How to tell if a pearl is real. How to distinguish real pearls from fake? ways to distinguish natural pearls
Real natural pearl extremely rare and worth unthinkable money. Upon purchase, you will receive a warranty certificate. If we talk about cultured pearls, then these are pearls grown in artificial conditions and it is practically indistinguishable from the real one - for this it is necessary to carry out a gemological examination. It is about him that they say when they mean real pearl products, such pearls are used by jewelers. But there is an imitation of pearls, as a rule, we see it so often on store shelves. Products made from it are called bijouterie, and cannot be called jewelry. For the first time, imitation pearls appeared in the 16th century in France. Iridescent glass was used to make empty balls, which were filled with a paste made from bleak fish scales. The cavity was filled with wax.
In the 20th century, imitation methods diversified, glass, celluloid, gelatin, mother-of-pearl pastes began to be used. Today, the largest manufacturer of such pearls is Mayorica, located in Spain.
Externally, imitation pearls are very similar to real ones. How to distinguish the original from a fake?
Pearls have a cold property, so they always stay cool. It is heavy, noticeably heavier than the imitation. Its surface is slightly rough, showing granular structures and growth layers. You can look at the hole in the pearl, the inside of the fake pearl is darker than the outside. In the area of the hole, traces of paint and barely visible glass chips can be seen.
This is about the outside.
But differences can also be seen in physical properties pearls. Most elementary way- hold a pearl on the teeth. Real pearls will make a creaking sound. Another option is to swipe across the glass. Both a real and a fake pearl will leave a mark on the glass. That's only if the second is rubbed at the same time, then the first will remain safe and sound. You will get the same result by rubbing pearls against each other. Pearl dust will appear between them, but the surface will not be damaged. If you bring a flame to natural pearls for a couple of seconds, it will not even heat up. What will happen to the plastic fake, you can probably guess.
Some experts argue that artificial and even cultured pearls can be identified in one of the following ways:
1) Toss the ball over a flat, smooth surface. Natural pearls will bounce, and artificial pearls will remain on the surface;
2) Make a hole in a dense opaque material, with a diameter somewhat smaller than the pearl under study, which must be attached to this hole. Bring the leaf to a bright light, under which the dark core of a cultured pearl is noticeable, or a thin luminous layer of mother-of-pearl;
3) In an electromagnetic field, a cultured pearl will move, occupying a certain position, while a natural pearl will remain in place;
4) Under ultraviolet rays natural pearls glow blue color, and the artificial one is green.
Pearls are a gift from nature given to man. Its usual habitat is the deep sea. How to distinguish natural pearls from artificial - this question has been tormenting people for a long time. The thing is that there are quite a few natural pearls in nature, so a person has learned to make it himself.
What is natural pearl
Natural pearls grow in the shells of certain types of mollusks that live at great depths of the sea. More than half a century ago, a ban was introduced on catching these mother-of-pearl carriers. This ban has led to mass production fakes, which are very difficult to distinguish at home from real expensive mother-of-pearl balls. Therefore, it is better to purchase these jewelry in specialized stores. There, each product has its own passport or certificate.
How to determine the authenticity of pearls? There are several tests for this:
- test "tooth";
- throw a pearl;
- weigh the jewelry in your hand;
- to the touch;
- using an x-ray machine.
A natural stone creaks when trying it “on the tooth”. You can rub individual balls of mother-of-pearl against each other. After that, dust will appear between them. If you throw a natural jewelry from a height of 30-50 cm on hard surface, it will start jumping. An artificial bead won't do that. The genuine pearl is much denser artificial product and weighs more. But this way to distinguish natural pearls from fakes does not always work. If fake mother-of-pearl is created using coral and germanite, it will weigh more than the real thing.
You can hold a pearl in your hand. Real mother-of-pearl keeps the coolness of the sea depths, while artificial mother-of-pearl maintains the temperature of the room in which it is located. With the help of an X-ray machine, you can see the density and internal contents of the pearl. All of these tricks will help you recognize and purchase a natural jewelry, not a fake.
