What they do
In a plain banger, concentrate melts into a pool in the coldest spot and some is left behind. Pearls keep it moving. They also hold heat and release it as they spin, which helps spread the vaporization across the banger floor. The spinning is also part of the appeal: many people simply enjoy watching it.
Materials
| Material | Heat retention | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Quartz | Medium | Most common; matches the banger; clean taste |
| Ruby / sapphire (synthetic) | Higher | Hold heat longer; often glow under light; cost more |
| Glow / luminescent | Varies | Mostly a visual effect; check they are rated for banger heat |
| Silicon carbide (SiC) | High | Usually as small chips or a disc rather than spheres |
Sizes and fit
- Most pearls are 4mm, 5mm or 6mm.
- Two or three is the usual set. Too many crowd the banger and do not spin.
- The banger must have a flat floor; rounded bottoms do not spin pearls well. Spinner bangers and terp slurpers are designed for them.
How to use them
- Put the pearls in the banger before heating, so they heat with it.
- Heat and cool as usual (see how to use a dab rig). Pearls hold heat, so you may want a slightly shorter heat time.
- Drop in the concentrate.
- Put on a directional or spinner carb cap and inhale. The pearls should spin.
- Remove the pearls with a dab tool or tweezers while warm and swab the banger.
Cleaning terp pearls
Pull them out while warm and wipe with a cotton swab. For a deeper clean, let them cool fully, then soak in isopropyl alcohol for 10 to 30 minutes, rinse, and dry before reuse. Keep them in a small container so they do not roll away.
Common mistakes
- Using a cap without directional airflow. The pearls will sit still.
- Dropping cold pearls into a hot banger. The sudden temperature change can chip quartz.
- Swallowing risk: pearls are small. Store them away from children and pets.
- Too many pearls. Stick to two or three.
Pro tip
If you are buying your first set, get a kit that matches pearls, banger and spinner cap. Fit problems are the main reason pearls do not spin. Background on bangers is in what is a quartz banger.
