Patina
- Thread starter Kelo
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Caitlin
Well-known member
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- Dec 11, 2004
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All pearls can get wet. Josh wore his Tahitian on a string in surf and sun for years, with no damage to the pearl.
Wait, I take that back for cheap or overtreated akoyas. They shouldn't get wet again. Good, untreated akoyas like water too.
The first thing is the silk makes it impractical to wear pearls while in the shower; they stretch out quickly if you get the silk wet, so cleaning them would depend on the damp cloth and an occasional washing with special care for the silk, until it is dry. Under these conditions, the patina may not improve except when the pearls are restrung.
On the other hand, man-made nylon polyester threads coming in several forms don't stretch when wet, so your pearls can be worn in the shower. And will shine up well, even though worn 24/7.
I have recorded here, in other threads, my experience with wearing a cultured freshwater pearl (CFWP) bracelet for over a year, in and out of the water 24/7. It was to test the synthetic thread, so I used commercial grade beading pearls with wrinkly skins. The surprise was that the patina/luster got better, if anything. I am now wearing a Sea of Cortez (they are untreated) pearl bracelet strung on silver wire, 24/7. I am sure it will fare extremely well as the nacre is thick.
In my opinion, stringing on silk, sucks. It prevents the full use of the pearls for 24/7 users. It also prevents truly cleaning the pearls with the water from the shower spout on them and the mild shampoo that drips down on them from washing your hair.
I don't use perfume or spray scents on my neck, ever. That would hurt the pearls, even after the products are dry. Even the slightest amount of any kind of spray on the neck is not good for the pearls. If you get at all warm, say to the point of sweating, the acids from the perfumes or spray products that fell on your neck, rub on the pearls. (Unperfumed skin moisterizers/sunscreens seem fine, but the pearls still need cleaning)
In my opinion, even if you use silk thread, you should wash the pearls often, even use an actual pearl product to do it. The damp cloth isn't good enough if you sweated, esp. with spray perfume on your neck. The damp cloth doesn't clean up around the holes, where any acid build-up will begin to break down the nacre where it is thinnest.
Grandmas' akoyas often attest to the above. Funny thing, it isn't the exposed oft rubbed surfaces of the fat part of the pearls that tend to chip first, it is around the drill holes where the grunge builds up.
Wait, I take that back for cheap or overtreated akoyas. They shouldn't get wet again. Good, untreated akoyas like water too.
The first thing is the silk makes it impractical to wear pearls while in the shower; they stretch out quickly if you get the silk wet, so cleaning them would depend on the damp cloth and an occasional washing with special care for the silk, until it is dry. Under these conditions, the patina may not improve except when the pearls are restrung.
On the other hand, man-made nylon polyester threads coming in several forms don't stretch when wet, so your pearls can be worn in the shower. And will shine up well, even though worn 24/7.
I have recorded here, in other threads, my experience with wearing a cultured freshwater pearl (CFWP) bracelet for over a year, in and out of the water 24/7. It was to test the synthetic thread, so I used commercial grade beading pearls with wrinkly skins. The surprise was that the patina/luster got better, if anything. I am now wearing a Sea of Cortez (they are untreated) pearl bracelet strung on silver wire, 24/7. I am sure it will fare extremely well as the nacre is thick.
In my opinion, stringing on silk, sucks. It prevents the full use of the pearls for 24/7 users. It also prevents truly cleaning the pearls with the water from the shower spout on them and the mild shampoo that drips down on them from washing your hair.
I don't use perfume or spray scents on my neck, ever. That would hurt the pearls, even after the products are dry. Even the slightest amount of any kind of spray on the neck is not good for the pearls. If you get at all warm, say to the point of sweating, the acids from the perfumes or spray products that fell on your neck, rub on the pearls. (Unperfumed skin moisterizers/sunscreens seem fine, but the pearls still need cleaning)
In my opinion, even if you use silk thread, you should wash the pearls often, even use an actual pearl product to do it. The damp cloth isn't good enough if you sweated, esp. with spray perfume on your neck. The damp cloth doesn't clean up around the holes, where any acid build-up will begin to break down the nacre where it is thinnest.
Grandmas' akoyas often attest to the above. Funny thing, it isn't the exposed oft rubbed surfaces of the fat part of the pearls that tend to chip first, it is around the drill holes where the grunge builds up.
Thank you for such a comprehensive reply! 
I hadn't taken perfumes/colognes etc. into consideration. I also couldn't understand why a lot of information was saying to put your pearls into their box when you take them off at the end of the day; I truly thought that you could wear them for as long as you wished and I'm right (at last! lol).
I didn't know that silk stretches when wet - I have enough shirts and ties made of the stuff, so that's handy to know. Would you use pure soap such as the flakes for washing woollens in? I must ask Jeremy if his are strung with silk or man-made string.
