Top Tips & Tricks to Caring For Your Pearls

Pearls are organic in nature, and require different care than their gemstone counterparts. The surfaces of pearls are quite soft, and can be easily scratched if stored incorrectly. With these tips you will learn how to care for your pearls, how to clean your pearls, and how to have your pearls last for generations to come.

Tip 1 – Last on, first off. Pearls should always be the last thing you put on when you are heading out the door, and the first thing you take off when you get home. As pearls are an organic gemstone, many things can easily break them down over time, such as perfume, hairspray, body lotions, creams, as well as some people’s natural body chemistry.

By putting your pearls on last, rather than while you are getting ready, what you are really doing is preserving your pearls, and ensuring that they truly will last for generations to come. If any of the above products, and chemicals got on your pearls every time you wore them, then you will be ensuring that your pearls will not last for very long at all- SO avoid it.

Tip 2 – Do not wear your pearls swimming or in hot tubs. Pearls do not like chemicals, and chemicals do not like them. They are not friends, and never will be, swimming pools and hot tubs are brimming with tons of chemicals, so avoid it.

Tip 3 – Make sure your pearls are knotted. By knotting your pearls, you ensure that there will be no abrasion between the pearls and that they will not rub together. Also, the best part about knotting your pearls is that if by chance your strand does break, you will not lose the entire strand, but only one pearl. It is much easier to match and replace one pearl than an entire strand. Some strands of pearls can take years, and years to put together to find enough pearls that match to make the strand. Knot your pearls – you will thank me later for that one.

Tip 4 – If you wear your pearls often, have your strand re-knotted every 1-2 years max. Again, do you love your pearls? Well then have them re-knotted to know that your pearls are safe and secure. The most common threads used are silk and polyester, silk is more preferable.

Tip 5 – How to tell if your pearls need re-knotting? If you can see a gap in between the pearls and the knots, or see that your silk thread is starting to break down, then it’s time to take them in to your jeweler or pearl company. Before you bring in or ship your pearls, count how many pearls you have on your strand and take a photo of your pearls, as well as your clasp, so you have documentation just in case you need it.

Tip 6 – Do not hang your jewelry. By hanging your necklaces, you will absolutely stretch the thread that they are strung on, which in turn will mean that you will absolutely need to go and have them restrung.

Tip 7 – Store your jewelry in a soft bag on their own, away from other gemstones that could scratch their surface, and out of direct sunlight.