How to distinguish pearls from imitation?
Not everything is a pearl that has a pearlescent sheen. Indeed, if jewelry with real pearls can be confidently classified as jewelry (with an appropriate price), then objects decorated with artificial stone – or rather, its imitation – are nothing more than costume jewelry. But how to distinguish one from the other? Are there any characteristic features that will allow us to identify real pearls and distinguish them from fakes and imitation? Eat. But first, it’s worth understanding how imitations are made, because the method of creating ersatz pearls also determines its main differences from real jewelry that pearl shells give us.
How to obtain imitation pearls
The basis of almost any imitation is a hollow ball made of glass or glass-like materials. The inner surface of such a ball is processed, and it itself is filled with some composition whose color is similar to the color of mother-of-pearl. The first imitations were filled with nacreous solutions obtained from material from the inner surface of shells, or even with luminous gas. Modern pearl jewelry is almost no different from the first imitations. Unless the filling materials are synthetic. Sometimes imitation pearls are made from solid materials: for example, black pearls are “obtained” from hematite, which, after processing, acquires a characteristic glossy gray sheen.
Comparison of real pearls and imitation pearls
- By weight;
- According to the invoice;
- By color.
The mass of natural pearls is always greater than the mass of imitation pearls. The fact is that real pearls are a very dense material, while most imitations have either voids or cavities filled with not too dense material. A real pearl necklace weighs, accordingly, much more than costume jewelry.
If we are talking about determining whether real pearls are used in a ring or not, then it is difficult to determine the weight offhand. Other parameters come into play – shine and texture.
Anyone who has ever seen a real pearl will have no difficulty in distinguishing a fake even by the nature of its glow and shine. In general terms, the shine of a fake (or imitation) is deliberately bright and even, while a real pearl glows softly and can even shimmer slightly.
In terms of texture, the imitations are also somewhat deliberate: pearls do not have surfaces as smooth to the touch as a glass ball filled with mother-of-pearl paste or gelatin. It’s very easy to check what’s in front of you by running a pearl over your teeth: you will feel characteristic roughness that does not exist in imitations.
There are several more proven ways to test pearls. For example:
- Drop test (a pearl is thrown onto a hard surface and then bounces up). Real pearls have enviable jumping ability, while glass (if it doesn’t break) will only bounce a little above the floor or table;
- Friction test (by rubbing pearl against pearl, we can feel dust on our fingers – this is the result of the interaction of two calcium carbonate surfaces of equal hardness).
Finally, if it is impossible to verify the authenticity using most “physical” methods, the parameter of the cost of pearls remains – a real pearl cannot be cheap. In addition, a fake can be easily identified by the person offering it. For example, if they are trying to sell you natural, “literally just caught” pearls for a high, but affordable price, we are talking about a fake. The fact is that almost one hundred percent of the products that are now offered for purchase separately or as part of jewelry come to us from pearl farms, and not from the bottom of the sea.
We hope that you have no questions about how to determine the authenticity of pearls. Moreover, our store offers only natural pearls.
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Nowadays, the gemstone market is full of fakes and imitations. And the pearl industry is no exception. Previously, pearls could only be found in the wild. But due to predatory hunting, it has become very rare. Today, technology makes it possible to create artificial pearls of good quality. This means that the likelihood of buying a fake is high.
Counterfeits change over time. Cultured pearls today no longer have the same characteristics as they did ten years ago. Therefore, the best way to determine whether the pearl in front of you is natural or not is to know its characteristics.
So, let’s find out how to identify a real pearl.
But first, let’s answer the questions: “What are pearls? And what does freshwater and cultivated mean?”
Pearl is an organic formation created by a mollusk. It is formed in both salt and fresh water. Natural pearls form inside a pearl oyster or clam. This occurs as a result of a grain of sand entering the sink and the resulting irritation.
Reacting to an irritant, the mollusk surrounds this place with protective fabric and encloses it in a kind of capsule made of layers of mother-of-pearl. After this, over the course of several years, he continues to deposit layers of mother-of-pearl. As a result, a pearl is formed from thousands of thin translucent films of nacre.
What does freshwater mean?
Freshwater pearls are pearls that form naturally in fresh water: lakes, rivers and ponds. Most freshwater pearls are white, but they can also come in a variety of shades: pink, lilac and peach.
