How to Recognize a Real Pearl?

How to Recognize a Real Pearl?

How can you know whether a pearl is real? Particularly in the gemstone industry, the market is flooded with fakes and imitations these days. There is no exception in the pearl industry. Pearls were previously only found in the wild, so they become increasingly scarce as a result. The likelihood of buying fake pearls is great because modern technology makes fake pearls look remarkably real.

Products made from fake pearls evolve with time. A fake pearl from a few years ago might not have the same characteristics as one now. Knowing the characteristics of an actual pearl will help you determine whether or not a pearl is real.

First, let’s know some basic information about pearls:

Freshwater pearls: are they real?

Real, cultured freshwater pearls are developed in ponds, rivers, and lakes. However, they also produce a variety of pastel colours, including pink, lilac, and peach. Freshwater pearls are typically white and resemble Akoya pearls.

Real cultured pearls:

Although cultured pearls are real pearls, they have undergone human formation. An irritant is placed inside the mollusk during the procedure. A fluid is released as a defense mechanism to cover the irritant, which later forms the pearl. Natural pearls are significantly rarer and more precious than cultured pearls since they are created solely by nature.

Where do genuine pearls originate?

When an irritant, such as a grain of sand, enters the oyster, it causes the oyster to produce a natural pearl in its shell (or mollusk).

Several useful ways to determine whether pearls are real are as follows:

The tooth test

It’s as simple as gently rubbing the pearl against your teeth. You can tell if a pearl is natural or cultivated by how rough the surface feels. The surface will feel smooth if the pearl is a fake stone. However, the tooth test is not accepted by many retailers.

Observing Pearls Under a Magnifier

Experts can quickly determine if a pearl is a fake or a genuine stone by using a magnifier. A genuine pearl has a gritty surface, while a fake pearl has an eggshell-like texture and a rough appearance.

Feel the Pearl

Feeling a pearl is the first and simplest technique to determine its authenticity. A real pearl is chilly to the touch and warms up when worn. When felt with the fingertips, fake pearls have a warm, sometimes sticky, texture. A genuine pearl possesses a distinct weight. The weight of counterfeit goods may be absurdly low or overstatedly heavy.

Unlike fake pearls, which are essentially one size and shape fits all, real pearls exist in a variety of sizes and shapes. An easy tip for identifying real pearls is to look at how well they reflect light, as opposed to imitations, which are incapable of doing so.

Real Pearl Luster vs. Fake Pearl

Luster Examining a pearl's shine is another approach to determine whether it is real. A genuine pearl has a distinct pearl sheen and a raw, organic feel. This is due to the surface of it having microscopic ridges. It's possible that the naked eye cannot see these ridges. However, using a magnifying glass, professionals and jewellers can examine the "natural flaws" in a pearl.

Rubbing Two Pearls Together

Pearl powder is created when two real pearls are rubbed against one another. If a real pearl is lightly cleaned with a knife, the same result is obtained. Two false pearls can be rubbed against one another without any powder being created, and the process is smooth.

Real pearls make a pleasant, one-of-a-kind sound when struck against one another. The sound made when knocking two fake pearls together is really faint.

Testing the Authenticity of Pearls Using Fire

A naked flame is another way that anyone can discover how to determine whether pearls are genuine. Real pearls don't emit any smell when they are mildly burned; they stay undamaged, glossy, and shiny. The pearl makes a pop sound after about two minutes of steady burning. A fake pearl that comes into contact with an open flame emits a foul smell and loses its brilliance.

To determine whether a pearl is genuine, one can employ specialized chemical techniques. A real pearl dissolves in hydrochloric acid and has a relative density of 2.73. Hydrochloric acid doesn't affect fake pearls in any way. Acetone solution has no effect on a real pearl. A fake, however, completely loses its brilliance when exposed to acetone.

You now have a simple but useful tutorial on how to determine whether a pearl is genuine. Next, enjoy a fantastic browse of our pearl collections and your gorgeous new sea treasures--pearls!

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