Real pearls are cold to the touch. Regardless of the weather, they slowly warm up as you wear them. On the other hand, fake pearls are warm to the touch and don't change temperature. So if you're feeling a cold sensation when you wear your pearls, they're likely real.
To try it for yourself, put a drop of vinegar on the pearl or submerge the pearl in a small cup of vinegar. If you can see bubbles forming from the release of carbon dioxide in the chemical reaction, your pearls are authentic.
Fake pearls only shine on their surface and their luster has no depth. Uniformity: A fake pearl necklace, for example, will have pearls that are all the same size and perfectly spherical. In addition, they won't have any blemishes or imperfections when examined very closely.
A natural pearl may show growth lines where concentric layers of nacre have been added. Cultured pearls on the other hand will appear to have a perfectly rounded nucleus that's surrounded by a halo of conchiolin and finally a thin outer layer.
If you read my last post, Do Not Get These Pearls Wet, you know that you should never get fake pearls wet in an attempt to clean them. Sometimes the pearl coating is too thin and fragile and will come off in water.
It's often assumed that because something's old it must be valuable. That's rarely true and certainly not for pearls. Advances in technology and culturing techniques mean you can buy a much better set of pearls for far less money than in grandma's time.
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.
Real pearls are cold to touch for the first couple of seconds before adjusting to your body temperature. Fake plastic pearls will be room temperature to begin with and you won't feel the coolness when you touch them.
Real pearls are heavy compared to most fakes. They should feel like they have some weight to them, compared to a hollow plastic bead. The surface will feel gritty. Gently rub two pearls in a strand together.
Why does it happen? Pearl jewelry usually turns yellow as time passes because they dry out. If there is no air circulation and moisture where pearls are kept, their organic composition begins to change, which results in that yellowing.
The luster of good quality pearls is sharp and bright. You should be able to see your reflection clearly on the surface of a pearl. Any pearl that appears too white, dull or chalky, is of low quality.
South Sea pearls are generally much larger than other pearl types and have a unique luster quality – a soft reflection due to the large aragonite platelets that make up the pearl. They also have the thickest average nacre of all cultured pearls. These factors make South Seas both distinctive and valuable.
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.
Fake pearls will often have a very polished and shiny appearance with no markings on them. Pearls are naturally not as smooth and may contain some imperfections in their surfaces, such as tiny scratches, spots of colors, or bumps called “pearling.” The more perfect the pearl, the less likely it is to be real.
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.
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. Golden South Sea pearls have only been available to pearl lovers since the late 1970s, and are known as the “Rolls Royce” of cultured pearls.
Perhaps the best-loved gems of all time, pearls—both natural and modern cultured pearls—occur in a wide variety of colors. The most familiar colors are white and cream (a light yellowish brown). Black, gray, and silver are also fairly common, but the palette of pearl colors extends to every hue.
Pearls contain organic substance, which can dry out and decay, which is why pearls have their certain life span, after which pearls start to grow dim, exfoliate and are finally destructed. This means special attention is required to ensure pearls will stay beautiful and last for hundreds of years.
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.
An easy and old method to identify a real pearl is to use the “tooth-test.” Put the pearls up against your mouth and rub the pearls over the bottom edge of your tooth. A real pearl will have a light grit to it. A pearl made of plastic or glass will feel smooth.
Keep pearls away from chlorine bleach, hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, ammonia, hairspray, perfume, and cosmetics, as these substances will damage the pearl surface. Make sure to put pearls on after finished spraying perfume or hairspray and putting on makeup.
The pearl tooth test involves taking a pearl and rubbing it along the biting edge of your teeth. If the pearl is natural, it should feel gritty. A fake pearl will feel slippery and smooth. Some fake pearls will not even massage because they have been created using glass or synthetic materials.
Pearls are soft and are highly susceptible to damage, therefore they should be worn with care. Avoid wearing pearl bracelets and rings everyday as they can easily get scratched. Remove them before taking a shower, cleaning or using cosmetic products.