Pearl Care

Occasionally wipe gently with a slightly damp cloth - Restring regularly

Don’t spray perfume or hairspray on pearls -  Store in a silk pouch - Wear and enjoy

Natural body oils moisturise pearls as they lie on skin. They warm to body temperature yet feel like ice when left in the cool. A maid wore her mistress’s pearls when she was not wearing them to maintain lustre, moisture and condition. Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy caused a stir with her sensational poem “Warming Her Pearls”.

Don’t be afraid to wear pearls every day. They are not as delicate as people think and with proper care will last many years. Chemicals & alcohol in beauty products cause damage. Put on pearls after hairspray and perfume has dried. Never dip pearls in jewellery cleaning fluid. Sleeping, bathing, swimming while wearing your pearls dampens & blackens interior silk threads in a necklace causing bacteria, & can dislodge a pearl earring from its setting. Remove earrings at night by holding the setting, not the pearl

Restringing

Traditional fully knotted restringing refreshes, restores and preserves the life & quality of pearls. Restring every 2 years & more often if worn regularly. Harriet Whinney Pearls stringing is guaranteed for 12 months. Tiny pearls, seed pearls or faux pearls are quoted according to length, size of pearl, size of drilled holes and labour.

Stringing pearls is a rewarding apprenticeship. A stringer will have made thousands of necklaces in his / her career. This can be a useful guide when searching for a re-stringing service. A professional stringer knotting by hand places an evenly sized knot between each pearl whilst handling multiple strands of silk & thread. Consideration is given to laying out the design; re-sorting the order when requested; examining tiny drill holes in the pearls in order to select the correct size threads before knotting begins. Like a pastry chef, cool hands, even tension & focus are essential. Hand strung necklaces are professionally finished with fine French wire called gimp which links the pearls to the clasp

Checking your Pearls

·         Are threads stretched, broken or discoloured?

·     Has the French wire (gimp) oxidised to green or black?

·    Is the clasp easy to handle? Does it work properly? This is the opportunity to change it. See the new stylish secure magnetic clasps & superior quality traditional clasps