing a pearl ring. And you’d probably take care of your pearl bracelet, too.

Make sure that your pearl necklace and earrings are protected from the chemicals that do go on your neck – namely moisturizer and perfume. Even home-made lotions and fragrances will do pearls no good. Put your pearls on last as a finishing touch after your moisturizer, makeup and perfume.

But sometimes, pearls will get a little grubby and the natural oils from your skin can build up too much (especially mixed with makeup, skin flakes and everyday grime). This grime will need to be cleaned off. Water is about the only readily available thing that will not damage pearls, so you should rub your pearls with a soft cloth dampened in a little warm water. Technically speaking, salt water can be used to clean salt water pearls, but the problem here is the string that holds the pearls together doesn’t like the salt water. If the grime is visible, you can scrape at it gently with your fingernails, as fingernails are the same hardness as pearl and won’t scratch it. But gently is the operative word.

Pearls should not be steam cleaned. Other natural domestic cleaning London methods and products to avoid include baking soda, milk (too acidic), talcum powder and ultrasonic cleaners. Don’t use a toothbrush, which is perfect for other jewellery, or a scouring pad. Just stick to water and a soft cloth, with the occasional poke from a fingernail.

Once you have cleaned your pearls, they should be dried with a soft cloth. Just pat them. Leave them to dry thoroughly before wearing them, as the silk they are strung on will stretch if it gets wet. Resist the temptation to dry them with a hair dryer, in front of the radiator, in an oven or in direct sunshine, as this will dry the pearls out too much. Pearls should have a moisture content of 2%, and they will crack if they get too dry. So if you have had a last minute invitation to a place you want to wear pearls to and your pearls are a little dull-looking, resist the temptation to try cleaning them in a hurry. Leave them off or just wear them anyway.

It is a wise idea to have your pearls restrung by a jeweller periodically, and you can get the jeweller to clean the pearls at the same time. He/she knows how to do it.

Have you ever wondered how to dress for work with a goal to project a professional, competent image? Why is it that even the most style-savvy among us women business executives can get lost when it comes to dressing for presentations and business meetings where impressions are everything?

People will form an impression of you within seven seconds of your first meeting. Every successful businesswoman executive knows these first impressions can either make or break your sale.

While the men, even the youngest, look comfortable in suits, the women often struggle with finding a business fashion sense that would clearly emphasize their business credibility. Let’s look at some men executives or even your male colleagues- what are they wearing? Most probably suits with shirts. Are they wearing cufflinks? If yes, what does it say about them?

Good quality suits made from wool and wool blends and tailored cotton shirts are good standard business attire and work for all seasons. The fact is that jewellery and accessories can do a lot to give personality to any business suit.

So what is the best jewellery to wear to work?

Business jewellery should be simple, without fuss or glitter. Pearl jewellery is a tried and true accessory that never goes out of style – it’s classic and elegant.

Pearl necklace is a timeless piece that keeps your look credible and trustworthy in the workplace. For a structured look, pair your pearl necklace with a double-cuff shirt and a simple but stylish pair of women’s pearl cufflinks. They never make you look overdressed or under-dressed.

Cufflinks in themselves are certainly nothing new. Initially cufflinks were popular with male professionals and anyone holding an executive position. Many people felt that they helped to increase their confidence by adding a classic look to their outfit and a subtle boost to their confidence. Consequently, cufflinks in general, and now women’s (ladies) cufflinks have become a world-wide phenomena.

So why not to combine the power of pearls and cufflinks together?

Follow the rule of two, wearing a pair of pearl cufflinks and earrings, or necklace and cufflinks, but not all three at the same time. Wearing earrings and necklace becomes unbalanced because all your jewellery is clustered around your face. You may be able to get away with it if earrings and the necklace are utterly simple.

For earrings, wear studs or simple dangle pearl earrings, but avoid big dangling pieces that will destroy the clean line of a professional suit.