What does cultured pearl mean?
Cultured pearls are pearls grown in real oysters in pearl farms in Japan, Australia, Indonesia, China and many other places. Unlike natural pearls, cultured pearls are not created naturally, but through human intervention.
At underwater pearl farms, cultivators carefully insert pieces of mantle tissue and nacre seeds or shell beads into the body of the bivalves. As a defense mechanism, the mollusk begins to secrete nacre, which gradually covers the bead, later forming a pearl. The composition and structure of this nacre is almost identical to that which is formed naturally.
Tips on how to distinguish real pearls from fakes:
To the touch
The first and easiest way to know whether a pearl is real or not is to feel it. When you touch natural pearls, they feel cool and warm when you wear them. The artificial one is warm to the touch and can be sticky when you touch it with your fingers. Natural pearls also have a unique weight. Counterfeits may be too light or, on the contrary, heavy.
According to the form
No two pearls are exactly alike in nature. They will vary in color, size and shape. Real pearls will come in different sizes and shapes, unlike fake pearls, which are basically the same size and shape.
Dental test
Gently rub the pearl on your front teeth. Do they feel firmness or resistance? If the pearl is natural or cultured, you will feel that its surface is sandy. If it is artificial, then the surface will be smooth. This test is usually enough to distinguish even the best fakes from real pearls.
By friction
You can rub two pearls together. If they are real, you will experience slight resistance. When one pearl rubs against another, pearl powder is formed. The same effect can be seen if you lightly rub them with a knife. If you rub the fakes against each other, the process will be smooth and no powder will form.
Hit two real pearls against each other and you will hear a soft and unique sound. When fake beads are bunched together, the sound is very weak.
By shine
Another way to tell if a pearl is real is to check its luster. Natural has a unique pearl luster and natural roughness. This is because there are small protrusions on its surface. These ridges may not be visible to the naked eye. However, experts and jewelers can check for “natural flaws” in a pearl using a magnifying glass.
Also, real pearls have the ability to reflect light, unlike imitations that do not have reflectivity.
By rebound
A great way to spot a fake is the rebound test. Throw a pearl onto the glass from a height of 60 cm and observe the height of the rebound. If the pearl bounces more than 30 cm, it is most likely real, since the bounce height of cultured pearls is much lower.
Using a magnifying glass
By observing pearls under a magnifying glass, experts can easily determine whether they are fake or natural. If its surface is grainy, then it is a natural gem, and if the texture is similar to an eggshell with a rough surface, then it is an imitation.
Using chemicals
There are special chemical methods that can be used to identify a fake. Real pearls have a relative density of 2,73 and are soluble in hydrochloric acid. But the fake one does not react to hydrochloric acid. At the same time, real pearls are not affected by an acetone solution. But the fake completely loses its shine when using acetone.
With the help of fire
Another method that can be used is an open fire. When you gently burn a real pearl, it remains shiny, intact and odorless. If the flame does not change for about 2 minutes, it will make a popping sound. A fake that comes into contact with an open fire will emit an unpleasant odor and lose its shine.
What is the difference between natural pearls and artificial pearls?
- Inspect the surface carefully. Real pearls will always have some deviations or imperfections. If it looks too good, it’s most likely an imitation.
- Inspect the drilled holes. The fake here usually shows unusual wear or flaking. Often a plastic bead is exposed.
- Real pearls are made by nature, so their size should vary slightly.
- High quality pearls will have a deep shine, as if glowing from within.
- A natural pearl usually weighs more than a fake one.
- Inspect the drilled hole. Counterfeits often have traces of melted plastic around the edges.
- Feel the pearls. Is it cool to the touch? The real thing does not heat up to the touch as quickly as the artificial one.
- A real pearl necklace will have depth and color variation. This will include body color and overtone color. Often displaying different colors in different lighting conditions.
- The surface will be rough. Gently rub the two pearls into the strands. If they are a little gritty and you feel some resistance, then they are most likely real.
- What type of clasp is used? Silver or gold are most often used with natural pearls.
- Real pearls in beads are often linked together.
You will also be interested to learn about the different forms of pearls and the reasons for their formation.
I wish you good luck in choosing jewelry!