Some characteristics of pearls
How to check the authenticity of pearls? This piece of jewelry has a number of features. It's just quality fake could be perfect. A natural pearl cannot be perfectly even. There are necessarily small roughnesses on its surface, which are especially felt during a “tooth” test.
Artificial products are almost always smooth and even.
You need to carefully inspect the drilled hole. Paint may remain on the edges of the fake. When examining the hole through a magnifying glass, one can see internal composition stone. natural products shimmery iridescent. If the gloss color is constant, it is an artificial product. If you place the products under the light ultraviolet lamps, natural jewelry will emit a sky blue glow. Products created by artificial means glow greenish color. A natural stone is afraid of concentrated vinegar, in which it can simply dissolve. A fake can lie in it for an unlimited time. But under the influence of fire, artificial mother-of-pearl changes its qualities, while natural mother-of-pearl does not change.
How to distinguish real pearl from counterfeiting in other ways? natural jewelry quite hard to find today. Now they are grown artificial methods. It started a long time ago. For the first time the grown pearl was received by the Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus. It was 1761. Some merchants are trying to significantly raise the price of jewelry made of artificial mother-of-pearl. You need to know well the 5 main features that natural jewelry has:
- irregularities;
- entrails;
- throw from a height;
- price.
How to distinguish pearls from fakes? natural pebble round shape originates from a grain of sand that has fallen into a pearl shell. Over the years, it is wrapped in many thin layers of mother-of-pearl. It is not worth talking about their uniformity under these conditions. Irregularities can be felt when feeling the pearl.
The weight of natural peas is much higher than artificial ones. artificial decorations inside are often hollow, natural - never. But this rule does not apply to black or pink mother-of-pearl. Black is made from germanite, pink is made from coral.
Both are significantly heavier than natural pearls.
on the edges drilled hole chips and tiny cracks are usually visible in artificial stone. Inside such a hole, glass or plastic can shine through. Pearls are now grown on special farms. But these products practically do not differ from natural products grown at the bottom of the sea.
On the left - natural pearls, on the right - artificial
A drop from a height of about 50 cm onto a smooth floor or table surface can show you how to spot a real pearl. To determine the quality, you need to drop the product and look at its behavior. Natural stone will bounce, while artificial stone will roll. A crude fake can break.
This will never happen with natural pearls.
Counterfeits are usually sold at lower prices. But sometimes they are given out as natural natural pearls. Only experts can correctly distinguish real products from fakes.
Conclusion on the topic
Natural stone or not? There are quite a few ways to determine this. For example, you can place beads in a field created by several electromagnets. Fake diamond will begin to move in it, the natural bead will remain in place. When selling natural products, a passport or certificate must be attached. Real ones are assembled only from proven copies. Jewelry. They look quite elegant, highlighting the skin tone and giving more softness and femininity. You can distinguish such products from fakes if you follow a certain technique.
It is necessary to check their weight, the structure of the stone, the evenness of its surface.
Natural pearls keep you cool seabed and has some surface roughness. Through the holes, you can view the internal contents of the stone with a magnifying glass. If there is plastic or glass, it is a fake. The pebbles thrown on the table jump - real, roll - a fake. If you look at the light, then the glare from natural stones will be bluish, from artificial ones - a greenish or pink hue.
Choose pearl jewelry carefully and wear it in good health. It is recommended to store them in a special bag made of velor or velvet. Traces of makeup and sweat should be wiped off with a soft cloth.
Are you thinking of buying pearl jewelry? Or maybe you inherited such jewelry? There are several simple ways check the authenticity of pearls in just a few minutes. Learn how to recognize real pearls now and you will never buy a fake again.
Steps
Visual check
- Although the color of some pearls is quite difficult to determine, this not necessarily means that the pearl is fake.
