How to Tell If a Pearl Is Real

Even the famous tooth test isn't foolproof.

Just like gemstones can be manufactured or faked, pearls also come in a multitude of imitations that can be very difficult to tell from the "real" thing. So how do you know whether a pearl is "faux" or fabulous?

Consider the "setting" in which you see the pearls. If it is a piece of jewelry in which the pearls are set, such as brooches, rings, pins, hairpins and pendants, check the mounting. Few jewelers would be mounting real, quality pearls in anything but genuine silver, gold, platinum and other valued metals.

Should you have the good fortune to see a beautifully matched string of pearls, take a very close look. Because natural pearls are seldom round, and very rarely are they a complete match. That's because of the way in which pearls are made inside the oyster. Also, natural and other real pearl necklaces are usually made with knots between the pearls, where faux, glass and plastic pearl necklaces are not.

Perhaps the most famous method of verifying whether your pearls are the genuine article, is the "tooth test". Take your necklace, or ring, and rub the pearl(s) across your teeth. Supposedly, the natural ridges that form in the pearl's creation, will make it feel rough, where the surface of a fake pearl, is smooth. This test however, can be "fooled", because dyed natural pearls may have ridges so low, that the spaces in between are filled with the dye, and so they have an unnaturally smooth feel.

"Natural" pearls are formed in oysters, when a piece of dirt or other material gets inside and irritates it. The oyster then begins to secrete a whitish, crystalline substance called nacre that builds up in layers around the offending grain of dirt. As a finished pearl, this will show what are sometimes almost invisible ridges due to the many layers of nacre.

Because they are so popular, today's pearls are seldom the oyster's product made by nature. They are more often cultured pearls that are grown in freshwater or saltwater, and may be created by artificially implanting starter grains in other mollusks besides oysters.

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