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| Unveiling a pearl is like meeting your new best friend |
It’s no secret that diamonds are a girl’s best friend. Dating back to Marilyn Monroe’s iconic, sensuous performance of the song in the early 1950s, nothing has changed. Diamonds are eternal – “forever,” as they say.
And
there’s a reason for that. Their value goes far beyond monetary. Their worth is
based on emotion. Women all over the world have dubbed diamonds necessary
luxuries. They are breathtaking with elegant
radiance and will forever be linked with romance.
But most women have hearts big enough to hold more than one
best friend, and according to Poway Fine Jewelers owner Tim Dooley, “Pearls are
a girl’s second best friend. If you don’t wear them, you don’t know the
friendship you’re missing.”
Pearls are classy, beautiful, and feminine. They symbolize purity, wisdom, and integrity. And once you’re
introduced to them, a lifelong friendship will most likely begin.
“When women are in their early 20s, they think, ‘Oh, mom
wears pearls.’ Then they get their first set in their late 20s and think, ‘I
might wear those one day.’ And when that day comes, they never go back,” Dooley
says.
And just like every
friendship, pearls must be cared for, nourished, and maintained. Here are a few
tips to do just that:
1.) Keep them clean. Every third of fourth time you wear your set of pearls, clean them.
2.) Don’t be afraid. Most women think that cleaning their pearls will ruin them, but au contraire. Keep them clean and they will last twice as long.
1.) Keep them clean. Every third of fourth time you wear your set of pearls, clean them.
2.) Don’t be afraid. Most women think that cleaning their pearls will ruin them, but au contraire. Keep them clean and they will last twice as long.
3.) Let your pearls soak in dish soapy water
overnight and rinse the next morning in warm water.
4.)
Strings are organic. Inevitably, over time, they
will stretch and knots will loosen. When this happens, put them in water and
set them out to dry. This will tighten everything back up.
5.) Apply makeup and perfume before putting on your pearls
6.) Don't store your pearls with other jewelry, because they can be
scratched easily when metal or gemstones rub against them. Find a
special spot in your jewelry box for the pearls, or keep them in a soft
bag made from chamois or another non-abrasive material.
7.) Have your pearls checked and restrung once a year. According to Tim, "The degradation of pearls is microscopic. You’ve
just got to come see a jeweler to have them checked. That’s all there is to it.”
8 8.)
When pearl strands begin to get that squiggly
look while hanging around your neck, take them off and hang them from a doorknob. This will help
straighten them back out.
Ten fun, interesting facts about pearls:
- Pearls are the only gemstone made by living animals
- Every pearl is unique. No two are alike, and all have some imperfections
- Cleopatra
won a bet that she could provide Marc Antony with a banquet costing more
than the assets of a country. She took off a pearl earring, dissolved
it in wine and drank it.
- Pearls are the official birthstones for the month of June
-Pearls vary in color from white to those with a hint of color, often pink, to brown or black
- Cultured or freshwater pearls are considered to offer the power of love, money, protection, and luck.
- The oldest known pearl jewelry fragment was found in the sarcophagus of a Persian princess who died in 520 BC.
- Greeks believed that pearls were the tears of gods
- Not all mollusks produce pearls, and real pearls are quite rare in nature
- Pearls symbolize loyalty, faithfulness, and friendship
