Gold Scratching in Pearl Designs

[CrazyMissy]

Hello there, me again!

I got attracted to certain designs like the Paspaley Lavaliere and PP's Embrace pendants; the uneven 2-pearl lariat necklaces and Jewelmer's charms are kinda cute as well. However, these got me thinking: won't the gold scratch the pearls? Especially since the pearls are loose?

I'm not yet on a buying spree but I am conducting my "research" for my next purchase, which would be a white ssp "workhorse" set. Any thoughts from owners of similar jewelry and designers would be much appreciated!

 

[BWeaves]

I've always wondered that myself. We're told to keep pearls separated from other jewelry so they don't get scratched, and then some designer puts a gold charm banging up against a pearl. However, people who own that sort of jewelry have told me that the gold is soft enough that it does not scratch the pearls.

Also, I've jumbled my pearls all together, and occasionally dropped them on the floor, and they are amazingly resilient.

When I dropped my little h pendant on my porcelain tile floor, I broke the emerald, but the pearl was unscathed.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Gold is 2.5-3 on the Moh hardness scale
Pearls are 2.5-4.5

A few days ago when taking a load of clothes out of the dryer I saw a pair of FW pearl dangles I had made lying there loose in the drum...oops! I had put them in my pants pocket and forgotten them. They went through the washer and dryer cycles.

Amazingly, they looked fine.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

To get a scratch, you are going to need a sharp or jagged edge of some sort. If the piece is well finished inside, there shouldn't be a problem. It will, however, cause wear with time. If the pearl is hanging free, the wear will be distributed and it will take a long time to notice.

As a comparison, if you slide a gold ring on a steel burnisher, it won't scratch. Slide it on a steel file and you will get a mess. However, have the ring rubbing on the steel burnisher for months and you will see it wearing down.