Pearls are a highly popular and frequently used type of material in jewelry. Unlike hard stones like diamonds, pearls are soft and porous. They’re prone to irreversible damage from everyday chemicals, physical abrasion, and sweat.

With pearls being unique, having been formed inside living mollusks, they require a special touch in terms of maintenance and care.

In this guide, you’ll understand why jewelry requires such special care and how to keep your pearls cleaned and well-maintained. That way, you can enjoy the beauty of your pearl earrings or necklace without needing to worry so much about damaging them beyond repair.

Why Pearls Require Extra Care

Pearls require extra care, and there are reasons why that is so. Let’s take a look at why pearls in particular are a material that requires such care and attention when cleaning/maintaining them.

Extreme softness

On the Mohs hardness scale, pearls will rank only between 2.5 and 4.5. In comparison, harder metals like diamonds and even rough fabrics will easily scratch their surface and dull their shine if you’re not careful.

Porous structure

Pearls are composed of layers of nacre that easily absorb body oils, chemicals, and moisture. Harsher substances like perfumes, hairsprays, and lotions can permanently erode their luster and also cause yellowing.

Delicate strings

Most pearl necklaces and bracelets are strung onto silk thread. When they’re exposed to water, lotions, or sweat, this can weaken, rot, and stretch them out, increasing the risk of the strand eventually snapping.

How to Clean Pearl Jewelry 

When it comes to cleaning pearl jewelry, it requires a gentle touch and an approach that’s worth reading up on before purchasing this type of jewelry.

Here are a few helpful tips to ensure you’re cleaning your pearl jewelry with the utmost care and attention.

The Wipe-down

For routine maintenance, it’s worth simply wiping down each pearl gently with a soft and clean cloth. You don’t want to use a cloth that’s too abrasive either.

Deeper cleaning

For deeper cleans to get rid of dirt and debris, it’s worth mixing lukewarm water with just a tiny drop of mild, pH-neutral soap. You’ll want to dip a soft cloth, like a microfiber one, into the solution and then carefully wipe each pearl.

What to avoid

Some things to avoid are worth knowing so that you’re not making mistakes that damage the pearls themselves. Never submerge pearl necklaces or bracelets in water, as this can be something that weakens or rot the silk thread.

As well as this, never use steam cleaners, ultrasonic cleaners, ammonia, vinegar, or harsh agents in general.

Drying

After you’ve finished cleaning the pearls, you’ll want to rinse the pearls by wiping them with a cloth that has been dampened with clean water.

Lay this piece completely flat on a towel in order to air dry for at least twenty-four hours before storing. Wet silk threads can stretch, so you want to let them dry completely before wearing them again.

How to Store Pearl Jewelry Safely

As well as cleaning pearl jewelry carefully, you want to make sure that you’ve stored these pearl pieces safely, too. Proper storage can help to prevent scratching from occurring, as well as thread stretching and dehydration.

Store it flat

First and foremost, you should never hang any pearl necklaces or bracelets to store or dry them. When you hang them, you put pressure on the silk thread, and that can cause it to both stretch and become loose. Instead, store the pearls flat to air dry.

Use breathable pouches

Pearl jewelry should be placed in breathable pouches like velvet, suede, or chamois. Storing this jewelry in a breathable pouch ensures that it absorbs a little bit of moisture from the air, which keeps it from drying out.

Avoids plastic

You shouldn’t seal your pearls in airtight plastic bags. Plastic bags can trap moisture and emit chemicals that cause the pearls to degrade as a result.

Separate from other jewelry 

When it comes to pearl jewelry maintenance and care standards, you should keep pearls completely separate from other jewelry in a box. This avoids having harder gemstones or metal clasps scratching the delicate surface of the pearls.

How Professionals Help Improve Pearl Jewelry

When it comes to wearing pearls, the silk thread can eventually weaken, stretch, or become soiled. Therefore, professional experts will recommend having pearl strands or bracelets professionally cleaned and restrung every one to two years to help prevent breakage.

1.  Expert Restringing and Knotting

Traditional stringing materials like silk will stretch, fray, and absorb bodily oils over time. Jewelers will therefore provide professional restringing services. Experts typically recommend restringing every one to two years, depending, of course, on how often the piece is worn. 

Professionals will replace frayed terminal knots, as well as reinforce clasps and hide wire ends, in order to limit long-term stress on any drill holes.

2.  Specialized Cleaning and Polishing

With standard commercial jewelry cleaners, they’re far too abrasive and harsh for the delicate material that are pearls. They can therefore strip away the organic moisture and dissolve the nacre. 

Professionals will use mild, pearl-safe solutions that carefully lift away any trapped dirt and built-up oils within the drill holes. 

If the pearl has a thick enough layer of nacre, then a jeweler can meticulously polish the surface to help smooth out microscopic roughness. This strategic approach helps smooth and restore that mirror-like luster of the pearl.

3.  Structural Repairs and Enhancements

For pearl jewelry, pearls will sometimes be glued or mounted onto metal pegs in pendants, rings, or earrings. Over time, these bonds can wear down and risk loosening the pearl from the jewelry itself. 

Re-bonding helps to secure loose pearls using specialized and waterproof epoxies, ensuring the adhesive is confined to the peg to avoid damaging any of the surrounding nacre. If a pearl is severely damaged, pitted, or cracked beyond repair, then a professional can source a matching pearl to help replace it while preserving the integrity of the original piece itself. 

Pearl jewelry is certainly something that needs special care and attention, so make sure you are looking after it so that it lasts for a long time.