How to Clean Pearls and Care for Them the Right Way

Pearls don't need much looking after. They just need the right kind.

A chain can take a polishing cloth, a silver dip or a scrub with a toothbrush. A pearl can't. Real pearls are grown, not made, and the glowing layer that makes them beautiful is softer than any metal in your collection. Treat them like a chain and they'll dull. Treat them like pearls and they'll keep their glow for years.

Lustre is what you're protecting. A little care keeps real pearls looking like this.

Below we'll cover how to clean pearls, why they need different care, a step-by-step clean, what never to use, whether pearls can get wet, how to wear and store them, how to clean pearl pieces with metal and stones, and the signs a piece needs attention.

Jump to:

• How Do You Clean Pearls?
• Why Do Pearls Need Different Care?
• How to Clean Pearls Step by Step
• What Should You Never Use on Pearls?
• Can Pearls Get Wet?
• How Do You Wear Pearls Without Damaging Them?
• How Should You Store Pearls?
• How Do You Clean Pearl Jewellery With Metal and Stones?
• How Do You Know if Your Pearls Need Attention?
• FAQs

How Do You Clean Pearls?

With a soft cloth, and not much else. For almost every pearl piece, this is the whole routine:

1. After every wear, wipe the pearls with a soft, dry cloth to lift off skin oils, sweat and fragrance.
2. Every few months, or when they look dull, wipe them with a cloth dampened in lukewarm water and a drop of mild soap.
3. Always dry them flat on a towel before you wear or store them.

That's it. Most of what keeps pearls looking good isn't cleaning at all. It's what you keep away from them in the first place.

Why Do Pearls Need Different Care?

Because a pearl is organic. It's built from nacre, thin layers of calcium carbonate held together by a natural protein, laid down by the mollusc it grew in. That layered structure is what gives pearls their lustre, and it's also why they're delicate.

• They're soft. Nacre sits around 2.5 to 4.5 on the Mohs hardness scale, softer than steel, glass and most gemstones. Grit, metal and abrasive cloths scratch it.
• Acids eat into them. Calcium carbonate reacts with acid, which is why perfume, vinegar, lemon juice and even sweat left on the surface slowly dull the shine.
• They don't like extremes. Heat, harsh chemicals and drying out can all damage the surface over time.

None of this makes pearls fragile to wear. It just means the care is different from metal. If you're not sure your pearls are real in the first place, our guide on how to tell if pearls are real walks through the tests.

How to Clean Pearls Step by Step

After every wear: the dry wipe

Take a soft, lint-free cloth, microfibre or cotton, and run each section of the strand through it. Ten seconds is enough. This one habit does more for pearls than any deep clean, because it stops oils and residue from building up in the first place.

Every few months: the gentle clean

1. Fill a small bowl with lukewarm water and add a single drop of mild, unscented soap.
2. Dip a soft cloth in the water, wring it out well, and wipe each pearl individually.
3. Wipe again with a second cloth dampened in clean water to remove any soap.
4. Pat dry with a towel.

Work on the pearls, not the whole piece at once. Never drop pearls into the bowl.

Drying: flat, never hanging

Lay the piece flat on a dry towel and leave it until it's completely dry, ideally overnight. Hanging a damp strand puts weight on the thread while it's at its weakest, and putting pearls away wet traps moisture in the drill holes.

Pearls worn often, and wiped down after, tend to keep their glow best.

What Should You Never Use on Pearls?

Most pearl damage comes from treating them like the rest of your jewellery. Here's what to keep them away from.

Never	Why
Ultrasonic or steam cleaners	Vibration and heat can crack nacre and loosen the strand
Silver dip or jewellery cleaner	Made for metal; the chemicals strip the pearl's surface
Polishing cloths	They carry a fine abrasive that scratches nacre
Toothpaste or baking soda	Both are abrasive
Vinegar or lemon juice	Acid dissolves calcium carbonate
Bleach, ammonia or detergent	Harsh chemicals dull and discolour pearls
Soaking	Weakens the thread and gets into the drill holes
Brushes of any kind on the pearls	Even a soft toothbrush can scratch

A lot of this is the opposite of what works for metal, which is why it's worth keeping two routines. For your chains, our guides to cleaning sterling silver, cleaning a silver chain and cleaning a gold chain cover the metal side properly.

Can Pearls Get Wet?

A little water won't hurt them. A splash, a light shower of rain or a damp cloth is fine, as long as the pearls are dried properly afterwards. What they shouldn't do is spend time in water.

That's the one place pearl pieces are different from the rest of our jewellery. The hardware on our pearl pieces is 316L stainless steel, finished in 18K gold or rhodium, and built to handle water, heat and sweat. The pearls themselves need more care. So:

• Showering: take them off. Shower gel, shampoo and hot water all take the shine off over time.
• Swimming: take them off. Chlorine and salt water are both hard on nacre.
• The gym: take them off. Sweat is mildly acidic, and a workout adds knocks and strain to the strand.

Wear them by the water. Take them off before you go in.

For the rest of your pieces on a trip away, our guide to men's holiday jewellery covers what to wear by the pool and in the sea.

How Do You Wear Pearls Without Damaging Them?

The rule to remember is simple: last on, first off.

