Genuine pearls are either from the sea or fresh water, natural or cultured. The cultured freshwater pearl, as the natural one, has the same iridescent colorful layer of nacre that is secreted by mollusks, but they are not as expensive as the natural sea pearls. Fake pearls do not have any natural deposits of nacre. They are usually made of plastic, glass or resin. Both real and fake pearls can be dyed. Shape of pearl can be round, oblong, stick, baroque or coin pearls.
Flaw Test
Natural pearls will not be perfect. Examine the pearls under direct sunlight. If the pearls are completely, perfectly round and flawless, and look exactly the same with each other, they are almost certainly fake.
Rub Test
Simply take two pearls and rub one against the other gently. If the pearls are artificial, it will feel smooth. If the pearls are genuine, it will feel gritty. This slight roughness is due to the texture of the pearl.
Teeth Test
If you only have one pearl, you can use teeth test. Rub the pearl gently against one of your teeth. If it feels very smooth, it is fake. If it feels gritty, it is real.
Magnification Test
Examine the surfaces of the pearls with a magnifier. If they look grainy, the pears are artificial. If they look scaly, they are real.
Article is making selection of real pearls easy, thanks.
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