Can Pearls Get Wet, and What Damages Them?

A pearl is made of calcium carbonate and organic material,⁵ and it is a comparatively soft gem.¹ So most damage comes from chemicals, heat and wear.

Text version of this diagram

A pearl, a comparatively soft gem, in the middle, with six things that can damage it around it. Chemicals: cosmetics, hairspray, perfume, perspiration, acids, solvents and household cleaners with ammonia. Heat, which can dry out, crack and discolor pearls. Strong light, which can bleach pearls or fade their color. Very dry air, because pearls draw moisture from the air. Scratches, because pearls are soft: keep them away from other gems and metal jewelry. And the wrong storage: no plastic bags, and no wrapping in cotton wool.

Can pearls get wet?#

Clean water isn’t the problem. CIBJO’s care advice is to wipe pearls with a soft cloth dampened in clean water after wearing them, and GIA suggests warm, soapy water and a soft makeup brush for a deeper clean.^{2 6}

Two cautions apply. A strand’s silk thread stretches and attracts dirt while it is wet, so it should dry completely before you handle it, and GIA advises removing fine jewelry before swimming in a chlorinated pool.²

Chemicals#

Even everyday products can harm pearls. Hairspray, lotion, perfume and other cosmetics can permanently damage their surface,² and acid perspiration can harm them too.⁷ Put pearls on after perfume, hair products and makeup.¹

Stronger chemicals do more harm. CIBJO says pearls should be kept away from all solvents and acids,⁶ and in GIA’s tests, a dilute hydrochloric acid solution made a cultured pearl effervesce.³ Many household cleaners contain ammonia, which can be too harsh for delicate gems.²

Heat, light and dry air#

Excessive heat and sudden temperature changes can damage some gems, and pearls in particular can dry out, crack and discolor.² CIBJO also warns against exposing pearls to high temperatures.⁶

Strong light can change a pearl’s color. Pearls bleach under extreme exposure to light,² and some natural and cultured pearls can fade in sunlight, artificial light or strong display lights; some color-treated pearls can even revert to their original color.⁶ Conch pearls are especially sensitive: their color may fade with long exposure to sunlight, or even short exposure to X-rays.⁶

Very dry air can harm pearls as well. Pearls draw moisture from the air, so storing them somewhere very dry, such as a safe deposit box, can sometimes do more harm than good.²

Scratches and wear#

Pearls rate only 2.5 to 3.0 on the Mohs scale of hardness,¹ and soft gems such as pearls scratch easily.² Store them separately from other gems and metal jewelry, avoid rough handling, and take them off for heavy work.^{1 6}

Strands wear in their own way. Knots between the pearls stop them from rubbing against each other, and over the years the string stretches and weakens, so strands need restringing.⁷

A pearl’s quality matters too. GIA notes that thin nacre affects a pearl’s durability as well as its luster, and that many or severe surface blemishes can affect durability.⁸

Storage#

Never store pearls in a plastic bag, which can give off a chemical that damages their surface,¹ and don’t wrap them in materials that absorb moisture, such as cotton wool.⁶

Why pearls change color over time#

Pearls are made by living animals, and that shows over the years. CIBJO’s guide notes that, because of their biogenic nature, all natural and cultured pearls are known to change their color appearance over time.⁴ Heat can discolor them,² light can bleach or fade them,^{2 6} and cosmetics and perspiration can damage their surface.^{2 7}

The page how to clean pearls gives a safe routine.