Freshen your pearls

Because theyre so porous, pearls can easily lose their luster. Whether real, cultured, or faux, they must be cleaned with care. First lay the strand on a soft cloth. Dip a clean, small makeup brush into a mixture of warm water and a little shampoo, and go over each pearl. To finish, rinse the pearls with a clean, wellwrung damp cloth. Let the strand dry flat to prevent the string from stretching. This nosoak treatment is also good for turquoise, another porous stone.