Determine if the pearls are real. Pearls: characteristics of natural and cultured stones

Are you thinking about buying pearl jewelry? Or maybe you inherited such jewelry? There are a few simple ways check the authenticity of pearls in just a few minutes. Find out how to recognize real pearls now and you will never buy a fake again.

Steps

Visual inspection

Please note minor defects. As stated above, real pearls are rare perfect. As a rule, real pearls have an irregular shape. In addition, the top layer of pearls reflects light differently onto different areas of the pearl. Cultured pearls are often “too perfect.” It has a perfect spherical shape, is shiny over the entire surface and has no dents or other flaws.

Check to see if the pearls have a healthy shine. Jewelers refer to the reflection of light on a gemstone as brilliance. The sparkle of pearls is what makes them so beautiful. High-quality pearls have a bright, clean shine that appears when light hits its surface. If you look closely, you will see your own reflection on the surface of the pearl.

Pay attention to the glare. High-quality pearls are often especially valued for their reflections, that is, subtle shades that appear when light hits the outer surface of the pearl. Cultured pearls generally do not have this effect, which is why pearls are so difficult to fake. This means it is most likely real if it appears slightly darkened under the lighting. Pink color and ivory are the most common shades white pearls, although there are many other shades, such as black.

Although the color of some pearls is quite difficult to determine, this Not definitely means the pearls are fake.

Look for signs of authenticity around the hole in the pearl. Pearls on a string or necklace often have a hole for threading through. Inspecting this hole will help you determine if the pearl is real. Here are a few important aspects, which you should pay attention to:

Look into the hole to see if there is a line between the outer pearlescent layer and the core. Real pearls almost always have a clear outer nacre layer, while fake pearls often have several thin layers artificial mother-of-pearl or has none at all. If your pearl has a hole, you can check to see if it has an inner nacre layer by looking through it with a magnifying glass. Real pearls usually (but not always) have a distinct line separating the top nacre layer from the core (the inner part of the pearl).

Try an x-ray check. This authentication method is performed by a specialist using an x-ray. Under X-ray irradiation, real stones will become translucent gray shade. Fake stones will appear white in the negative and black in the positive.

Try a refractometer test. This is a highly accurate test that shows the level of light refraction on the pearl, which helps determine whether it is real. Regular level the refraction of light (also known as "refraction") is 1.530 and 1.685. The difference between these two values (0.155) is called "double refraction", which affects how the pearl looks in the light. These qualities indicate that the pearl is more likely to be authentic.

Checking using the senses of touch

Rub the pearls between your front teeth. Take one or two large pearls and index fingers and gently bite them with your front teeth. Rub them between your teeth in a side-to-side motion. Real pearls are usually slightly rough and has sandy texture with minor irregularities on the upper pearlescent layer. Fake pearls are made from glass or plastic, so they almost perfectly smooth.

Pearls like jewelry humanity began to use it at the dawn of its history. There are references to products made from it in Indian and Egyptian sources, and Queen Cleopatra had earrings made of the largest stones at that time. Until the end of the Middle Ages, pearls were considered a very valuable commodity. However, now is the age of artificial jewelry, and some products are of quite high quality. How to distinguish natural pearls from artificial ones and not buy fake ones at an inflated price, especially when choosing jewelry?

Natural pearls are extracted from mollusk shells. This biological formation is a product defensive reaction body to prevent foreign particles from entering it. The mollusk, as it were, preserves the smallest particles, which over time (2-3 years or more) are enveloped in nacre. So from any garbage (sand, shell fragments, etc.) one of the most wonderful creations of nature is obtained.

The shape of pearls can be round or elongated in the form of a drop, for example, like the famous “Peregrina” by Elizabeth Taylor. The color of the formations is varied: white with iridescence, pink, yellow and even greenish.

Its parameters are determined by the habitat and the place where foreign particles enter the shell. Such formations are characteristic of many bivalves. Even in the Black Sea mussels, up to 100 pieces of small natural beads are found.

