Pearl Keeps Falling Off the Post? 9 Fixes Before You Blame the Glue

A client once came to me with a very specific frustration. She had bought a set of 10 pairs of matching baroque pearls to make studs. The pearls were gorgeous — but also big and heavy. She told me they kept dropping off the posts no matter what she tried.

When we checked the details, the problem became obvious:

• Our standard drilling for many pearls is around 0.9 mm.

• Her posts were 0.5 mm.

That gap made the bond incredibly hard to stabilize. Even with good adhesive, the fit simply wasn’t doing the glue any favors.

This is the perfect example of why “pearl glue not working” is usually a fit + engineering issue first, and an adhesive issue second.

The 30-second truth

If your pearl is falling off the earring post, the most common root cause is:

The hole is too large for the peg.

Glue can help — but it can’t permanently compensate for a big mechanical mismatch, especially with heavy pearls.

Troubleshooting Flowchart (fast version)

Pearl keeps falling off →
1) Do the Fit Test

• Loose? → likely needs a thicker peg or re-peg

• Snug? → move to surface prep + adhesive technique

2) Check weight + daily wear

• Large baroque pearls amplify every small weakness in fit and glue

3) Use slow-cure 2-part epoxy

• Avoid “quick fixes” for long-term wear

9 Fixes Before You Blame the Glue

1) Confirm the peg size

This is the biggest one.
A 0.5 mm post in a 0.9 mm hole is an uphill battle — especially for heavy baroque pearls.

2) Upgrade to a thicker post/peg

If you love the pearl size, match the engineering to the weight.

3) Lightly texture the metal post

A subtle micro-roughening helps the adhesive grip.

4) Clean the post

Skin oils or polishing residue can reduce bond strength.

5) Use slow-cure 2-part epoxy

For real pearl studs, this is usually the most consistent route.

6) Apply glue to the post, not just the hole

You want more internal contact along the peg.

7) Don’t under-dose the adhesive

Too little glue means too little surface area bonding inside the seat.

8) Let it cure fully and undisturbed

Moving the pearl too early is a quiet bond killer.

9) Accept reality for extra-heavy pearls

Some statement baroque studs simply do better with:

• stronger posts

• better fit

• or design changes (drops, jackets, or alternative settings)

When to rebuild with a better peg

If you’ve re-glued more than once and it still fails, it’s probably time to re-peg.

In my client’s case, the long-term solution wasn’t “stronger glue.”
It was matching the peg size to the hole and the pearl’s weight.

That single change turned a frustrating batch of pearls into reliable, everyday-wear studs.

Quick FAQ

How to fix pearl stud that keeps falling off?
Start with the Fit Test. If it’s loose, the most durable fix is usually a thicker peg or re-peg. Then use a slow-cure 2-part epoxy.

Why is my pearl glue not working?
Most often because the hole-post fit is too loose, especially with large or heavy pearls.

If you need jewelry repair, pearl finding replacement, or a style update, please visit our Jewelry Restore page — we offer mail-in restoration and remake services.