Pearls

During my initial survey of the museum's collection upon starting my
position I fell upon a dress from the 1860's which apparently has
been on display since the 1950's.  Obviously there are display
issues at play here but putting those aside, I realized that the
dress is actively infested.  The dress is made from a blue satin
with lace trim and pearl accents on the lace collar and shoulders.
My query is in relation to the pearls.  I know they are made from
the same nacre material that lines the shell.  However, I can not
find any information that tells me whether they can be frozen with
the dress or do they have to be removed prior to treatment.  Any
help on this would be greatly appreciated.

Debra Seabrook, Conservator / Curator
Elgin County Pioneer Museum/ Elgin Military Museum
32 Talbot Street
St. Thomas, Ontario N5P 1A3
519-633-7641
Fax: 519-631-3884

                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 12:90
                   Distributed: Tuesday, May 25, 1999
                       Message Id: cdl-12-90-014
                                  ***