Not all treasures are worth the same. In fact, the strange Merchant of Resident Evil 4 has a straightforward pricing standard: the dirtier it looks, the cheaper it goes. His marketing strategy has been the same since the original 2005 release; he has never been interested in “smelly” objects.
A smelly or dirty item is one that’s been contaminated by sludge. And in the remake, there are only two of them: a pendant on the Farm and a necklace near the Chief’s Manor. But the catch is that these treasures can be saved from getting dirty.
What Is the Dirty Pearl Pendant?
In Resident Evil 4, a dirty pearl pendant is a necklace covered with sludge or excreta. It’s a treasure found in the Village section—near the Farm and Manor. But in the original and remake of RE4, the player can solve a basic puzzle to keep the pendant clean. (A clean pearl pendant is worth 4,000 Pesetas more.)
How to Clean the Dirty Necklace
A dirtied pendant cannot be cleaned. Once a treasure falls into swamps or wells, its value drops significantly, and there’s no way to reverse that. What the player can do is avoid dropping the necklaces into contaminated waters. This is the only way to keep them clean.
The remake of Resident Evil 4 has two necklaces hanging above sewage-filled wells. And they get dirty if the player uses the wrong technique to drop them. Here’s how to avoid that.
Pearl Pendant #1: Farm (Village)
The first necklace is above the well on the Farm, where Leon finds Blue Medallions. To keep this treasure clean, shoot the stick holding the sewer hole cover open. This will close the well’s lid, stopping the necklace from getting contaminated.
Pearl Pendant #2: Village Chief’s Manor
The second necklace is near the Chief’s Manor in the Village Square—where the driver was set on fire. It’s on the small windmill near a sewage well. To keep it clean, the player must shoot it when it’s on the right flank. Otherwise, it will drop into the well and get dirty.
Dirty Vs. Clean Pendant Price Comparison
A dirty pearl necklace is worth 80% less than a clean one. While the Merchant pays 5,000 Pesetas for a good-looking pendant, he only pays 1,000 for the smelly one. The price difference was even more significant in the original game because clean necklaces would sell for 10,000 each.
There’s no gemstone combo bonus for the dirty or clean pendant.
The Resident Evil 4 remake is available on PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