There are two types of natural pearls: sea and freshwater. The latter were always considered less valuable, since they were easier to mine.

To find one pearl High Quality, you need to catch up to 500 kg of shells!

A real breakthrough was the invention of controlled cultivation of mother-of-pearl stones. When entire fields of pearl farms began to be developed in the bays. The product obtained in this way has natural origin, and quality still costs a lot of money.

The cost of minerals depends on their origin

Based on such data, it is clear that even despite controlled cultivation, the price remains quite high, since the cultivation of one unit on a farm takes 2-3 years.

The main centers for the production of cultivated products today are concentrated, as a rule, in the Indian Ocean basin, but the leader is Japan. This country exports products worth several hundred million dollars a year to the world market. In second place are China, Hong Kong and the UAE.

When buying pearls, find out the manufacturer and country of origin!

Developed for wide access various ways manufacturing artificial product, which is both cheaper and faster to produce.

But it can never compare with natural pearls even when made with the most modern technologies. But how to distinguish a real pearl from an artificial one?

Technologies of skillful counterfeiting

Before you can determine authenticity, you need to know how to copy it. The first fakes and imitation pearls began to be made from glass.

However, such material did not convey the pearlescent shimmer inherent in real stone.

In the Middle Ages, the so-called Roman artificial pearls appeared. It was made by pouring paraffin into glass beads.

Mother-of-pearl essence was also produced, made from fish scales; when properly processed in glass fakes, it imitated the shimmer of natural pearls.

Already in the 20th century, they began to make products coated with a special varnish.

Today, with the development of polymer production, artificial imitations are sold on every corner in a jewelry store. It is not difficult to check the authenticity of pearls. Even the most skillful fake cannot imitate the creation of nature. And when they offer to purchase a necklace or individual stones, you can spot a fake.

So, how to determine whether pearls are real or artificial?

Several properties of pearls that are difficult to fake

The development of technology makes it possible today to produce artificial pearls. But still, no material, much less technology, can reproduce the quality of a natural “product.”

Among the main characteristics that distinguish real pearls, the most difficult to imitate are the following:

surface cleanliness;
shine;
structure.

Options: color, shape and size can be made or copied. How to identify natural pearls based on these characteristics?

How to distinguish between real and artificial samples

So, how can you tell real pearls from fakes without being a professional jewelry appraiser? Everything is very simple: according to those characteristics that are very difficult to imitate.

Weight difference

Just by holding a pebble in your hand, you can recognize a fake. Even the most modern views polymers will not be able to accurately copy the weight properties of a real pearl. Natural mother of pearl is much heavier than glass and, of course, plastic. Also, the presence of a so-called core makes a natural pebble heavier. After all, this is what contributes to the formation of pearls.

However, today they can make artificial stones using mother-of-pearl - then the weight of the product is close to natural. How to distinguish pearls from fakes in this case? There are other characteristics for this.

Surface cleanliness

This item is used to evaluate natural and cultured pearls.

Nature does not make perfectly smooth and clean surfaces. Therefore, natural pearls, even when viewed with the naked eye, have various sagging, depressions, potholes, and most importantly, spots consisting of conchiolin. Moreover, the spots are located unevenly on the pebble. But, most importantly, they are less shiny under lighting.

Conchiolin is an exclusively natural substance formed by shells. You can check pearls simply by making sure they are there!

Of course, there are natural samples with an almost perfectly clean surface. However, their cost cannot be compared with fakes, and no one offers them at a better price.

Shine

Choose a pebble with a distinctive shade. Moreover, gloss is determined under the influence of natural sunlight. You can establish the authenticity of pearls by holding them up to the window.

The light plays on the surface with bluish and pinkish hues. The iridescence of similar colors is difficult to achieve by covering artificial product even the highest quality varnish or dye - this will also help in the process of identifying a fake.

When checking this characteristic, do not forget about stains. They make the shine uneven. Natural stone will have duller areas.

Structure

How to distinguish real pearls from artificial analogues by their surface structure? The polymers or glass that are often used to imitate these jewelry have a flat and smooth surface.

