Pearls have 2 types: Sea pearls and Freshwater pearls. There is a third type is fake pearls made of shells, made of plastic … covered with a layer of paint or pearl powder.

Sea pearls fall into the following categories:

The black pearl, created by Margaritifera oyster, is cultured and grown mostly in the French island nation of Tahiti. The commercial name is Tahiti pearls.
The gold pearl, created by the Pinctada oyster, is cultured and developed in the South Pacific. The commercial name is South Sea pearl.
White pearls, lemon yellow are cultured and developed in Japan. The common name is Akoya pearls.

Freshwater pearls are basically only white and lemon yellow. The price is much cheaper, the price is only 1/10 of the sea pearl. The exploitation time of artificial freshwater pearls is from 1 -2 years.

Sea pearls are precious gems that are “born” of mollusk living on the ocean floor, with their natural size and color.

Fake pearls used to be made from plastic, glass covered with varnish. Today, imitation pearls are also covered with a thin layer of nacre, creating a luster and a light reflection similar to real pearls. More advanced, many places also make fake pearls from synthetic nacre powder taken from the mussel shell, making it difficult to distinguish. Imitation pearl products come in a variety of styles and colors

Ways to distinguish real and fake pearls:

1. Sunshine


When out in the sun, sea pearls are capable of reflecting iridescent colors. Only sea pearls reflect the iridescent colors.

2. Using the Microscope

When viewed under a 50x to 70x ophthalmoscope, it is easy to see the surface of a real pearl shaped like a scale, or looks like a labyrinth (due to the phenomenon of layered nacre cells), while fake pearls are superficial grainy face.

3: Radial X-ray machine

When taking X-rays, it is clear that real pearls have a nucleus and thick nacre surrounding the nucleus. Imitation pearls have a solid plastic core, with or without a very thin layer of nacre.

X-ray images clearly show that a real pearl has a nucleus and a 1.2mm thick nacre (left) while a fake pearl has absolutely no nucleus, and absorbs light from the X-ray machine very well.

4: Look around the pearl drill hole

Around the drill hole the fake pearl is easy to peel off the paint that can be observed immediately with the naked eye.

5: Check with your teeth

Rub the pearl gently on the teeth. If feel smooth is a fake pearl. On the contrary, if you see hissing, rough, maybe a fake pearl.

Bite the gem with a small pressure. Imitation pearls will be more likely to be scratched or peeling. Other, Real pearls have a solid structure with thicker nacre that won’t be ruined by such a modest pressure. Not recommended because the results are approximate.

6: Friction 2 pearls

This method can be used to distinguish real pearls from painted pearls. When rubbing two jewels together, real pearls will leave the powder residue falling from the outer layer of nacre. Real pearls, whatever the color, when the friction creates a powder, the powder is always white …

7: Check the surface of the pearl

Observe the exterior details of the pearl for its shape, luster, size, and color.

Sea pearls have beautiful luster, natural colors, often imperfect surfaces.

Imitation pearls are manufactured industrially so the size and shape are the same, the surface is smooth and flawless. Currently, to get attention from customers, many places have also deliberately created the fake pearls with the same defects as sea pearls.

Iridescent colors are exquisitely fake, causing dazzling users.

8: Fire test

Using a fire to burn, the painted pearl will give off black smoke and peel off the paint. When we burned the surface of the pearl quickly through a fire, real pearls won’t catch fire. However, this method is only used to verify for plastic pearls.

9: Touch and feel

Real pearls when touching sensitive skin such as the eyelids or face will feel cool, slippery, and heavy-handed. Imitation pearls are usually lighter, and don’t feel the temperature like real pearls.

For some of the more sophisticated types of fake pearls, which simulate up to 90% of the actual pearl structure, expert or specialized machinery can be distinguished.

References: wikihow, baomoi

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