The Pearl Source: Trusted vendor?

[JerseyPearl]

Definitely an interesting question...so I asked Etsy their opinion, and basically they said that earrings can be considered an intimate item meaning it is up to each seller to determine their return policies and whether or not they deem earrings as "intimate" is discretionary. I'm sticking with my policy, as I cannot risk potential damage. I'm guessing the same must be true for all retailers...this is one of those discretionary things, as long as it's clearly stated as part of the return policy.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Interesting (dismaying, actually) thing I learned this past month: endoscopes (e.g. colonoscopes) cannot be sterilized. Nor are there disposable sleeves for them. They are "reprocessed" but there can still be transfer of organic matter from the previous user.
The rate of infection is low but not zero.

Nothing is perfect.
I suppose we have a much higher risk of dying from just taking a drive to the store, thanks to distracted drivers.

 

[Camelotshadow]

Wow...the implications. I looked up alcohol & they say 70% even drinking alcohol does kills virus including hep A & B.

I really am taken aback by this & have bought vintage earrings forever.

The question is if any of these can live on gold for a extended period & why alcohol or a solution made to ill these pathogens doesn't work.

Generally for solution to work they have to remain wet on for a good 10 minutes. So perhaps a quick wipe might not be effective but the chances of blood from ear piercing that are seasoned & healed might not be too high. Still under the right circumstances with an infected person hepatits is not something you want to get.


Boiling ot autoclaving earrings is not going to work for pearls & may bot even be safe for certain diamonds that may contain fracture or feather flaws.

True about the drivers...I have never gotten ear poisoning but have had a hit & run drive over my foot with her tire & have the side of her car then knock me to the ground while I was crossing the street.

I have cancer too so I guess I'll take my chances with alcohol & virucides formulas...

I like vintage jewelry & frankly may never even have bought a new pair except for the mikimoto.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

I've been reading.
Most germs don't live very long on dry surfaces, but Hep C can live up to 6 weeks (depending on which study one follows). If one is immunosuppressed one might just choose to wait 6 weeks before putting pre-owned earrings into one's lobes, to play it safe.

Alternatively one could use bleach to wipe the post or ear wire. Bleach is more effective than 70% alcohol at killing Hep C. Just don't get it on the pearl, and rinse it off the metal after cleaning.

 

[Katbran]

Katbran, you have posted exactly what I was going to say.

Great minds etc ... JP

I think the problem in America is that the laws don't specifically say you can't resell. Many high end companies and even the better department stores don't allow returns on earrings. Others just wipe them off with a bit of alcohol. In Australia you can't return earrings. It's considered a health hazard. I think there are ways you can eliminate almost all the germs...something to do with Lysol and soaking for hours . Then a min of 4 days after that... the overall risk is small but it exists.

I imagine you would need to remove the finding and then clean and soak and let sit. You can check online as there are a few sites that discuss this issue. It's quite confusing over there.

Good Lord PD Endoscopes !!!!! That's really frightening !

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Yes, Katbran, I was decidedly unhappy about that. I learned a whole lot about the ways they are cleaned, and bottom line (bad pun, sorry) the efficacy of the cleaning is highly variable. (I'll spare our readers the details.)
However, the risk of cancer is greater. So when the time comes, just do it.

 

[GemGeek]

Interesting thread!

 

[BritM]

Interesting thread that went way off course from the original intent, no? I love this kind of thread, when the initial topic has been resolved, an actual conversation ensues, as if we were all sitting have coffee (or wine) together.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Waaaayy off course!

 

[jshepherd]

Yeah, lol. Talk about a turn!

 

[2thdktr]

Thank you all for your responses. I would have replied earlier, but I didn't know how to find my thread again being new!! I am curious if there is a feature to be notified by email if someone replies to a thread? In any case- I have not bought this strand and I will explore other avenues to find something similar in the future.