I'm trying to polish glass nuggets. When they are wet they look perfect but as soon as they dry, they have a white powder-like coating. Any suggestions on how to keep that sparkling "wet" look?

I am trying to imitate ear cuffs I have previously purchased. One end of the ear cuff is sealed by a bead glued to it. The other end of the ear cut is left raw. How do I soften the cut raw end of the ear cuff so that it doesn't scratch the ear cartilage?