How to care for Fresh Water Pearls

At Bowerbird Jewels, we have an absolutely undeniable love of the water. From warm summer days in rivers and streams to cool winter afternoons walking along the beach, we love it all. We love to carry a piece of the lustrous water with us every day, and we know you do too.

This season, one of our most popular pieces has been the Ukiyo Pearl Drop Bracelet, and we have had so many of you ask us how you can care for the stunning freshwater coin pearl that is the centrepiece of this bracelet.

You ask, and we deliver.

Freshwater pearls are the more unique kind than the salt-water varieties, occurring in a wider range of colours and shapes and absolutely being more affordable. Because most often they are a cultured pearl, rather than naturally-occurring, there is less damage to the oceans and natural environment done in the harvesting of pearls. Freshwater pearls are our pick of the bunch for jewellery design, but they do need to be cared for properly.

HOW TO CLEAN FRESH WATER PEARLS

Most importantly, NEVER Put your fresh water pearls into an ultrasonic cleaner, or into any kind of solvent-based jewellery cleaner. These are simply too harsh for our water babies, so be careful how you clean your pearls. Instead, follow these 3 steps:

1. Gently rub your pearls using a soft, damp cloth to remove any surface dirt that might have accumulated. If you need a bit of extra grunt, dilute some hand soap onto a cloth and use that.
2. Completely dry your pearls with a microfibre cloth before putting them back on or away.
3. Wipe your pearls each time you wear them with a soft cloth to ensure they remain shiny and lustrous all the time.

HOW TO STORE FRESH WATER PEARLS

Store your pearls in a soft cloth bag where they can’t get scratched by harder, precious metal pieces. They’re not the kind of piece that can be just tossed in a jewellery box, as you don’t want to scratch the surface of the pearl – this is what will dull their shine. You can always store any of your bowerbird pieces in the beautiful blue box they come in when you purchase them!

WEARING FRESH WATER PEARLS

Gorgeous pearl pieces are not the kind that should be worn all day every day as they can so easily get damaged. So, make sure they are the last piece you put on before you leave the house and the first piece you take off when you get home to get the best wear out of your pearls. They will absorb your natural body oils and things like perfume and moisturiser, so make sure that you limit the exposure to these chemicals for your fresh water pearls to keep them in their best condition.

If cared for properly, beautiful Fresh Water Pearls are the kind of jewellery that will last you a lifetime and can be absolutely stunning heirlooms for years to come. Wear your gorgeous, shiny pearls regularly and bring a little of waters calming presence to your day.

You can shop our complete range of Fresh Water Pearl Jewellery on the website or come down and check out our market locations each week for a range of jewellery not available online. We announce our market locations on our Instagram each week, so make sure you follow us there!