HOW TO TELL IF A PEARL IS REAL OR FAKE?

A white pearl necklace. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What comes to your mind when you hear the word 'Pearls?'  It is worn by older women?

You could be right.  If you are a young woman and in your 20s, pearls may be the furthest from your mind.  

But if you are woman between the age of 40s  and above, you may be toying with the idea of owning a pair of pearl earrings or even a pearl necklace.  

Perhaps, dropping some well timed hints and your partner may surprise you with a pearl strand or a pair of stud pearl earrings on your next birthday or wedding anniversary.

Or maybe you are planning to buy pearls as a present for someone who is getting married.

Let's face it.  The days of giving gold jewelry has lost it's glitter somewhat when the price of gold has been soaring and no signs of slowing down.  

Moreover, the younger generation do not seem to fancy gold items as much as our generation and the generations before us.  It could be either for security reasons or that they prefer designs that are made of silver, white gold or platinum.  And there are plenty to choose from.

These are my personal pearl collections.  4 were given to me as presents and I bought the rest.  I had one champagne toned pearl which I had bought when I was in Australia and it came straight out of the oyster that I selected.  I set it in gold and made it into a ring.  Alas, as fate would have it, it was stolen.  My friend on the other hand, chose the oyster that produced a black pearl!  Now that is luck.

As you can see, I have a very simple taste in my choice of pearls.   The long pearl pendant attached to the silver chain in the picture on the right was formerly a dangling pair of earrings.  Careless me dropped it somewhere in Johore Bahru.  So the remaining earring was modified into a dangling pendant instead.

I love the ones that have a soft translucent pink tone to it and the latest addition to my collection is the lariat necklace with 4 different toned pearls which I have purchased from my friend.  

For more details, please drop by her website at www.hikari.com.my

My personal pearl collection.  The long pearl pendant on the bottom right was formerly a pair of dangling earrings.
Photo credit: Philo Yan

There are certain aspects of pearls that you should know before selecting the pearls.

Some imitation pearls are easy to spot, but many can be difficult to pick out with the naked eye. Authenticate real pearls with the following tests that can be performed right at the jeweler's, before you even make a purchase.

These include the friction test, flaw test, matching test, overtone test, and weight test. Some jewelers may even help you perform a surface magnification test. Other tests, like the tooth test and drilled-hole test, are best performed on pieces you already own.

Photo credit: www.hikarai.com.my

Tooth Test

You can spot a fake pearl by their surface texture.  To do that, rub a pearl against your teeth

1. 1
   Lightly rub a pearl or strand of pearls along the biting edge of your upper front teeth. Real pearls feel slightly gritty, while most fake pearls feel smooth. 
2. 2
   Alternatively, place the pearl between your teeth and bite down gently. Lightly slide your teeth back and forth over the pearl's surface to gauge its texture.
3. 3
   If you still have difficulty distinguishing the texture, rub a round glass bead against the biting edge of your upper front teeth for comparison.

Friction Test

The surface texture of a real pearl is gritty and should give noticeable friction when you rub it against another pearl.

1. 1
   Select two pearls from the set, such as two pearls from the same necklace or two pearl earrings.
2. 2
   Lightly rub the two pearls together.
3. 3
   Note the amount of friction between the two. Smooth pearls are likely fake, but two pearls that offer resistance may be real.

Surface Magnification

To inspect if it is a real pearl in more detail, you can do so with the help of a high powered magnifier.

Pearl nl: Parels de: Perlen (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1. 1
   Borrow a microscope or a powerful magnifying glass.
2. 2
   Place your pearl beneath the magnifier and examine its surface under 64-power magnification. Real pearls should look fine-grained, scaly, and maze-like, while fake pearls look grainy or speckled.
3. 
   

Flaw Test

If a pearl seems “too perfect to be true,” there is a good chance that it is not a true pearl. This comparison test helps you determine the quality of your pearl.

1. 1
   Examine the pearl in question for flaws. Real pearls will have small imperfections, while flawless pearls are likely imitations.
2. 2
   If possible, compare the pearl in question against a high quality certified pearl. Note the blemishes in the real pearl, and look for similar blemishes in the pearl you are testing.
3. 
   

Overtone Test

Overtone is a translucent outer layer of color that tints the pearl’s natural color.

1. 1
   
   
   Examine the pearl in question for any overtone. Most real pearls have some overtone.
2. 2
   If you see no overtone, try a different test. While most real pearls have an overtone, not all do, so this test alone cannot verify or discount the legitimacy of a pearl.
3. 
   

Drilled hole test.  

Note that drilling a hole in your pearl will permanently damage it. Only perform this test if you do not care about the value of the pearl.

1. 1
   Carefully drill a small hole into the pearl using the smallest drill tip you have available.
2. 2
   Look inside the hole with a magnifier. Real pearls have a dark dividing line that separates the nacre from the nucleus. Imitation pearls lack this line.

Weight Test

This is not a scientific test, nor is it foolproof. Gauging the weight of a pearl simply by holding it may help you to confirm any suspicions you have after performing other tests, however.

1. 1
   Carefully bounce a certified pearl in your hand to get an idea of how much it weighs. Most pearls feel heavy for their size.
2. 2
   Repeat the bouncing procedure with the pearl in question. Fake pearls typically feel unusually light, unless the fake pearl is made of solid glass.
   
   Source:www.wikihow.com

Family Heirloom

Pearls have a timeless elegance.  We wear them all the time. But, if you find the pair that was handed down by your beloved grandma to your mom and now to you is a tad outdated,  think of the exciting possibilities what those shiny pearls would look like that is fresh. 

Go to the goldsmith shop and do a refit into a  newly minted jeweled design of your choice. 

You can get ideas and creativity from trending accessories such as cuffs, bracelets, rings, necklaces, earrings that you can find online or from top fashion magazines that are way cooler and current than when it was just a strand of pearl necklace.

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   This necklace is a one-of-a-kind original by Canadian Artist Kim Wilson. It was created using a collection of new and reclaimed jewelry findings, freshwater pearls and gemstone beads. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
   
   
   
   

   Until my next post,

   Have An AweSome Day!

   
   

   
   

   You may also like to read:

   
   

   
   

   1) PERSONALITY TRAITS OF WOMEN

   
   

   
   

   
   

   2) PERSONALITY TRAITS OF MEN

   
   

   3) PERSONALITY TRAITS OF TEEN GIRLS

   
   

   4) PERSONALITY TRAITS OF TEEN GUYS

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