Pearl Bracelets

A bracelet spends its life knocking against desks, doorframes, keyboards and bag handles. Pearls are soft — around 2.5 to 4.5 on the Mohs scale, softer than window glass — so a bracelet is the hardest test of a pearl's durability.

Buy for the wear

• Prefer thick nacre. Freshwater and South Sea pearls tolerate wrist wear better than thin-nacre Akoya.
• Insist on knotting. Non-negotiable here, given the abrasion.
• Consider baroque shapes. Irregular pearls hide the inevitable small marks far better than perfect rounds.
• Check the clasp carefully. Wrist movement works clasps open. A box clasp with a safety catch, or a screw clasp, beats a spring ring.

Sizing

Measure your wrist and add roughly 1.5 to 2 cm for comfort. A pearl bracelet should move a little but not slide over the hand. Too loose and it takes far more impact; too tight and the thread is under constant tension.

Styles

Single strand is the classic and easiest to wear. Multi-strand makes a larger statement but doubles the abrasion points. Station bracelets, with pearls spaced along a chain, are the most durable option because the pearls never touch one another. Bangle-mounted single pearls avoid the stringing question altogether.

Practical habits

Put the bracelet on last, after hand cream and perfume. Take it off before typing for long periods, washing up, or anything involving your hands and hard surfaces. Wipe it with a soft cloth at the end of the day — wrists sweat, and salt is quietly corrosive to nacre.