How to Differentiate between Genuine and Imitation Pearls
There are many varieties of pearl, both real and fake, and it can be hard to distinguish between those that are genuine and those that are imitations. 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 a few ways to help differentiate between real pearls, whether they are natural or cultured, and fakes
The Tooth Test
It’s said that if you rub a pearl against the biting edge of your front teeth, the texture of the surface will tell you whether or not it is genuine. Real pearls normally have a more rough, irregular texture in contrast to imitation pearls which are usually very smooth or even glassy. This isn’t really the most reliable method of testing, as fakes are often made to appear completely genuine and some real pearls can sometimes be smooth, particularly if the surface has been dyed.
The Sun Test
Another indicator is to take the pearls into full daylight and take a close look at the appearance of the lustre, or shine, that you see on the surface. Apart from extremely unusual and rare specimens, real pearls hardly ever appear perfectly matched in full daylight and have clear differences in shine, iridescence and colour.
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, so the hole is much smaller in the middle 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, and if not they are probably fake.
X-Ray
The best way to be absolutely positive of a pearl’s authenticiety is to have it verified and certified by a qualified gemologist. For a fee they will be able to x-ray the pearls, showing any 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 some fakes can be very convincing and it’s the only way to really be 100% sure without damaging the pearl.
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