How to Clean & Care For Pearls

Daily Pearl Care Tips

Wear them often! Pearls were originally born in the water and benefit immensely from absorbing the oils that your skin naturally secretes throughout the day. So go ahead, put them on and show them you care.

Put your pearls on last, after all cosmetics, lotions, hairspray and perfume has been applied. Remove your pearls before doing any "touch up" to avoid getting cosmetics or perfume on their surfaces.

Take your pearls off first after you done wearing them. For routine care, it's best to wipe cultured pearls with a damp, very soft clean cloth after each wearing will ensure that they remain free of harmful build-up of compounds that may damage the nacre of your pearls.

Keep pearls away from chlorine bleach, hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, ammonia, hairspray, perfume and cosmetics, as these substances will damage the pearls surface.

Remove pearls before exercising to keep them away from perspiration.

Do not submerge your pearls in  water – no showers, no dishes, no swimming. The chlorine in the water will corrode the epoxy securing the pearls to their mountings, and soaking the silk your pearls are strung on causes it to stretch out and break early.

Cleaning

Pearls should never be cleaned in an ultrasonic or steam cleaner. It's safe to use warm soapy water for occasional thorough cleaning. If the radiance of your jewelry appears to be diminishing take it to a specialist.

Storage  

Pearls should be stored away from hard jewelry items such as rings or bracelets to prevent them from being scratched. Wrap the pearls in linen, soft cloth, or lace in a soft pouch.

Do NOT stored pearls in an airtight package such as a plastic bag; remember, pearls need moisture. Pearls are organic and do contain trace amounts of water. Storing them in an airtight environment will cause  them to be come brittle and damage the luster.

If placing the pearls in a safety deposit box or in a hot environment, leave a damp cloth nearby, and try to get them out of there as quickly as you can.

Avoid hanging the pearl necklace for on a hook for storage; this places un-necessary strain on the silk and stretches out the necklace.

Maintenance 

Pearl necklaces and bracelets will need restringing once a year if you wear them often, and once every two or three years for less frequent wear. This keeps the silk knots nice and tight, and even more important – clean. There's nothing worse than dirty, frayed silk.

Be sure to have pearl knotted separately, preferably with silk string, so they do not rub against each other and cause the wear on the pearl nacre. if pearls are very small, knots between each pearl may be undesirable.