QuestionI have some pieces of pearl jewelry that are 35-45 years old. Most are in gold settings and some are combined with other gemstones. These pearls were flooded in a safety-deposit box during Hurricane Katrina 3 years ago. They were submerged for probably 1 to 2 weeks. When they were recovered, they were possibly cleaned or perhaps just rinsed and dried. I don't know. Now, they are in pretty bad shape. They have lost their luster and look like if I rubbed them hard, that they would leave a powder residue. (I haven't tried). Is there anything I can do to restore these? Can pearls be resurfaced or refinished? Any help would be appreciated. At this point I am even afraid to handle them too much for fear of further damage.
Thank you.
AnswerCorey, generally water alone will not damage pearls to the extent you describe. Have you taken the pearls to a jeweler to have a look?
Without the pearls in my hands I cannot tell if the flood waters left some residue which remains. A jeweler may quickly be able to provide correct advice.
I would do this: Take one item of pearl jewelry. Using a mild dish detergent like Joy (no ammonia allowed!) gently rub the pearl with the fingers and a detergent/water solution. Pat dry. Allow to dry and see how it looks. If still quite dull, rub gently with a paste of baking soda and water, quite gently, rinsing often and patting dry to take a look. If this makes improvement continue a while until improvement stops. If there is no improvement, stop and rinse and dry. It is better to try one pearl and see how this simple cleaning goes than to try and clean all.
There is generally not an easy method to restore damaged pearls. The surface of the pearl is a substance called nacre, build up by the oyster when the pearl is formed. This is the source of the shine and reflections and color. The nacre may be thick or thin and we don't know which. To try and actually polish the pearls can be risky and is not recommended. You might have a jeweler gently buff the surface of one pearl only with a gentle polishing compound like "Fabulustre" or similar white compound and see what happens. This is a test and crude as it seems is needed to see if any sort of restoration is possible. Some pearls will stand a gentle polishing and some simply will not. There is no predicting up front of how this polishing will go.
I do so wish you the best with the pearl. I am saddened that damage from the hurricane affected so many people and still does in many cases. If you have success with the pearls, please let me know.
God Bless and Peace. Thomas.