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Look for signs of authenticity around the hole in the pearl. A pearl on a string or a necklace often has a threading hole. Inspection of this hole will help you understand if the pearl is real. Here are a few important aspects that you should pay attention to:
Look into the hole to see if there is a line between the outer mother-of-pearl layer and the core. Real pearls almost always have a clear outer mother-of-pearl layer, while fake pearls often have few or no thin layers of artificial mother-of-pearl. If your pearl has a hole, you can check to see if it has an inner mother-of-pearl layer by looking through a magnifying glass. Real pearls usually (but not always) have a pronounced line separating the upper mother-of-pearl layer from the core (inner part of the pearl).
Try an x-ray check. This method of authentication is performed by a specialist using an x-ray. Under x-ray irradiation, real stones will become translucent gray shade. Fake stones will be white on the negative and black on the positive.
Try doing a refractometer test. This is a highly accurate test that shows the level of refraction of light on the pearl, which helps to determine if it is real. The usual level of light refraction (also known as "refraction") is 1.530 and 1.685. The difference between the two (0.155) is called "double refraction", which affects how the pearl looks in the light. These qualities are indicative of more likely the authenticity of the pearl.
Pay attention to minor defects. As stated above, real pearls are rarely perfect. As a rule, real pearls do not quite correct form. Besides upper layer pearls reflect light differently to different parts of the pearl. Imitation pearls are often "too perfect". It has a perfect spherical shape, has a gloss over the entire surface and has no dents or other flaws.
Check if the pearls have a healthy luster. Glitter jewelers call the reflection of light on precious stone. The sparkle of pearls is exactly what makes them so beautiful. High-quality pearls have a bright, clean luster that appears when light hits its surface. If you look closely, you will see your own reflection on the surface of the pearl.
Notice the glare. High-quality pearls are often especially appreciated due to glare, that is, not clearly pronounced shades that appear when light hits the outer surface pearls. Imitation pearls usually do not have this effect, which is why pearls are so difficult to fake. This means that it is most likely real if it appears slightly darkened under the lighting. Pink color and color Ivory- the most common shades white pearl, although there are many other shades, such as black.
Checking with the sense of touch
Rub the pearl between your front teeth. Take one or two large pearls and index fingers and bite them gently with your front teeth. Rub them between your teeth in a side to side motion. Real pearls usually slightly rough and has sandy texture with slight irregularities on the upper mother-of-pearl layer. Fake pearls are made of glass or plastic, so they almost perfectly smooth.
This amazing gift nature in the old days was called “pearl”, “magarit” and “skate”, they have been admired for several hundred years, and there are still disputes about its origin, supported by huge amount various legends. According to one of them, pearls are the frozen tears of a nymph in love, who angered the gods and imprisoned in a high tower for her love for a mere mortal.
Unbelievable but true?
From others interesting facts, however, no longer fictional: one of the oldest pearls in the world took pride of place in the jewelry box of Elizabeth Taylor, and the largest, weighing 6 kg, was found near Palawan Island (South China Sea) and subsequently graced the pages of the Guinness Book of Records. The "Great Southern Cross" was the name given to a composition of 9 pearls found off the coast of Australia that coalesced to form a shape resembling a cross.
Half true, half fiction, researchers recognize a different story: when Ivan the Terrible noticed the tarnishing of the unique northern pearl on the symbol of power - his staff, he immediately gave the order to "bring back to life" the seafood that had lost its former luster. Pearls were taken for washing to the Keret River. According to legend, 100 and 1 immersion in water had to be done by a young maiden in order to restore the original beauty. After the pearls were again delivered to the royal court.
Whether it was or not is up to historians to decide, but the fact remains: the fashion for pearls that adorns jewelry, over time, not only does it not “fade”, but also constantly makes new turns. From this substance, which is formed in the shells of mollusks, today a large number of. And the imitations of snow-white mother-of-pearl beads cannot be counted at all! If you purchased a piece of jewelry with this incredible gift from Poseidon, or are about to do so, read our tips on how to distinguish real from fake pearls and don't forget to show off your "jewel box" in the comments.