Get dressed, put on your fragrance, aftershave, moisturiser, sun cream and hair products, let them dry, and then put your pearls on. At the end of the day, take them off first, before you change or wash. That keeps them away from almost everything that dulls them.

Dressed, fragrance on, then pearls. Last on, first off.

A few other habits help:

• Wear them often. Many jewellers say pearls look their best when they're worn regularly, and a pearl necklace kept in a drawer for years is more likely to dry out and dull than one that's worn and wiped.
• Watch what they sit against. Rough fabrics and chunky zips can wear the surface. A T-shirt or shirt is ideal.
• Layer with a little space. When you wear pearls with chains, let them sit at slightly different lengths so metal isn't rubbing against the pearls all day. Our pearl necklace styling guide shows how.

How Should You Store Pearls?

Separately, flat and somewhere soft. Pearls are softer than every chain, ring and pendant they might share a box with, so a jumbled drawer is the quickest way to scratch them.

Store pearls flat, on their own, somewhere soft.

• Keep them on their own, in a soft pouch or a fabric-lined compartment.
• Lay them flat. Hanging a strand for long periods stretches the thread.
• Keep them cool and out of direct sunlight. A hot windowsill or a car in summer is no place for pearls.
• Let them breathe. Avoid sealing pearls in a plastic bag for long periods, which can trap moisture or dry them out depending on where they're kept.

Travelling with them? Pack pearls in their own pouch, not loose with chains. If a necklace does tangle, our guide on how to untangle a necklace will help, but go gently with pearls.

How Do You Clean Pearl Jewellery With Metal and Stones?

Most men's pearl pieces aren't just pearls. They have clasps, gold spacers, pendants, filigree caps or set stones, and those parts need a little thought too.

Pendants and gold details: a soft, dry cloth is all they need.

• Clasps, spacers and pendants: wipe with the same soft, dry cloth you use on the pearls. Our pearl hardware is steel finished in 18K gold or rhodium, so it doesn't need polishing, and a polish or dip would only reach the pearls next to it.
• Set stones: pieces like our Filigree Real Pearl Necklace have clover accents set with cubic zirconia. Wipe around them gently with a dry cloth. Don't push water or soap into the settings.
• Pearls with chain: on the Chain Wrap Real Pearl Necklace, pearls and a fine rope chain sit together, so treat the whole piece as pearls: soft cloth, no chemicals.

The Chain Wrap Real Pearl Necklace. Steel and pearl in one piece, cleaned with one soft cloth.

How Do You Know if Your Pearls Need Attention?

Every few weeks, have a quick look over your pearl pieces. You're checking for:

• Dullness: usually build-up. A gentle clean will often bring the glow back.
• A chalky or worn patch: a sign acids or friction have worn into the nacre. That can't be reversed, so keep that piece well away from fragrance from now on.
• Movement in the strand: pearls that slide more than they used to, or visible gaps, mean the thread has stretched.
• A loose clasp: check where the strand meets the clasp, which is where any strung piece takes the most strain.

Check the clasp end now and then. That's where any strung piece works hardest.

For anything beyond a clean, like restringing a strand or repairing a clasp, take it to a jeweller who works with pearls. It's a small job next to replacing a piece you love.

FAQs

Can you clean pearls with water?

Yes, but only a little. Wipe them with a soft cloth dampened in lukewarm water, then let them dry flat. Never soak pearls or run them under the tap, because water can weaken the thread and seep into the drill holes.

Can you use soap on pearls?

A drop of mild, unscented soap in lukewarm water is fine for an occasional deeper clean. Dip a soft cloth, wipe each pearl, then wipe again with a cloth dampened in clean water. Avoid detergents and anything with bleach or ammonia.

Can you shower with pearls on?

It's best not to. Shower gel, shampoo and hot water all dull pearls over time and put strain on the strand. The steel hardware on our pieces can handle water, but the pearls need a little more care, so take them off first.

Can you swim in pearls?

No. Chlorine and salt water are both hard on nacre. Take your pearls off before the pool or the sea, and put them back on once you're dry.

How often should you clean pearls?

Wipe them with a soft, dry cloth every time you take them off. A gentle clean with mild soapy water every few months, or whenever they start to look dull, is plenty.

Can you use a silver polishing cloth on pearls?

No. Polishing cloths carry a fine abrasive that's made for metal and will scratch nacre. Use a plain soft cloth on pearls, and keep the polishing cloth for your silver chains.

Why are my pearls losing their shine?

Usually build-up from fragrance, sun cream, sweat or skin oils. A gentle clean often brings the glow back. If the surface has been worn through or dissolved by chemicals, that damage is permanent.

Do pearls turn yellow?

Some do, slowly, with age, heat or contact with chemicals like perfume and hairspray. It can't be reversed at home, so the best prevention is keeping pearls clean, cool and away from cosmetics.

Where to Go From Here

Wipe them after you wear them, keep them away from fragrance and water, and store them on their own. Do those three things and real pearls will look as good in years as they do today.

Explore the full Men's Real Pearl Necklace Collection, find out why men wear pearl necklaces, and if you wear pearls on your wrist too, our men's pearl bracelet guide covers how to choose and style one.