Sterling Silver & Grey Mother of Pearl Carved Flower Pendant

This beautiful pendant, made in sterling silver, is set with a grey / silver mother of pearl carved flower.
 
Specifications
Metal - Sterling Silver
Pendant length - 31.3mm including the bail 
Pendant width - 18.3mm
Chain length - Adjustable from 18 inches to 16 inches
Chain style - Box 
 
Care and Cleaning
Silver
Most silver that is used in jewellery is sterling silver which contains 92.5% pure silver and the rest is made up of other metals, such as copper, to make the silver more durable and practical for use as jewellery. 
 
Though this alloying makes sterling silver suitable for wear you must still take care with your silver jewellery. Silver is relatively soft and may scratch and bend easily so care should always be taken when wearing, putting on or taking off your jewellery. 
 
If silver is left unworn it will tarnish, this is an oxidisation of the metal caused by the silver and other base metals in the alloy reacting with sulfur-containing gases in the air. The result is a greyish black coating of copper sulphide that will appears on the surface of your jewellery. This can easily be removed using an impregnated jewellery cloth or as silver dip solution, both of which can be purchased from us. 
To get the best results from your silver jewellery we recommend a professional clean and polish. Silver (when polished) is the most reflective precious metal so it is definitely worth getting is buffed and polished when it started looking a bit dull.
 
Mother of Pearl
Mother of Pearl is the iridescent inside lining of a mollusk shell. It is most commonly found in three types of mollusks - pearl oysters, freshwater mussels, and abalone.
 
Mother of pearl is a soft and delicate organic gem and is sensitive to heat and many chemicals. Keep it away from extreme heat and naked flames and we recommend putting on your mother of pearl jewellery after you have applied any make-up, perfumes or lotions. 
 
Mother of pearl is not often treated but some pieces may have been irradiated or bleached to change or enhance the colour. These treatments are stable during normal everyday wear but steam cleaning and ultrasonic cleaning should always be avoided whether the pearl has been treated or not. 
To clean your mother of pearl jewellery at home we recommend a soft impregnated jewellery cloth which can be purchased from us, or warm water and a very soft brush. 
DO NOT USE SILVER DIPS!! Most mother of pearl is set in silver and if the silver tarnishes do not be tempted to drop your jewellery into a silver dip. Those types of chemical cleaner are too harsh for a delicate gem like mother of pearl and it will eat away at the shall material.
 
Education
If you would like to learn more about gemstone treatments, what these treatments are and what they do, as well as which treatments are stable and how to look after gemstones with unstable treatments, please visit our education page.