Natural or not?
Method number 1: Of course, there is nothing better than asking a professional gemologist for advice, who, using a special apparatus, will be able to determine whether you brought him a quality pearl. If you want to manage on your own, you can first check the price tag for the product: it can’t be too cheap even “on sale”.
Method number 2: you can try the following test: draw a single pearl with the edge of the nail: if traces remain or the paint has peeled off, the pearl is a fake.
Method number 3: try pearls "by the tooth" - not so much radical solution, but quite a valid experiment. Lightly rub the pebble on your teeth: the real one should creak with such friction.
Method number 4: did the pearls fall to the floor, bouncing merrily? Do not rush to collect, but take a closer look: how many times did they soar into the air? The "jumps" of real pearls are quite frisky and repeated, since it has a different density.
Method number 5: take a magnifying glass and look at the shape of the bead in a magnifying glass. Either a fake or copies worth over $10,000 have an ideal smooth surface without a single unevenness and roughness. Do you remember paying this amount for a bead? Here is your answer.
Method number 6: wear pearl beads or bracelet? Carefully move one of the pearls aside and look at the edges of the hole through which it is strung on a thread or a special fishing line. If you see that the paint is peeling off along its edge or notice the top layer is chipped, then you have a fake.
Method number 7: Real and frankly fake pearl differ in weight: genuine "beads" are heavier, because natural material it is "weightier" than plastic.
Remember that the most accurate assessment of the quality of pearls can only be given to you by experienced specialist. Do not forget that cultured or artificially grown pearls (which are now considered the leader in sales and are used everywhere) are not considered a fake.
Do you have pearl jewelry and what kind?
A stone born in the depths of the sea... Pearls have always been valued by people for their perfect beauty. But the extraction of natural pearls requires great endurance, and they are expensive. In this regard, women could be completely left without jewelry. If not for the Japanese craftsman Mikimoto, who first grew cultured pearls on his farm in the 16th century. Today, on the shelves, in addition to natural and cultivated, you can even find a “stone” made of plastic. How to distinguish a fake?
Before buying a product, take it in your hands, but rather try it on. Real pearls are cold even in summer heat. If this is ordinary jewelry, there will be no such sensations. To distinguish natural pearls from fake, you should understand the features of its formation. Wild pearls grow on the bottom of the sea or in freshwater bodies, in the shell of a mussel or oyster, without human intervention. Cultivated is obtained as follows: a bead is placed inside the mollusk and sent back to the reservoir, so foreign body for many years it will be wrapped in layers of mother-of-pearl, by the way, quite unevenly, in small waves, like sand on a beach. But artificial pearl in no way connected with water element and sinks - it's just plastic, covered with not very high-quality paint. Therefore, if you run your hand over the surface of natural pearls, you will feel small roughness, texture features. Synthetic counterparts are perfectly smooth and even. The easiest way to find out the true origin of the stone is to cut the pearl. Natural pearls in the cut consist of a fine grain of sand and layers of nakra covering it. Cultured inside has a mother-of-pearl core bead and thin layer nakra - up to 0.5 mm. Imitation pearl is a plastic core or piece of glass that is covered with paint, which peels off when cut. This test is ideal when buying pearls in bulk. However, in the store, when choosing jewelry, the seller will not allow you to cut the beads. Another way to identify natural pearls is to try the bead on your tooth. First, you will feel all the bumps and roughness natural stone. Secondly, pearls always crunch, as they consist of mother-of-pearl pieces invisible to the naked eye. Thirdly, a peculiar taste should remain in the mouth - sea sand. However, this technique is more suitable to distinguish natural pearls from artificial ones. In cultivated, there are fewer layers of nakra, it can also be perfectly smooth, especially if covered with a protective coating. Although this stone does not cease to be real.
And finally, pay attention to the price tag if you are buying branded jewelry. They are very expensive, their price is many times higher than fakes. In this case, it is advisable to contact a gemologist who will give you an opinion on the origin of pearls.