How to clean pearls

How to clean pearls

Because they're so porous, pearls can easily lose their luster. Whether real, cultured, or faux, you must clean them with care. Rule number one: Never soak pearls as doing so can cause the string to weaken and break.

To clean pearls gently, start by laying the strand on a soft cloth. Dip a clean, small makeup brush into a mixture of warm water and a little shampoo, and go over each pearl. To finish, rinse the pearls with a clean, well-wrung damp cloth. Let the strand dry flat to prevent the string from stretching.

This no-soak treatment also works well for turquoise and opals (which are also porous stones). Special pearl care kits, like the one from Town Talk, include tissue sachets of cleaner and a polishing cloth.