I hadn't taken perfumes/colognes etc. into consideration. I also couldn't understand why a lot of information was saying to put your pearls into their box when you take them off at the end of the day; I truly thought that you could wear them for as long as you wished and I'm right (at last! lol). I didn't know that silk stretches when wet - I have enough shirts and ties made of the stuff, so that's handy to know. Would you use pure soap such as the flakes for washing woollens in? I must ask Jeremy if his are strung with silk or man-made string.
Caitlin
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2004
- Messages
- 8,502
Jeremy strings with silk. Most of the bigger online businesses do. It sounds good, doesn't it? My goal in using synthetic thread is a to have very strong, non-stretch pieces of jewelry that aren't affected by water. I want to string once for several years of wash and wear and also have something that won't accidentally yank apart if pulled hard.
My knotting is strong enough to make the clasp the weakest point. Clasps are usually pretty tough, so it produces a strong necklace or bracelet that loves water, won't stretch and is highly unlikely to break.
the more expensive knotting silk thread is spun straight from the cocoon so it is untreated except for the dye process. So it isn't like silk clothing, except maybe raw silk. Most silk shirts etc I have owned do wash and dry with no stretch, no shrink. There is also silk thread made from broken threads from the cocoon. These are not as strong and they are more brittle, if that is the right word. They stretch and break easily. The costlier silk thread stretches the most.
Professional knotters like Bernadette and Sarah also prefer synthetic threads, though we each use use different kinds, from different countries. There is no practical reason to use silk, except the public imagination embraces it as they do "the grain of sand is what forms a pearl" myth.
It is also a myth that "silk drapes better". It drapes better than what? Fine chains drape beautifully, hemp thread is stiff, as is linen which is made from straw and breaks at wear points, but they are both only rarely used any more. Cotton thread drapes great, but rots quickly.
Though I don't love synthetic anything in most cases, and refused to try polyester thread for knotting at first (though it is the only thread to use for fine beading like bead embroidery or peyote stitch) I finally got wise. Synthetic beading and knotting threads drape beautifully and hold up under a lot of wash and wear without stretching or breaking.
Mild soap flakes are fine for washing pearls, or liquid castile soap like Dr. Bronner's, so is the pearl washing product mentioned in these pages somewhere and so are mild detergents like hair detergent. Pearls do not react to mild alkali such as in the above products. They don't like acids.
My knotting is strong enough to make the clasp the weakest point. Clasps are usually pretty tough, so it produces a strong necklace or bracelet that loves water, won't stretch and is highly unlikely to break.
the more expensive knotting silk thread is spun straight from the cocoon so it is untreated except for the dye process. So it isn't like silk clothing, except maybe raw silk. Most silk shirts etc I have owned do wash and dry with no stretch, no shrink. There is also silk thread made from broken threads from the cocoon. These are not as strong and they are more brittle, if that is the right word. They stretch and break easily. The costlier silk thread stretches the most.
Professional knotters like Bernadette and Sarah also prefer synthetic threads, though we each use use different kinds, from different countries. There is no practical reason to use silk, except the public imagination embraces it as they do "the grain of sand is what forms a pearl" myth.
It is also a myth that "silk drapes better". It drapes better than what? Fine chains drape beautifully, hemp thread is stiff, as is linen which is made from straw and breaks at wear points, but they are both only rarely used any more. Cotton thread drapes great, but rots quickly.
Though I don't love synthetic anything in most cases, and refused to try polyester thread for knotting at first (though it is the only thread to use for fine beading like bead embroidery or peyote stitch) I finally got wise. Synthetic beading and knotting threads drape beautifully and hold up under a lot of wash and wear without stretching or breaking.
Mild soap flakes are fine for washing pearls, or liquid castile soap like Dr. Bronner's, so is the pearl washing product mentioned in these pages somewhere and so are mild detergents like hair detergent. Pearls do not react to mild alkali such as in the above products. They don't like acids.
Thanks again, Caitlin. I can tell I'm going to get myself into a world of trouble buying pearls this year lol! My shirts are made of raw silk that I bought in India - I might have to undo several for the silk because I'll have spent all my money on pearls...
pearlescence
purveyor of pearls UK/EU
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- Aug 18, 2007
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- 4,097
Another good reason to keep silk dry is that the silk thread inside the pearl will dry only slowly and what do natural fibres do when they stay damp? They rot.
Pearls don't mind getting wet at all, but silk does
Pearls are pretty tough - I just wore my anklets to the spa while away and they have, like me, had several massages and coatings of various muds and algae and oils and seem very happy for it
Pearls don't mind getting wet at all, but silk does
Pearls are pretty tough - I just wore my anklets to the spa while away and they have, like me, had several massages and coatings of various muds and algae and oils and seem very happy for it
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