U natural pearls it will be porous and layered. IN natural conditions layers of pebbles accumulate gradually, at a rate of 0.2-0.3 mm per year.

A magnifying glass will help determine the authenticity of pearls. If you are offered a pearl that has a perfectly smooth surface, but the pearl itself correct form– they are guaranteed to try to sell you an artificial product.

Using these methods, it is easy to distinguish whether they are offering a natural stone or a fake one. How to distinguish real pearls from fakes in other ways?

The shape can be accurately copied even at home. But in nature, not ideal, but oblong or oval specimens of a certain shape are more common.

How to check the authenticity of a product? This can be done simply on the tooth. Real pearls squeak when they come into contact with the enamel of teeth and leave nacre particles on them. Polymers and glass are easy to recognize with this test.

And one more difference that will prove to you that pearls are natural is their resistance to mechanical stress. When checking the authenticity of a pearl, you can drop it on the floor. The surface may be covered with small scratches, which can be easily erased. The glass imitation will break or crack. Polymer fakes will bounce like balls. You will understand whether the pearls are natural when you see that the selected sample falls like a stone - its weight contributes to this.

Now you understand how to find out whether the jewelry you are being sold is genuine or a fake. However, if you decide to choose jewel Even trusted brands, still follow these recommendations - with their help it will be easier to understand whether the pearls they offer are real or not. And it is important to remember that natural samples are more expensive, and no one will sell them at half price.

With this precious mineral connected romantic stories, legends and beliefs. The most famous pearl is “Peregrina”, which was owned by Cleopatra, Princess Zinaida Yusupova and Hollywood diva Elizabeth Taylor. No one doubts its authenticity, but with other copies it is more difficult.

How to distinguish real pearls and avoid making mistakes when buying? There are several ways.

The romantic halo of pearls makes them the object of desire for many. However, in natural conditions it grows slowly, is difficult to obtain, and costs prohibitively. People have learned to grow beautiful balls on their own. Therefore, it is worth distinguishing between natural and cultivated material. The most affordable price segment is made from polymers. We wrote more about the types, properties and who is suitable for pearls.

There are two types of pearls in nature: sea and river. The former are five to six times more expensive than the latter. This is not surprising - to find one high-quality pearl, you need to pull half a ton of mollusks out of the water. Freshwater river material is easier to obtain; its distinguishing characteristics are not always perfect shape and low shine.

Sea pearls of impeccable shape and shine are more often found at auctions than in stores.

It is not considered a fake, although it is created by people. The technology is as follows. On a sea or river farm, a core base is placed inside the mollusk. Maturation takes place in natural conditions. After two or three years, a pearl is obtained that is visually indistinguishable from a natural one, but of a certain shape and color. That is, the mother-of-pearl layer is real. The difference is inside: in cultivated specimens it grows around an artificial core.

The thickness of the mother-of-pearl coating depends on the period of creation of the pearl.

High-quality specimens are supplied from farms along the Indian Ocean coast. The world leader is Japan, followed by China, Hong Kong, and the Emirates.

People are always interested in how to distinguish natural pearls from artificial ones, because there is often a huge range in prices. Searching for a good product takes quite a lot of time, and this is especially difficult for buyers who are not familiar with jewelry of this type. How to find out if a pearl is real will be discussed in the article.

Pearl

To understand how to distinguish natural pearls from artificial ones, you need to know about the existence of cultured and artificial minerals. Natural is a great rarity.

People who do not know enough information about this mineral, want to understand how to quickly distinguish natural pearls. It will be quite difficult to do this if you do not have sufficient knowledge about the varieties of pearls. All of them are presented below.

"Wild"

Cultivated

Some tips on how to distinguish real pearls from artificial ones are given below, but first you need to understand the characteristics of the cultured mineral. It is obtained in the same way as the “wild” one, but the difference between them is that during cultivation, the implant-irritant is intentionally introduced into the body of the oyster.

