I’m new to this group, so I hope my question is relevant and hasn’t
been asked a zillion times. I have a cultured pearl ring I am quite
fond of. It is one pearl flanked on each side by a tiny diamond and
set in 10K gold. The finish of the pearl has worn off in places and
looks dull. Is there anything I can do to restore the luster? Is
there a finish I could apply myself, or is this something a jeweler
should do?
Margaret
best result will be from replacing the pearl.
john
You have warn thru the Nacra and the “base material” is showing in
the dull areas. Easiest to just replace the pearl. Is should be
pretty easy and not too terribly expensive. This is one of the
problems with pearls in everyday rings.
Good luck.
john dach
Sorry Margaret. Pearls are soft and get a lot of abuse when set in a
ring. It’s time to replace the pearl. Luckily the new generation of
freshwater pearls are not costly and a decent jeweler can put a new
pearl on rather easily.
Judy in Kansas, where the yellow squash are setting on. Gonna’ pick
’em young.
The finish of the pearl has worn off in places and looks dull. Is there anything I can do to restore the luster?
Fraid not Margaret. People sometimes polish pearls thinking they are
doing a good thing - they DOget a shiny bead. The true luster of a
pearl is it’s natural finish, impossible to duplicate by man, and
once it’s gone it’s gone. Just get a new pearl.
You can try buffing the pearl but it sounds like you’ve gone all the
way through the nacre. Time for a new pearl.
Have fun and make lots of jewelry.
Jo Haemer
timothywgreen.com
unfortunately there is nothing to do that is an easy fix. In ancient
times they used crushed dried fish scales to add a powder that
appeared like nacre to a glass bead to make a pearl-like imitation-
it has been used to restore museum pieces with tiny problems.
Japanese pearl powder ( as intended for medicine) isn’t acceptable as
its not only not real crushed pearl, but has no iridescence. Your
only option is setting it by covering the problem areas after a light
application of an all natural, totally acid-free gum -based sealant -
which is perhaps more of a pain than the wear on the pearl!..rer
Margaret, since it’s your own ring, and if you’d be happy with a
temporary, repeatable solution, you could rub it – I swear I’m not
making this up – on the side of your (cleansed of cosmetics) nose.
The skin on the human nose, as opposed to other parts of the body,
produces a special oil that contains squalene, an excellent
lubricant.