Real and Fake Pearls: How to Tell the Difference
Pearls come in many shapes and sizes whether they are real or not, and it’s not always easy to tell the difference between the genuine article or a fake. Even amongst genuine pearls there are many different classes of both natural and cultured varieties, all with their own different properties and all valued very differently as pearl jewellery. You don't want to be fooled when buying pearls, so here are some methods you can use to tell the difference between a genuine pearl and a fake:
The Tooth Test
Many people say that by rubbing a pearl against your teeth you can tell whether it’s real or fake by the feel of its surface. Genuine pearls usually have a rougher, more irregular texture in contrast to imitation pearls which are usually very smooth or even glassy. In reality this test is far from foolproof, as many fake pearls are created to feel as real as possible and cultured pearls in particular can often be very smooth, especially if they are dyed.
The Sun Test
A slightly more reliable method is to take the pearls out in the sun and look closely at the lustre, or iridescence, that you see on the surface. Apart from extremely unusual and rare specimens, genuine pearls won’t be perfectly matched under the sun and you will be able to see slight imperfections in the colour and lustre.
Surface Magnification
Don’t underestimate the power of a magnifying glass – a closeup look at the pearl earrings, necklace or brooch can tell you a lot, and is one of the most effective ways of distinguishing between genuine and fake pearls. The surface of a real pearl is crossed with hundreds of tiny almost invisible crooked lines, giving them an almost scaly look under magnification. Whilst there you could also take a look at the small drill holes at either end of the pearl, which in a real pearl will be as tiny as they can be because the gems are valued by their weight. The holes are usually drilled from both ends and meet in the middle, making the passage narrower at the centre of the pearl.
Shape
One of the most obvious ways to identify real pearl sets is to look closely at the shape of each pearl and whether or not they are close to being identical – real pearls are hardly ever perfectly round, and it is almost unheard of to find a whole string of pearls of exactly the same size, shape and weight. Real pearls that are regular in this way are extremely expensive, or they are more than likely imitations.
X-Ray
The best way to be absolutely positive of a pearl's authenticiety is to pay a certified gemologist to verify it. For a fee they will be able to x-ray the pearls, allowing you to see inside to any imperfections or variations in density and discovering how the pearl was first formed and what the nucleus was. To be worth paying the price you need to first be fairly sure that the pearl is genuine, but many imitation pearls look very real and it’s the only way to really be 100% sure without damaging the pearl.
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