Helpful Tips for Identifying Cultured Pearls from Imitations

Don't be naive when it comes to buying pearls. Learn the art of identifying cultured pearls, the authentic ones from all the imitations out there, here at Antique Jewelry Investor.

This page will describe how to tell the difference between Cultured Pearls and their imitations by using helpful tips that dealers and experts in the pearling business use. Information on grading cultured pearls can be found here.

The marketplace is full of imitation pearls. Cultured Pearl jewelry is big news at the moment especially freshwater pearls which are breaking all of the standard pearl farming rules and voluptuous large south sea pearls.

Because of the wide difference in the price though between what you pay for genuine cultured pearls and imitation cultured pearl jewelry, it pays to do your homework before investing in pearl jewelry and learn the art of identifying cultured pearls for yourself.

One of the problems, that you won't run into, for example, like when your identifying costume jewelry is that the mother-of-pearl, the oyster, unlike many costume jewelry designers, never sign their work.

The best imitations are the Majorca pearls who use an unusual process of fish scales to coat the starter bead.

The company does not like even using the term "imitation" to describe their pearls as they feel they have produced something unique.

Majorca pearls, it must be said, are truly beautiful pearls, and they may have refined this unusual process but the idea itself isn't new.

Parisian bead maker, Jaquin invented this technique thousands of years ago in the 17 th century.

It involved coating the inside of blown glass spheres with a mixture of ground fish scales and varnish then filling them with wax. Paris remained the major producer of these pearls until the 19th century.

Sometimes it seems almost impossible to tell the difference between the well made glass and plastic imitation pearls.

When ever in doubt always go back to the drill hole. If you look carefully you will notice that the edges around the drill hole of the plastic or glass bead will look rougher than the edges around the drill hole of the cultured pearl.

There will be no nacre layer next to the bead, the really tacky fakes are easy to identify as they appear as reamed out plastic painted beads.

It can be difficult to see down the drill as there most likely will be string and knots in the way. Persevere with your friend the loupe and you will develop an eye for identifying cultured pearls from imitations.

Akoya pearls will appear clean and smooth around the drill hole in the light.

One of the best tests for identifying cultured pearls, is the good old fashioned and fairly reliable " tooth-test".

Glass and plastic will feel smooth across the enamel on your teeth. Cultured pearls will feel rough.

Identifying Freshwater pearls, (which are not fakes) from cultured pearls on the other hand is much more difficult because freshwater pearls are non-nucleated (which means they are not cultured in the same way as cultured pearls like the Akoya) and the Chinese, it can be said, have perfected the art of culturing pearls in fresh water mussels.

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