How to Differentiate between Genuine and Imitation Pearls

There are many varieties of pearl, both real and fake, and it can be hard to distinguish between those that are genuine and those that are imitations. Even amongst genuine pearls there are many different classes of both natural and cultured varieties, all with their own different properties and all valued very differently as pearl jewellery. You don't want to be fooled when buying pearls, so here are a few ways to help differentiate between a genuine pearl and a fake:

The Tooth Test
Many people say that by rubbing a pearl against your teeth the texture of the surface will tell you whether or not it is genuine. Real pearls normally have a more rough, irregular texture in contrast to imitation pearls which are usually very smooth or even glassy. In reality this test is far from foolproof, as many fake pearls are created to feel as real as possible and cultured pearls in particular can often be very smooth, especially if they are dyed.

The Sun Test
A slightly more reliable method is to take the pearls out in the sun and take a close look at the appearance of the lustre, or shine, on their surface. Unless they are extremely rare and expensive, real pearls hardly ever appear perfectly matched in full daylight and you will be able to see slight imperfections in the colour and lustre.

Surface Magnification
Don’t underestimate the power of a magnifying glass – a closeup look at the pearl earrings, necklace or brooch can tell you a lot, and is one of the most effective ways of distinguishing between genuine and fake pearls. Genuine pearls are covered in tiny, almost indistinguishable lines, making it look almost scaly when placed under the microscope. Whilst there you could also take a look at the small drill holes at either end of the pearl, which are normally as small as possible in a real pearl as larger holes devalue the gem. Real pearls usually have holes drilled from either end, making the passage narrower at the centre of the pearl.

Shape
One of the most obvious ways to identify real pearl sets is to look closely at the shape of each pearl and whether or not they are close to being identical – real pearls are hardly ever perfectly round, and it is almost unheard of to find a whole string of pearls of exactly the same size, shape and weight. Real pearls that are regular in this way are extremely expensive, and if not they are probably fake.

X-Ray
The only truly reliable way to be sure a pearl is authentic is to have it verified and certified by a qualified gemologist. You can have the pearl x-rayed for a price, allowing you to see inside to any imperfections or variations in density and discovering how the pearl was first formed and what the nucleus was. You need to be pretty certain that the pearl is real before paying the price for a validation, but many imitation pearls look very real and without damaging the pearl it really is the only way to be completely sure.