How To Care For Pearl And Amber Jewelry

Pearl and amber are organic gems, one grown inside a mollusk and the other fossilized tree resin, and both are soft: pearl sits at 2.5 to 4.5 on the Mohs scale and amber at 2 to 2.5, so a fingernail can mark either. The rule for both is "last on, first off": put them on after perfume, hairspray and makeup, take them off before washing, cleaning or swimming, wipe them with a soft cloth after wearing, and store them on their own. Here is what each gem is, what damages it, how to clean it and how to keep it looking new.

Why Organic Gems Need Different Care

Most gemstone beads are minerals, and the hard ones, quartz and above, shrug off soap, water and daily knocks. Pearl, amber, coral, shell and jet are different. They are made of calcium carbonate, resin or protein rather than crystal, they are soft enough to scratch against almost any other bead, and they react to chemicals that leave a mineral untouched: acids, alcohol, perfume, chlorine and even the oils on skin. What suits one fragile gem does not always suit another, so it is not enough to wash everything in soap and water. Our guide to the Mohs hardness scale explains where these gems fall against the rest.

How to Care for Pearl Jewelry

A pearl is layer upon layer of nacre, the same material that lines the inside of the shell, laid down by a saltwater oyster or a freshwater mussel around an irritant. Nearly every pearl sold today is cultured, meaning the irritant was placed by hand; the pearl itself grew naturally. Nacre is calcium carbonate bound with protein, which is why pearls are soft, why acids etch them, and why they slowly lose luster if they are never worn: the light oils of the skin actually help, while sweat, perfume and cosmetics do not.

Last on, first off. Put pearls on after perfume, hairspray, lotion and makeup have dried, and take them off before you wash your hands, cook or clean. Vinegar, lemon juice and the acids in many cleaning products dull the surface on contact, and chlorine and hot tubs are worse. Sand is abrasive, so pearls stay home from the beach even though they came from the sea.

Wipe after wearing. A soft, dry cloth after each wear removes skin oils and sweat before they can dull the nacre. Every few wears, wipe them with a cloth dampened in plain water and let them air dry completely before putting them away. Never soak pearls, never use an ultrasonic cleaner, and never use toothpaste, baking soda or any abrasive.

Store them alone. Keep pearls in a soft cloth or chamois pouch, away from harder beads that will scratch them and away from dry heat, which can crack the nacre. Do not seal them in plastic for long periods; pearls like a little humidity.

Restring every year or two. Traditionally pearls are strung on silk with a knot between each pearl, so they do not rub against each other and a broken strand loses one pearl, not all of them. Silk stretches and frays with wear. If the knots look loose or the strand has lengthened, it is time to restring. Our Griffin silk cord comes with the needle attached for exactly this job.

Freshwater pearls, the kind in most pearl bead strands, are solid nacre all the way through, which makes them a little more forgiving than bead-nucleated saltwater pearls, but the same rules apply. Dyed pearls, including most dark "peacock" and bright colors, should be kept away from alcohol and acetone, which can lift the dye.

How to Care for Amber Jewelry

Amber is tree resin that hardened and fossilized over millions of years; most bead amber is Baltic amber, 35 to 45 million years old, from the shores of the Baltic Sea. It is light enough to float in salt water, warm to the touch, and only 2 to 2.5 on the Mohs scale, so it scratches easily and chips if dropped on a hard floor. It is also sensitive to heat and to solvents: alcohol, acetone, perfume and hairspray cloud the surface, and a hot car or a sunny windowsill can craze it over time.

Same rule: last on, first off. Keep hair and skin products off the beads, and take amber off for cleaning, gardening and any manual work where it could be knocked or scratched.

Clean with water only. Wipe amber with a soft cloth dampened in lukewarm water, then dry it. Avoid soap where you can; if a piece set in silver needs more, a drop of mild liquid soap and a soft brush is the most to use, rinsed off straight away. No ultrasonic cleaners, no steam, no jewelry dips, which are made for metal and will dull resin.

Bring back the shine with oil. Amber that has gone dull can be revived with a tiny amount of olive or almond oil worked over the surface with a soft cloth, left for about 30 minutes, then buffed off completely with a clean, lint-free cloth. The same trick works on matte stone beads, as described in our post on restoring matte gemstone beads.

Expect it to darken. Amber oxidizes slowly in light and air, and honey shades deepen toward cognac and red over the years. Many people like the change. Darker amber is not necessarily older than lighter amber; color depends on the resin and its history, not just its age.

Amber is also easy to fake, so it is worth knowing the tells. Real amber beads float in a strong salt solution while glass and most plastics sink, feel warm rather than cold, and take a static charge when rubbed on wool. Copal, a much younger resin, looks the same but turns tacky under a drop of acetone, where true amber is unaffected.

Caring for Other Organic Gems

The same gentleness applies to mother of pearl and abalone shell, to coral, which is calcium carbonate like pearl and etches in acid, and to jet, which is a form of coal and scratches like amber. Keep each in its own pouch, away from harder stones, and let them absorb only the natural oils of your own skin. Think of them as still living and you will not go far wrong.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can pearls get wet?

A wipe with a damp cloth is fine, and rain will not hurt them, but do not soak, swim or shower in pearls. Water weakens the silk they are strung on, and chlorine and soap dull the nacre.

How do I clean pearls that have gone dull?

Wipe them with a cloth dampened in plain water and dry them. If they stay dull, a professional jeweler can polish them lightly. Never use toothpaste, vinegar, baking soda or an ultrasonic cleaner.

How often should pearls be restrung?

Every 1 to 2 years if they are worn often, or whenever the knots loosen, the silk discolors or the strand has stretched.

Can amber go in water?

Briefly, yes. A quick wipe or rinse in lukewarm water is safe. Avoid long soaks, hot water, soap, chlorine and anything with alcohol in it.

Why has my amber turned cloudy?

Usually a solvent, such as perfume, hairspray or a jewelry dip, has attacked the surface, or the piece has been exposed to heat. Light clouding can often be buffed out with a little oil and a soft cloth; deep crazing cannot.

How can I tell real amber from plastic?

Real amber floats in a strong salt water solution, feels warm and light, and attracts a scrap of tissue after being rubbed on wool. Plastic usually sinks, feels cold and heavier, and smells of chemicals rather than pine when touched with a hot needle.

Shop Pearls and Amber

Browse our freshwater pearl beads and Baltic amber beads, and pick up silk cord for knotting pearls the traditional way. For the hardness of every other stone we carry, see the Mohs scale for jewelry makers.