Pearls are the one gem that asks for a little company. They were grown in water, and they like the oils of your skin — worn often, they stay luminous; left alone, they dry. This page is everything we know about keeping them beautiful, gathered in one place.
Last updated: 2026
The rule of last on, first off
The whole of pearl care fits in one sentence: put your pearls on last, and take them off first. Perfume, hairspray, cosmetics and sunscreen are the quiet enemies of nacre — their acids and alcohols dull the surface over time. Dress, scent, then pearls; reverse the order at the end of the day.
Everyday care
- Wear them. Skin oils keep nacre supple and glowing. Pearls in a drawer age; pearls in a life do not.
- Wipe after wearing with a soft, slightly damp cloth — a glasses cloth is perfect. This removes the day's oils and dust before they settle.
- Keep them dry where it matters: remove before swimming (chlorine is unkind), before showering, and before the gym. Salt water and sea air are survivable; chlorine and sweat-soaked satin are not.
- Heat is not a friend: never dry pearls on a radiator or in direct sun; nacre can craze and discolour.
Cleaning
- What works: a soft cloth, barely damp, with or without a drop of mild soap. Wipe gently, dry with a soft cloth, lay flat to finish.
- What never works: ultrasonic cleaners (they can crack nacre and loosen settings), steam, ammonia, vinegar, bleach, jewellery dips made for gold and diamonds. Pearl nacre is calcium carbonate in layers — solvents dissolve it, acids etch it.
- Never use a brush, a scouring pad, or toothpaste — the internet's worst advice. Nacre scratches, and toothpaste is an abrasive in a nice smell.
Storage
- Store pearls apart from other jewellery — metals and gemstones scratch them. A soft pouch or a lined box with its own compartment is ideal.
- Do not store them in plastic for long periods: airtight plastic can dry the nacre and dull the surface. Silk or fabric pouches, or the box they arrived in, are right.
- Hang strands rather than folding them, so the silk does not kink.
Strands and knots
Fine pearl strands are strung on silk, knotted between each pearl — so if the strand ever breaks, one pearl falls, not thirty-six. The knots also keep the pearls from rubbing one another. Silk stretches with wear: have a well-worn strand restrung every year or two, sooner if you wear it daily. We will happily advise on restringing — write to us.
If they dull
- First, clean gently: most dullness is the day's film of oil and dust. A damp soft cloth, then dry, restores most pearls.
- If the glow does not return, the surface may be etched by perfume or cosmetics — this is a job for a professional pearl cleaner, not a home remedy. Write to us first; we will tell you honestly whether it is worth it.
- Never reach for a polish, a dip or an ultrasonic bath. Almost every pearl ruined at home was ruined with good intentions.
Travelling with pearls
Carry them on, not in the hold — in their pouch, inside their box, inside your bag. Pearls survive the journey better than checked luggage does. And at your destination, take them out of the pouch: nacre likes to breathe.
The short version
Last on, first off. Wipe after wearing. Keep them from perfume, chlorine and heat. Store them soft and apart. Wear them often. Do these five things and your pearls will outlive the dress, the decade, and possibly the wearer — which is, we think, exactly what jewellery is for.