Friction Tests: Hold the pearls in your fingers, and gently rub them against each other. A true pearl will create friction with another due to the grainy, imperfect surface. Fakes, on the other hand, will easily glide past each other due to their artificial coatings. Take a close look at your hands after this test.
Real pearls will usually generate a little friction when they rub against each other because their outer layers of nacre are not perfectly smooth. Fake pearls, on the other hand, often have smooth coatings and will usually glide past each other when rubbed together.
Pearls are a soft gem which means they can be easily abraded or scratched if they rub against each other over a period of time. Stringing pearls on silk thread and knotting between each individual pearl provides protection from constant rubbing which could cause damage to a pearl's surface.
A strand of real pearls usually features a knot between each pearl. These knots keep authentic pearls from rubbing against one another (leading to scratches) and protect your pearls if the strand snaps.
The simplest way to tell if a pearl is natural or fake is to take the pearl and rub it against your teeth. “If the surface of the pearl feels grainy, then it is real,” explains Whitten. “If the surface feels smooth, then it is an imitation.”
How are cultured pearls identified? In contrast to natural pearls, cultured pearls have a thin nacre or “skin”. When held against a concentrated light source, cultured pearls appear to have a solid, rounded nucleus with a thin outer layer.
The lip determines the pearl color. While the white pearls are also priced by jewelers, the gold pearl variety is the most coveted color. The gold South sea pearl's color can range from creamy white to deep gold, and the darker the color, the more expensive it becomes.
It's often assumed that because something's old it must be valuable. That's rarely true and certainly not for pearls. Advances in technology and culturing techniques mean you can buy a much better set of pearls for far less money than in grandma's time.
According to astrology, a pearl is worn to lessen the inauspicious effect of the moon. Due to the enmity of the Moon with Venus, Saturn, Mercury, pearls will have a harmful effect and may increase mental stress.
Wetting pearls is never a good idea, as it begins to destroy the jewel. Pearl necklaces are damaged when they get wet, because the water damages both the thread and the pearl .
Don't wear them in the swimming pool
Harmful chemicals such as chlorine in a pool can effect or cloud the lustre of a pearl and in some instances etch or pit the surface. Wearing a strand of pearls in water can also lead the silk thread they are strung with, to stretch.
Take Proper Care of Your Pearls
Conversely, you should always remove your pearls first before getting ready for bed or going to sleep. Do not sleep, shower or bathe while wearing your pearls.
Worn often and properly cared for, pearls can look as good in 50 years as they did the day they left the store. Pearls are not the most durable of gems. Most everyday items at home and in the office are tougher than pearls, so careless contact can cause damage them over time.
This being so, a pearl's lustrous surface can easily be affected by any chemicals, oils, soaps, shampoos, cosmetics, and alkaline environments. As a strict guideline, you should never shower with your pearls on and always wipe them gently after wearing with a soft cloth.
Some of the world's most expensive pearls are so notoriously difficult to successfully produce and harvest that they are 'rarer than gold'.
White and Golden South Sea pearls are the largest and most luxurious of all cultured pearl types on the market today. Often called the “Queen of Pearls”, South Sea pearls feature a gorgeous palette of natural Golden and White colors that shimmer with delicate overtones and are simply unmistakable.
Black Pearl Meaning
Black pearls are also said to offer protection to the wearer, and are sometimes believed to have special powers or to bring luck, prosperity and success.
Genuine pearls are shinier than fake pearls. You can measure shine in luster, which is the intensity and softness of a pearl's surface, it generally has to do with how bright and clear a pearl looks. Natural pearls have more shine than artificial ones because they're made from natural materials.
To try it for yourself, put a drop of vinegar on the pearl or submerge the pearl in a small cup of vinegar. If you can see bubbles forming from the release of carbon dioxide in the chemical reaction, your pearls are authentic.
Real pearls are heavy compared to most fakes. They should feel like they have some weight to them, compared to a hollow plastic bead. The surface will feel gritty. Gently rub two pearls in a strand together.
An easy way to determine whether a pearl is real is to look at the surface; authentic pearls will have some slight irregularities and bumps that make them unique. For example, if you rub the pearl against your teeth, a real one will feel gritty, while a fake one will feel smooth.
Dark spots on the surface of a pearl can be subtle, but they can also concentrate in one area and can be very visible. Luckily, they can be removed during the bleaching process.
The surface of a pearl is soft and is easily damaged. Pearls set in rings and bracelets are more subject to scuffing and scratching than pearls set in brooches, earrings, necklaces or strands.