How to tell the difference between real and fake pearls?

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

Hi everyone! I'm a complete pearl newb. My mom has been sorting through her jewelry and she gave me two pearl strands of hers that she doesn't even remember acquiring, let alone what they could be. She's quite sure they aren't valuable, since she does take care of her expensive pearls well and keeps those separately, but these came out of a mix of gifts she's received and things she impulsively bought over the years.

Are there any good ways of telling the difference for a layman? Would pictures be helpful, and if yes, is there any specific lighting conditions etc. I should take the pictures in? I would assume they are either plastic or at best freshwaters, but would be cool to know which it is!

Thank you!

 

[Pearlescence]

Hi everyone! I'm a complete pearl newb. My mom has been sorting through her jewelry and she gave me two pearl strands of hers that she doesn't even remember acquiring, let alone what they could be. She's quite sure they aren't valuable, since she does take care of her expensive pearls well and keeps those separately, but these came out of a mix of gifts she's received and things she impulsively bought over the years.

Are there any good ways of telling the difference for a layman? Would pictures be helpful, and if yes, is there any specific lighting conditions etc. I should take the pictures in? I would assume they are either plastic or at best freshwaters, but would be cool to know which it is!

Thank you!

Hi
First of all - do the pearls look too good to be true - too matched, too shiny.possibly fakes, or could be undiscovered very valuable
2 are they knotted? again, could be fakes or some early Japanese strands tended to be unknotted except near the clasp
3 what sort of clasp? If it is 18 carat gold well, which do you think? Cheapo plated..?
4 try the tooth test. fakes tend to be smooth, while real pearls have a faint (FAINT) roughness when rubbed against the teeth.
5 real pearls are sold by weight, so the drill holes tend to be as small as possible. 0.7 or 0.8mm. With fakes the hole can be bigger and you can sometimes see the fake nacre going inside the drill hole
That's a start for you. I've not covered freshwater pearls pretending to be more expensive sea pearls...

 

[dk168]

Tooth test is the first one to try - rub against your teeth, if they feel rough then they are likely to be real pearls.

Photos would help - if they are very round, very uniform in shape and colour, good lustre with no visible surface imperfections, then they are likely to be costume jewellery.

Also the clasp - better clasps are likely to be used with better quality pearls; however, that is not always the case.

About photos, it is advisable to place the strands on a white background, like a white sheet/pillow case, so that the body colour/overtone etc. of the pearls can be seen more clearly.

DK

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

Thank you both for your responses!

I am currently very busy with work but will try and take pictures of both strands and post to get your opinions based off of pictures. I want to get the pics in natural light, so I may need to wait till 23rd where I go on Christmas holiday. I will put them on a sheet of white paper so we can get an idea of overtone. From memory, one strand is super white, the other is more of a faint gold-ish colour but the colour is very very even and well matched. This is actually what makes me very sure that they are not valuable and probably fake instead of freshwater (or dyed freshies) - my mom’s GSS strand for example is not as perfectly well matched for colour as this one!

Here are the best descriptions I can give:

- both strands have very very even colour and are also very round, if I remember correctly.

- the white strand is very long, with no clasp. It’s like a pearl “rope” - supposed to be worn wound around the neck. I can twist it around my neck 3 times without any trouble getting it over my head.

- the gold strand has a clasp but it’s unmarked and looks like brass to me. I can’t imagine that it’s gold, it doesn’t look right. I could be wrong. It’s a screw clasp.

- both strands are not knotted between each Pearl, but none of my mom’s pearls - including the expensive ones, which are 100% real south sea - are; so that might be inconclusive. I don’t think you get them knotted between each pearl as default here in India.

- the white strand, from memory, does not have great lustre, but the gold one does. It’s actually very perfect - I can see my reflection very clearly in those pearls.

- the white strand has all the pearls of the same size while the gold one has a large pearl in the centre while the others are much smaller.

- if there are any blemishes or imperfections then they’re not noticeable because I don’t remember them being there. I will go back and look at them again more carefully. Her SS strands do have some blemishes and nicks on some of the pearls.

I haven’t tried the tooth test, but I’ll do that before I post the pics so I can give my impressions. I wish I had a control sample of “definitely real pearls” to compare against to know what to look for. Will a baroque pearl strand be a good strand to test against as a control? I have that one at home.

To clarify I’m quite sure none of these are particularly valuable and so is she. It’s more curiosity about whether they’re real pearls or faux because they’re nicer looking than the faux pearls I’ve bought before that were like $10 for a pair of earrings - those looked obviously fake if you know what I mean. It won’t change my enjoyment of them - she gave them to me to just throw on whenever I feel like it because she hasn’t worn or thought about them in years, and would’ve likely given them to anyone who asked for them!

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

do the tooth test
you will instantly know what we mean
rub one of your pearls that you are know are real and you will feel what we mean
if some f them do turn out to be fake you will join the likes of Jackie Kennedy, Princess Di, Barbara Bush, Coco Channel and Queen ALexandra who all wore fake pearls

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

Updates, all! I got home way too late today to take any pictures, my place does not have great lighting at night, it’s very cold and white. But on 23rd or 24th I will post pics.

