Know the Difference between Real and Imitation Pearls

Pearls are subtle and beautiful. They blend so well with every outfit. You can wear them on casual gathering or fancy occasions. They are produced by living organisms and have been popularly used to design jewelry for centuries.

Its demand was so much that there arose a market for cheap imitation pearls. Several decades ago, imitation pearls could be identified easily but technology has enhanced them and today you can hardly distinguish them from the real ones.

The confusion is how you will differentiate between real and imitation. This makes gemstone buying process very challenging. You crave for the best pearls to make jewelry, so it becomes necessary to gain some knowledge necessary to get what you pay for. You get detailed information on pearlsonly.com.

Commonly pearls are white or ivory in color but today you get shades of yellow, pink, and even black. In the past pearls were found deep in the sea. To complete a pearl necklace, it took years. Now, real pearls are harvested and you can even see fake pearls in the market.

Some guidelines to help you see the difference clearly

Real pearls

  • Gets produced naturally by oysters.
  • Each one differs in shape and size.
  • When you look closely and touch the surface, it will be rough and imperfect.
  • It glistens naturally.
  • Heavy in weight.
  • Look impeccable.
  • Run it along your teeth you will feel a roughness and grittiness because of the crystalline plate.
  • Cold to touch but warms up slowly when worn.
  • When pearl strand is shaken the sound is comfortable and soft.
  • When observed under microscope, real ones surface seems to be developed as grain.
  • If dropped on a glass from 60 cm height then the rebound height needs to be around 35 cm.

Fake pearls

  • Made from plastic or glass.
  • Every pearl is same in shape and size.
  • The surface is smooth and polished.
  • It is smothered till it shines.
  • Plastic material is lighter.
  • When scrapped against teeth, they will slip without sound. Plastic ones may find teeth depressions.
  • Sound is very thin, when pearl strand is shaken.
  • Under a microscope if you see rugged eggshell surface, it is fake.
  • If dropped the rebound height is extremely worse.

All the best in your pearl buying process!