After harvest, pearls are always processed in one way or another. Akoya and freshwater pearls are routinely bleached, and all pearls are cleaned and polished before sale. However, there are treatments that should be noted with cultured pearls that change the aesthetic qualities of the gem.
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Sorry I’ve neglected posting for awhile! My mother is in the hospital for an extended stay, which has changed my daily schedule greatly. She is improving, but progress is slow. We hope she’ll be home in the next week or two. 
I apologize for the lack of posts recently. We’re in the process of moving my parents in with us, and things have been hectic here. I’ll be updating the gallery and making new blogs posts soon!
Happy beading!
Sharon