I rubbed the two possibly fake strands against my teeth and also my baroque strand which I’m very sure is real. All three feel the same, which is encouraging? The pearl feels smooth for a bit and then rough when rubbed gently against the flat of my incisor. But the roughness is faint. I did not use pressure.

I also examined both strands closely. The pearls DO have blemishes and nicks, they’re just hard to see, and the “white” pearls aren’t pure white - they have a faint colour to them but on the whole I’d say still count as white. Also, the white pearls are knotted between each pearl - I misremembered that. The gold ones are definitely not knotted and the string seems kind of plasticky - I don’t know whether that means anything. The gold-ish ones have better lustre than the white for sure but the white are better than I remembered. The gold ones are also more perfectly round than the white, but I think pictures will be a better gauge of that. I don’t know what the tipping point between real and fake would be in terms of roundness!

Don’t know if this adds more context or not. Still leaning towards them being fakes but perhaps they’re real, who knows?

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

well im looking forward to seeing them !

 

[pearlsngems]

Generally the advice is to rub against the edge of the tooth, rather than the flat-- not sure if that makes a difference!
You can also rub one pearl against another in the same strand. Same result as with tooth test: gritty feel = real nacre, while smooth gliding feel = fake.

You can also look at the nacre using a 10x loupe. Real nacre looks smooth at 10x magnification (obviously you choose a spot that doesn't have a blemish, while imitation pearl coating has a coarser texture. If in doubt compare with a pearl you know to be fake or that you know to be real.

In short, real nacre looks smooth but feels gritty; imitation coating looks coarse but feels smooth.

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

I’ve now thoroughly confused myself. I tested the three strands I have and they all feel the same to me (I didn’t use the edge of my teeth initially because I thought I would scratch the pearl lol) which is a tiny bit rough but I don’t know if it’s rough enough? Now I’m wondering if my baroques are fake or whether the other two are real I’ll have to wait until I can go to the bank to get my akoya pendant to really know for sure I think.

I looked at the pearls under a loupe and I think they look relatively smooth, but I don’t know whether I’m supposed to be looking for any texture at all or just an excessive amount of texture. I went through my drawers and I think I threw away my 100% fake pearl earrings at some point so I can’t test against those!

Pics to come in the next couple days. I only have time to update PS when I don’t have the pearls at hand!

 

[pearlsngems]

Rubbed against each other, my fake pearls glide smoothly.
Sometimes accumulated surface grime can make for a sticky feeling when rubbing pearls, so less of a smooth glide, but still not gritty if the pearls are fake.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

I’ve now thoroughly confused myself. I tested the three strands I have and they all feel the same to me (I didn’t use the edge of my teeth initially because I thought I would scratch the pearl lol) which is a tiny bit rough but I don’t know if it’s rough enough? Now I’m wondering if my baroques are fake or whether the other two are real I’ll have to wait until I can go to the bank to get my akoya pendant to really know for sure I think.

I looked at the pearls under a loupe and I think they look relatively smooth, but I don’t know whether I’m supposed to be looking for any texture at all or just an excessive amount of texture. I went through my drawers and I think I threw away my 100% fake pearl earrings at some point so I can’t test against those!

Pics to come in the next couple days. I only have time to update PS when I don’t have the pearls at hand!

Girl !
i say this with love and friendship in my heart
you are overthinking things my friend

now to me by your description i think they are all real pearls
i have a dyed freshwater strand i went through the same kind of thing with

grit is grit is grit
fake pearls will feel very smooth i promise
i ordered some from cheap etsy fakes last xmas to see if i liked a particular style of earring so i have compaired

 

[Pearlescence]

Look at the pearls also. See my earlier post. One test alone is not definitive.

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

For me the drill holes seem super small as well, I forgot to mention that earlier. When I take a picture I’ll take one of the drill holes as well!

@Daisys and Diamonds - I know, I probably am overthinking! Haha. It doesn’t really matter to me what they are to be honest but now the curiosity has set in.

 

[yssie]

If you can whack one open you'll find out right quick But there's of course no way to un-whack it

If you want to definitively assuage the curiosity I'd say give 'em to an appraiser, or a local jeweller who knows something about pearls if you've got one.

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

If you can whack one open you'll find out right quick But there's of course no way to un-whack it

If you want to definitively assuage the curiosity I'd say give 'em to an appraiser, or a local jeweller who knows something about pearls if you've got one.

I don't want to spend money on figuring it out since its mostly just a curiosity, haha. I could show them to my jeweler though, that's a good idea! I don't know how great his pearl knowledge is but it's got to be better than mine.

I'll post a pic for people here to weigh in, too

 

[Pearlescence]

One more way to tell. Mostly real pearls are heavy for their mass. Forget the gym, start shifting pearls around all day!

 

[pearlsngems]

But glass pearls are heavy too. It's the plastic ones that are lightweight.

Glass pearls feel warmer when placed against the lips than real pearls do. (Both real and fake have to have been in the same ambient temperature for a while to eliminate that variable.)

