Real Pearls Are Gritty, While Faux Pearls Are Smooth More precisely, real pearls come with subtle ridges, while faux pearls are always smooth and crease-free. This slightly wrinkly texture might not be visible to the bare eye, but there is a very efficient way of testing it out.
Real pearls will feel incredibly smooth and have a unique texture. The pearls are likely fake if they are rough or have an uneven surface. You can also look for any blemishes or ridges on the surface of each pearl. Real pearls will typically be perfectly round with no visible flaws or irregularities.
Both natural and cultured pearls have textured surface due to their layered nacre structure. So when you rub the pearls lightly against each other or on your front teeth, they feel a little gritty. Fake or imitation pearls, however, usually feel smooth or glassy.
The simplest way to tell if a pearl is natural or fake is to take the pearl and rub it against your teeth. “If the surface of the pearl feels grainy, then it is real,” explains Whitten. “If the surface feels smooth, then it is an imitation.”
If it feels slightly rough, sandy or gritty, it's likely a cultured or natural pearl. This texture you feel is the layers of nacre that have formed over time. If the pearl feels smooth or glassy, it is likely an imitation.
The cleaner the surface of the pearl, the more valuable it is. Look for an absence of disfiguring spots, bumps or cracks on the surface of a pearl, also known as "cleanliness." Notice that the highest quality pearls have a sharp, mirror-like reflection.
This is because a real pearl has small ridges on its surface. These ridges may not be visible to the naked eye. However, experts and jewelers can check the “natural flaws” in a pearl using a magnifying object. In real pearls, these same ridges can be felt using the teeth.
Knots also add to the strength of the thread, so when you examine a pearl strand for authenticity, be sure to check for knots. Beware, as some high-end fake pearl strands contain knots between each pearl to pass as authentic. So this test by itself is not definite proof.
Genuine pearls are shinier than fake pearls. You can measure shine in luster, which is the intensity and softness of a pearl's surface, it generally has to do with how bright and clear a pearl looks. Natural pearls have more shine than artificial ones because they're made from natural materials.
One of the most noticeable differences between real and fake pearls is the fact that they are quite different in texture. More precisely, real pearls come with subtle ridges, while faux pearls are always smooth and crease-free.
Do pearls lose their luster or become dull? It's possible that pearls can lose their shimmer and shine over time, but you can prevent it from happening by learning how to clean your cultured pearl necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings.
Baroque pearls are pearls with an irregular, non-spherical shape. Shapes can range from minor aberrations to distinctly ovoid, curved, pinched, or lumpy shapes.
Pearls are organic gemstones that are vulnerable to acid, alkaline and extremes of humidity. To preserve your pearls' radiance, avoid letting them come into contact with cosmetics, hair spray, or perfume. Always put on your jewelry as a final touch, after applying make-up and styling hair.
The qualities that determine the overall value of a natural or cultured pearl or a piece of pearl jewelry are size, shape, color, luster, surface quality, nacre quality, and—for jewelry with two or more pearls—matching.
Pearl necklaces and bracelets wear out over time. The string loosens up and eventually breaks – no matter the material used. In fact we recommend restringing your pearls every 1-2 years to avoid accidental breakage and consequent loss of pearls.
Fake or imitation pearls are man-made beads. They're often made from glass, plastic, alabaster or shells that have a pearly coating to give a similar appearance to real pearls. Some fake ones can easily be spotted but some can look very close to the real ones.
Like many things in life, pearls age. As these precious gems age, they go through a natural process that changes the composition of the organic substances that make them up. This causes them to change color. Yellow pearls typically indicate that pearls are real, since artificial pearls don't normally change color.
The lip determines the pearl color. While the white pearls are also priced by jewelers, the gold pearl variety is the most coveted color. The gold South sea pearl's color can range from creamy white to deep gold, and the darker the color, the more expensive it becomes.
Not just because of the unique color, size, shape, and place of origin, but also accounting for the fact that these gems are made by living oysters. The price of a pearl now averages between $300-1,500, and there are a few factors to consider when questioning both quality and value.
The Vinegar Test
A real pearl will dissolve in vinegar or show erosion where the vinegar drop meets its surface. This is because of the chemical reaction between the acid in the vinegar and calcium carbonate, the primary chemical that a real pearl is made of.
Freshwater pearls are cheaper because they are easier to extract, making sea pearls more valued. Why? Sea pearls are larger, more beautiful in shape, luster, smoother surface and, of course, much more expensive than freshwater pearls.
Wetting pearls is never a good idea, as it begins to destroy the jewel. Pearl necklaces are damaged when they get wet, because the water damages both the thread and the pearl . When wet, the thread that holds the beads together begins to stretch and lengthen, so it quickly loses the desired shape.