How to recognize a fake pearl from a real one

Have you decided to gift someone close to you with a beautiful pearl jewel? You should definitely be congratulated on your decision, it was the right choice. But how do you tell the difference between jewellery with real freshwater or sea pearls and fake ones?

What do you need to look out for to ensure that you actually invest your money in a genuine pearl jewellery piece and not in a similar looking, but still ordinary jewellery piece? Use several methods to determine the authenticity of cultured and natural pearls.

We definitely don't recommend buying pearls in the marketplaces or somewhere under a bridge in a time crunch. We recommend buying such jewelry from verified jewelers and be sure to take the appropriate time to purchase. For online purchases, be sure to monitor reviews and customer experiences with the store in question.

Authenticity of pearls

The quality of pearls is judged by several parameters (especially shape, lustre, percentage of defects). There are two systems of pearl quality rating used around the world, AAA - AA - A, or the A-D designation (sometimes referred to as the Tahitian rating). However, the quality of pearls cannot be objectively measured, it depends on the seriousness of the dealer how he marks the pearls.

However, the authenticity of pearls is relatively easy to determine. Don't assume that the dealer would allow you to cut up a pearl so that you can observe the different layers in a genuine pearl. However, there are non-destructive amateur methods by which even a layman could distinguish a genuine pearl from a non-genuine one.

The way to distinguish a true pearl from a false pearl is mainly by sight and touch.

Examine pearls in sufficient light. The reflection of light in genuine pearls is iridescent, in spurious pearls it is glassy. On the surface of genuine pearls it is possible to see small imperfections, uneven surface, different luster. So, paradoxically, real pearls are less perfect - non-real pearls are absolutely perfect on the surface. Because true pearls are created in a limited space, they have only a certain maximum size. The larger ones are slightly more than 1 cm in diameter. So if someone offers you an oversized pearl, it probably won't be genuine.

We can tell real pearls from imitations by touch. The surface of real pearls is not perfect. If the seller allows you to do so, try rubbing the pearl lightly against your tooth. With a real pearl, you can feel the grainy texture; a non-real pearl slides smoothly over the tooth. If you don't have the opportunity to do such a test on your tooth, at least try it with your fingernail - you can feel a fine, grainy texture on the surface of the real pearl. 

Of course, you can increase your confidence that you are actually buying a genuine pearl jewel if you ask the seller for a certificate confirming the authenticity of the jewel. Our e-shop will automatically attach it to your purchase.