Pearl is ranked 2.5 on the Mohs hardness scale, which makes it's very soft and easily scratched or abraded.
The surface of a pearl is soft and is easily damaged. Pearls set in rings and bracelets are more subject to scuffing and scratching than pearls set in brooches, earrings, necklaces or strands.
If you bite a real pearl and scrape it slightly with your teeth, you can feel and hear the sandy, grainy surface of the pearl. But a fake pearl will be slippery with no sound. And if the fake is plastic, sometimes your teeth will make depressions in the pearl.
This rubbing action should feel gritty, not smooth, and produce a thin pearl powder. If your pearls are fake, the rubbing will have no effect. The pearls won't produce any powder, and you might even end up with a couple of scratched plastic pearls!
Look for tiny irregularities
When you examine real pearls closely or under magnification, you'll notice tiny irregularities and ridges on each pearl's surface. In a strand of cultured pearls, you can always see very tiny differences between them, even when they are top quality and well matched.
Synthetic pearls are usually either coated plastic, glass or crystal beads, and generally are visually perfect with very little to no variation in shape, size, luster or color/overtone.
Heat can destroy pearls and their settings. Always protect your pearls from scratching. Even a soft toothbrush can scratch the delicate nacre of a pearl. Be smart when cleaning and storing your pearls to keep them from damage.
As mentioned, pearls are ranked 2.5 on the Mohs Hardness Scale which means that a pearl is considered a soft gem and can easily be scratched.
Real pearls wear out and age, what is visible in getting mat, cracking, peeling, chipping off, and finally scattering into a fine powder. The life of a natural pearl is estimated at about 100-150 years, but there are few specimens up to several hundred years.
Real pearls vary in weight depending on size and type. Generally, they are light but range from 0.5 to 6 grams. Akoya, South Sea, and Tahitian pearls are heavier than freshwater pearls. Larger pearls will also be heavier than smaller ones of the same type.
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.
High quality pearls will have a strong, bright and clear luster and will shine, almost like the light is coming from within, when light hits them. With lustrous pearls, you can usually see your own reflection.
Freshwater pearls, like other types of pearls, can be significantly damaged by water. Moreover, the soap, shampoo, conditioner, or oils you use in the shower contain chemicals that can further damage your pearl jewellery. Hence, wearing your pearl jewellery in the shower is not advisable.
Do not submerge your pearls in water - no showers, no dishes, no swimming. The chlorine in the water will eat away at the epoxy securing the pearls to their mountings, and soaking the silk your pearls are strung on causes it to stretch out and break early.
Unfortunately, because pearls are delicately formed layers of calcium, they can flake if they're damaged. To prevent your precious pearls from peeling, keep them away from harsh chemicals or cosmetics and don't allow the pearls to rub against each other.
Should You Wear Pearls Every Day? There's a straightforward answer to this question. It's really up to you and what you're comfortable with. If you're someone who takes very good care of their belongings and is cautious with how you handle them, then wearing your pearls every day shouldn't be a problem.
Harmful chemicals such as chlorine in a pool can effect or cloud the lustre of a pearl and in some instances etch or pit the surface. Wearing a strand of pearls in water can also lead the silk thread they are strung with, to stretch.
It's pretty much impossible to tell the difference between a natural and cultured pearl by just looking at its outer appearance. The only way to make absolute certain whether a pearl is natural or not is to perform an x-ray of the internal structure of the pearl.
Bumps or welts are pearl flaws that you can easily see with your naked eye. They are irregular bumps that appear when a lot of nacre is secreted to form a pearl.
Real Pearls Have Imperfections
There is almost always an imperfection such as an issue with the shape, a slight indentation or slightly off color to it (even if ever so slight). There is a reason why “perfect” pearl necklaces can set you back tens of thousands of dollars, if not more.
Blemishes:Freshwater pearl blemishes are usually white “chalky” spots, subtle ridges, tiny pin pricks and small, streak-like score marks. Akoya pearl blemishes also include subtle white “chalky” spots and tiny pin prick-like inclusions, but also include flat spots, wrinkling in the nacre.
Worn often and properly cared for, pearls can look as good in 50 years as they did the day they left the store. Pearls are not the most durable of gems. Most everyday items at home and in the office are tougher than pearls, so careless contact can cause damage them over time. Chemicals are the primary threat.
Nacre quality: Luster and nacre quality are closely related. If the nucleus is visible under the nacre, or if the pearl has a dull, chalky appearance, you can assume that the nacre is thin. This affects the luster as well as the durability of the pearl.
Gold Pearls
One of the largest and rarest pearls found around the world is Gold in color. They are Golden South Sea pearls, cultured in the Philippine Islands.