storing pearls

[Sheen]

This one's for @pearlescence how do you store your pearls, both before use and once you've set them in jewellery. Usually i store finished work in plastic bags to protect from tarnish.

[pearlescence]

Plastic bags. You'll find a lot of mystic-mumbo about pearls all over everywhere. This is a photo of just a few pearls in a wholesalers in Hong Kong. It's from my upcomng book Pearls, a Practical Guidee. (Crowood, next february)

[Dennis]

Don't forget to do some self promotion when your book is out, Wendy.

[pearlescence]

Don't forget to do some self promotion when your book is out, Wendy.

What do you think that was?

[CJ57]

What do you think that was?

People don’t know what day of the week it is just now Wendy, Feb will be an ask.Remind them to pre book as a late Xmas present!

[pearlescence]

I'm probably going to hold off on the big push until after Christmas. Though I think marketing it as a perfect valentine present is a stretch too far even for me. Couldn't resist that plug though.

For anyone who is interested - the photo shows the huge bags of strands of pearls. I'll go through a whole bag like that to select maybe one or two top good'uns. The only way to get the best pearls is to select yourself (or find someone who you can rely on to do the selecting for you). The bag are heavy. You have to be strong to deal in pearls!

[Sheen]

Plastic bags. You'll find a lot of mystic-mumbo about pearls all over everywhere. This is a photo of just a few pearls in a wholesalers in Hong Kong. It's from my upcomng book Pearls, a Practical Guidee. (Crowood, next february)

I think it was about pearl's needing to breathe, they dry out in plastic, and they need a special cloth pouch. And they get scratched easily. Oh and that they don't like chlorinated water/tap water. So I can ditch my pearl anxiety now? If these things are rot I'd be liable to use pearls more.

Ps we'll all have to buy your book!

[pearlescence]

All myths. Every pearl farmer and wholesaler I have ever encountered keeps their pearls in plastic bags. A cloth pouch is a good idea rather than just dropping them into a jewellery mass because they can be scratched by sharp and pointy things.
Pearls don't really mind tap water either. It's the water wetting the silk cord which is not good (stuck inside the pearl it stays damp for a time and rots like any natural fibre would)
Don't wear a pearl ring if you are planning on some bricklaying - be sensible about them. They're pretty tough within reason. They don't like things like perfume because they are slightly porous.
If you aren't sure about using pearls any time I'm happy to advise.

Thanks!

[Sheen]

All myths. Every pearl farmer and wholesaler I have ever encountered keeps their pearls in plastic bags. A cloth pouch is a good idea rather than just dropping them into a jewellery mass because they can be scratched by sharp and pointy things.
Pearls don't really mind tap water either. It's the water wetting the silk cord which is not good (stuck inside the pearl it stays damp for a time and rots like any natural fibre would)
Don't wear a pearl ring if you are planning on some bricklaying - be sensible about them. They're pretty tough within reason. They don't like things like perfume because they are slightly porous.
If you aren't sure about using pearls any time I'm happy to advise.

Thanks!

thanks pearlescense, the ol plastic bag myth is everywhere. i'm going to print your advice out so that i remember. Once you start using pearls in jewellery designs they are rather addictive. there's nothing else like them.

[pearlescence]

There are so many myths about pearls. I think the funniest I ever heard was someone asked me if the holes were made by poking though them when they were soft from hatching? And then there was the person who told me that they knew their pearls were real pearls as they had visited the factory (in Majorca) and watched them being made...
Be warned Sheen, pearls are addictive. Look at me..