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

Pictures are here! Sorry for the delay but Christmas was manic.

These are all taken in natural light from my window but it’s been overcast these days.

I have the photo from my iPhone, with and without flash. I didn’t colour correct because I didn’t know how. The background for them all is plain white card paper (pure white not ivory).

Opinions are welcome! Even if you tell me they’re fakes I don’t mind since that’s what I suspect! But do let me know if they’re nice fakes or really obvious ones

 

[dk168]

Pictures are here! Sorry for the delay but Christmas was manic.

These are all taken in natural light from my window but it’s been overcast these days.

I have the photo from my iPhone, with and without flash. I didn’t colour correct because I didn’t know how. The background for them all is plain white card paper (pure white not ivory).

Opinions are welcome! Even if you tell me they’re fakes I don’t mind since that’s what I suspect! But do let me know if they’re nice fakes or really obvious ones

Hmmm, difficult to tell, however, my money is for the shorter strand to be imitation pearls as they are too clean and too uniform, and the clasp appears to be a cheap one.

The longer strand without a clasp, again, too uniform and too clean.

However, I am not an expert and hope I am wrong!

DK

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

Hmmm, difficult to tell, however, my money is for the shorter strand to be imitation pearls as they are too clean and too uniform, and the clasp appears to be a cheap one.

The longer strand without a clasp, again, too uniform and too clean.

However, I am not an expert and hope I am wrong!

DK

I think if one of them is real, I'd suspect the longer strand to be real. The shorter one seems more fake to me, too!

I'll wait and see if others weigh in, but oh well! If its fake I don't particularly mind, actually I'll feel more comfortable just throwing them on and heading out the door

 

[pearlsngems]

They both look like imitations to me.

In the endless strand, the knots are huge (because the thread is thick), which is often the case with imitation pearls that have large drill holes.

The second strand looks too uniform, besides the low quality clasp.

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

They both look like imitations to me.

In the endless strand, the knots are huge (because the thread is thick), which is often the case with imitation pearls that have large drill holes.

The second strand looks too uniform, besides the low quality clasp.

Thank you for weighing in! I actually thought the drill holes were small - shows what I know, haha.

Disappointing that they aren’t real, but I never expected them to be valuable either way, since they were just languishing in my mom’s closet. They are pretty though, so I’m happy to wear them regardless

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

So I tested the akoya pendant against my teeth and… yup, both of these are imitation.

And so is the baroque strand, which I was confident was real - I got it as a gift so I didn’t pay for it, but the person who did got cheated! I feel bad.

Oh well, them’s the breaks!

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Thank you for weighing in! I actually thought the drill holes were small - shows what I know, haha.

Disappointing that they aren’t real, but I never expected them to be valuable either way, since they were just languishing in my mom’s closet. They are pretty though, so I’m happy to wear them regardless

Wear them in fun and happiness

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

So I tested the akoya pendant against my teeth and… yup, both of these are imitation.

And so is the baroque strand, which I was confident was real - I got it as a gift so I didn’t pay for it, but the person who did got cheated! I feel bad.

Oh well, them’s the breaks!

i must find my $30 dyed freshies
i so got my $30 out of them

while im dissapointed your's dont seem to be real im really happy you are going to continue wearing them, especially as they were gifts

i bet they look very pretty on

 

[katbran]

If you enjoy them , that's all that matters. Some fakes are so good now it can be difficult to tell the distance without a close inspection. Several years ago , my sister showed me her Tahitian strand of big baroques that she'd received for Xmas from her husband. From a distance they looked beautiful ... up close I saw they were fakes. Good ones but still.... I kept my mouth shut as she was so happy with them I didn't want to dim her pleasure. I'm sure her husband thought he was buying real pearls from a high end department store... but so many people have no idea as to the cost of pearls. Up until then I had no idea that fake pearls came in baroque shapes !

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

If you enjoy them , that's all that matters. Some fakes are so good now it can be difficult to tell the distance without a close inspection. Several years ago , my sister showed me her Tahitian strand of big baroques that she'd received for Xmas from her husband. From a distance they looked beautiful ... up close I saw they were fakes. Good ones but still.... I kept my mouth shut as she was so happy with them I didn't want to dim her pleasure. I'm sure her husband thought he was buying real pearls from a high end department store... but so many people have no idea as to the cost of pearls. Up until then I had no idea that fake pearls came in baroque shapes !

Tbh I’m almost enjoying them more now that I know they’re fake because I can literally throw them on and not worry if they get scratched or something. I wore the long strand as a belt on NYE and it really pulled my look together!

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Tbh I’m almost enjoying them more now that I know they’re fake because I can literally throw them on and not worry if they get scratched or something. I wore the long strand as a belt on NYE and it really pulled my look together!

oh i love this !

 

[yssie]

Tbh I’m almost enjoying them more now that I know they’re fake because I can literally throw them on and not worry if they get scratched or something. I wore the long strand as a belt on NYE and it really pulled my look together!

I was just thinking this catching up on this thread. “Beater pearls”, but so much prettier than real beater pearls!