Do you love the look of pearls but don’t know if they can be worn everyday? Pearls are a classic piece of jewelry that never goes out of style.
However, if you don’t take care of them properly then you can cause irreversible damage.
Additionally, wearing pearls everyday may raise some eyebrows by those who think pearls should only be worn on special occasions.
But we say, if you love them then why not show them off in creative ways?
In this blog post, we are going to clear that up for you and give you some tips on how to wear them in your everyday life.
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Can Pearls Be Worn Everyday?
Pearls can be worn daily depending on what your activities are.
If you have a desk type job, or one that only requires you to walk or stand, then perhaps you can get away with wearing certain pieces of pearl jewelry.
However, if you are a bit rough and tumble or have a job that requires some activity that would make the pearls get dirty or pulled, then it is best to just stick to wearing pearl earrings and maybe a simple pearl drop pendant.
Wearing rings, bracelets of strands of pearls when involved in activity is only inviting damage to them.
With that said, here are a few key points to remember:
Keep It Simple
Try not to overdo or layer pearl strands if you are active. Doing so will get them tangled up and will rub the nacre together which will dull them or even cause chips.
If you know that you are not going to be working with your hands in water or any kind of chemicals, then it is not a problem to wear a pearl ring and bracelet along with necklaces and earrings.
Also, avoid contact with harsh chemicals as they can damage the nacre.
When putting on perfume or lotion, do it before you put on your pearls.
Pairing a pearl necklace with a pair of pearl earrings is a classic and timeless look, and for a modern twist, you can try wearing a turtleneck with a long pearl pendant.
Dress Them Up
The cool thing about pearls is that they can be used as a way to highlight another piece of jewelry.
If you have a diamond pendant or any colored gemstone pendant, then try wearing a strand of pearls with it.
Simply buy a pearl strand that measures 20 inches if your standard chain with pendant measures 18 inches or less.
This will create a “frame” by which the pendant stands out in a classy look.
Pearls also go great with diamonds and any colored stone, so mix them in with whatever you like to create a more dramatic appearance.
Layered Pearls Look Awesome
You can layer pearls to achieve a unique look, but wearing them daily like this will only serve to create a bib for which food or drink is guaranteed to land on them when you are eating.
Layering pearls can be done if you do not intend to eat or are very aware of the fact that while you can wipe off food from the pearls, the stringing and knots will quickly become soiled and discolored if you are not careful.
You can also wear a choker style strand of pearls, and then hang a pendant off of it by using a “pearl enhancer” clasp that incidentally, can be used for both chains as well as to clip on between pearls.
Try wearing your opera length pearls by gently tying a knot like a bolo instead of wearing them totally open, then layer it with another strand that is two or three inches above or below the knot.
Baroque is in Style, or is it?
Baroque pearls go in and out of style, although it is anyone’s guess on who exactly is dictating that. In order to make them more “timeless” make sure that your baroque pearls are set in something freeform and unique, and embellish the pearls with a few small diamonds or rubies or any other colored gemstone.
The trick for wearing baroque pearls is to make sure that the ones you own are higher quality.
The higher the luster, the more dramatic they will look.
Pearls that have low luster can easily get away with it simply by being mixed with other jewelry, but a baroque pearl that has fantastic luster stands on its own regardless of being in style or not.
Any time a gemstone or pearl is of high quality, it will be appreciated by those who love and appreciate jewelry.
How Pearls Are Damaged From Everyday Wear
If you intend on wearing your lovely pearls everyday, then you need to be aware of how they can get damaged. First and foremost is the perfume, hairspray, and lotion which we talked about earlier.
These will cause the nacre to degrade over time.
Second is contact with your skin. Pearls are organic, meaning that they are created by a living thing, and as such they are sensitive to the oils in your skin.
Let’s take a look at some of the most common ways pearls are damaged:
Getting Pearls Wet
If you shower with pearls, wash dishes while wearing a ring, or swim with them, you are going to destroy them regardless of the fact that they were made by a sea creature.
Pearls have drilled holes in them in order to set them on a peg or to string them.
Once you submerge the pearls and the liquid gets into the holes, it can easily make the inside swell and crack your pearl literally in half.
This goes for cleaning them too!
Only use a slightly damp cloth to clean your pearls. Check out our article on what happens to pearls when they get wet for more information.
Sleeping With Your Pearls
One common way pearls get damaged is if you fell asleep on the couch or in the bed while watching t.v. late at night and slept the entire night.
If you are doing this on a regular basis, then you risk stretching the pearls as you thrash around in your sleep.
Once the stringing is stretched, and unless the strand is knotted in between each pearl, it will break at some point, possibly even at the clasp area from the strain.
Also keep in mind that your bed sheets will cause friction on the pearls which will wear down the nacre over time.
Cleaning Chemicals
So you are wearing your pearl ring and think it is a good idea to use a jewelry cleaner to clean them with? You already know that you should not get them wet, but surely a jewelry cleaner won’t hurt them right? Wrong.
Too many jewelry cleaners have ammonia or another chemical that is really meant for cleaning gold or diamonds.
Your pearls are soft gems and have layers of nacre that are easily damaged from using the wrong chemicals.
Cleaning pearls, like cleaning opals requires NO CHEMICALS.
All you need is warm water on a slightly damp cloth.
Perfume
Perfume will damage and discolor pearls.
If you want to wear both at the same time, spray or dab your perfume in the bend of your elbow or lower on the back of the neck where it will not have contact.
You can wear perfume, just don’t put any where the pearls will touch it.
When Should You Not Wear Pearls?
Aside from the things already listed above, it is not a great idea to wear pearl necklaces, strands or bracelets around infants or in contact with animals unless you are very aware of them.
Babies are very attracted to pearls and will reach out to pull them with the force of a Sumo wrestler to get them into their mouth for a sampling.
Dogs are just plain rambunctious and will accidentally paw a strand of pearls or necklace and will break them, get them slimy or filthy.
Doing your household or garden chores while wearing any pearls except for perhaps pearl stud earrings is not a good idea either.
You can use your imagination on the many ways that you can damage, break or soil them so badly that you will have to take them for restringing and/or repair.
FAQ’s About Wearing Pearls Everyday
Can pearls be worn in the shower?
Wearing your pearls in the shower is not a good idea. It won’t be long before you look at them and find that they have cracked in half and are dull from the chemicals in your soaps, shampoos, conditioners and lotions.
Once you ruin the nacre or outer layers of a pearl, you cannot polish them out to restore them without taking the chance to further damage them.
Who should not wear pearls?
We all have our opinions on this.
Some people feel that only those with a May birthday should wear pearls while others think they are too delicate for everyday and should be saved for special occasions.
Others are sensitive to how different face and body shapes look in pearls.
If you have a short neck, some feel that large pearls overwhelm your look while others love the way it elongates your neck.
Dare we say that we do not think that pearls look all that great on men, the same as we do not think a beard is a particularly good look on a woman?
We also don’t think that children should wear them either for a variety of reasons unless it is a pair of small stud pearl earrings.
Other than that, we think that pearls are a fabulous accessory for anyone who loves them!
Can you wear perfume with pearls?
You can wear your pearls with your perfume as long as you put the perfume on places that the pearls will not be having any contact with.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, wearing pearls daily will take a little thought and care but it can certainly be done. Pearls can last several life times and even longer!
They are a timeless and classy look and can be dressed up or down as desired. Enjoy your pearls, but be mindful of the care that they need.