There are several types of imitation pearls, including:
Hollow glass beads containing wax
Solid glass beads
Plastic beads
Mother-of-pearl shell beads
These imitation pearls are usually coated with something to give them a
pearly appearance, such as pearl essence, powdered mother-of-pearl and
synthetic resin, synthetic pearl essence, plastic, cellulose, and
lacquer.
Here are a few tips and tests that may help you figure out whether your
pearls are real (meaning cultured or natural). Experts recommend using
several of these tests on your pearls to best help in ruling out the
possibility of fakes. No one test is fool proof, and certain tests are
less effective with different types of pearls.
1. Tooth test: rub pearl lightly across upper front teeth
Real Pearl - feels gritty or sandy
Imitation Pearl - feels smooth
2. Magnification test: examine pearl surface with a loupe
Real Pearl - appears unusually fine-grained
Imitation Pearl - appears grainy
3. Drill hole test: examine the drill hole area with a loupe
Real Pearl - edges are smooth and sharp
Imitation Pearl - holes are bumpy or ragged
4. Heaviness test: bounce pearls in your hand
Real Pearl - feels heavy to hold
Imitation Pearl - feels unusually light (unless they are solid glass beads)
5. Flaw test: examine pearls for flaws and blemishes
Real Pearl - most will have at least minimal flaws
Imitation Pearl - if they appear absolutely flawless they are most likely fake
6. Price test: compare price to similar pearls from other dealers
Real Pearl - has reasonable or comparative price
Imitation Pearl - price is unbelievably low or discounted
Please click these links below to see other pearl guides I wrote:
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