[lit_girl11]

While on loan, my string of pearls got left in a car during the summer heats of Phoenix Arizona. Now I'm not a pearl expert, but these are purple pearls and they are real. They look like they have melted. Only the first few layers are affected and below that, it seems to be fine. Is there anyway to remove the damaged layers and salvage the rest of the pearl?
Thanks

[xeresana]

Melted? Like the color appears melted or the actual nacre looks to be melting? Any chance you could post a picture of the pearls?

To those who know much more than I do:

Does nacre melt? I mean, I guess at the right temperature, anything will melt. Could nacre melt from Phoenix car temps? Could there have been a surface treatment that was affected by the heat?

[Valeria101]

I don't think nacre melts in the sun... it would dry and crack instead. Pearls are bleached by sunlight. I am not sure how much the colors of different types of pearls react to such exposure, or whether the discoloration stops after a first little change... I've only read of the sun bleaching and tried it on a few cheapo pearls for a week of moody 45 degrees latitude summer, that's all.

A coating on the pearls could behave differently; melt? - I am not sure what those coatings are.

[barbie biggs]

I am so sorry to hear about your pearls! You must be heartbroken. I think sometimes that people who don't have pearls just don't understand how precious they are. What kind were they?
Also, I was wondering if the damage showed up right away, or if it got worse over time?