This technology originated in Japan around the 19th century. After conducting as many as 20 experiments, a specialist named Kokichi Mikimoto patented a method of grafting oysters, which is still actively used today.

Artificial

This type of pearl differs from the previous one in that mollusks do not take part in its appearance. These beads are the result of human creation. It is worth noting that even when the synthetic core is coated with natural mother-of-pearl, the pearl remains artificial in any case.

The very first fake pearls were created in Rome in the 15th century. Since then, technologies have been improved, and the artificial mineral is hidden under all sorts of names.

Professionals know exactly how to distinguish natural pearls from artificial ones, but it is almost impossible for beginners to do this quickly, because skills in this area have to be developed over years.

"Majorica"

This variety is one of the most beautiful and widespread. Majorica pearls are sometimes also called “orchid”. It has been created for about 120 years on the well-known island of Mallorca. First, a porcelain or alabaster ball is made, and then it is covered with a thin layer of mother-of-pearl, after which it is further treated with cellulose acetate or nitrocellulose to ensure durability.

The finished beads are quite round and velvety, so it is almost impossible to distinguish them from natural pearls. At artificial lighting he looks great.

Parisian and Venetian

The technology for making French (Parisian) pearls originated in the early 17th century. It is still actively used today. The beads are made from blown glass and then filled with wax or colored paraffin.

Venetian technology is quite similar to the method of making French pearls, and therefore is no less popular. IN in this case the balls are also formed from blown glass, but with the addition of pearl dust and wax.

Rakushechny

This technology is the most modern. It was developed in the USA and is famous in all corners of the planet. Layers of varnish are applied to the mother-of-pearl ball, which consists of a mixture of polymers, as well as mica and lead carbonate.

12 ways to distinguish natural pearls

Today, professionals have developed several methods to help distinguish a natural mineral. After familiarizing yourself with them, the question of how to distinguish real pearls from artificial ones will no longer frighten beginners.

So, here are the main ways to distinguish natural goods:

Price. First of all, you should pay attention to the price of the product. The low cost for natural pearls is unacceptable, although some scammers can sell fakes at a higher price than natural pearls.
Weight. A natural pearl has more weight because it consists exclusively of mother-of-pearl, but an artificial one contains lighter materials.
Test. Since ancient times known method to distinguish a fake - “try it for yourself.” If you run your teeth over a pearl, a natural stone will creak, but a fake one will not make a sound. If you already have experience in distinguishing pearls, then you can knock them on your teeth - real and artificial ones will give different sensations.
Height. When dropped from a height of about half a meter real stone will bounce off the surface, and artificial pearls will simply fall without moving, which is explained by different densities.
Mechanics. Owners can easily check the stones present in it using friction. If you rub a pair of pearls against each other with minimal pressure until they form, small scratches will remain on the natural one, which disappear quite quickly, while the layer of mother-of-pearl will simply be erased from the fake one.
Comparison. In addition to the previous method, necklace owners can check the pearls using comparison. Natural stones are individual and not similar to all others, so there should not be identical pearls in the jewelry.
Inspection. Enough in an interesting way for novice scientists is looking at a pearl through a microscope. A natural one will have a clearly visible scaly surface, while a fake one will be uniform.
Chemistry. If you have several pearls that you don’t mind experimenting with, you can place them first in acetone and then in vinegar. In the first case, the natural stone does not dissolve, but in the second, on the contrary, it disintegrates quite quickly.
Shine. A real pearl differs from a fake one by its uniform and deep shine, which for professionals is visible to the naked eye. If the pearls are dull, then this indicates their artificiality or low quality, so you should not purchase such a product.
Hole. You need to carefully consider the place where the hole is drilled. Cracks will not form in a natural pearl, since it has a high density, but a fake pearl will have a lot of chips visible around the edges.
Field. Place a pearl in an electromagnetic field, a natural one will remain motionless, and a cultured one will begin to roll. This is explained by the fact that inside the fake there is a special ball made of a material that reacts to an electromagnetic field.
Specialist. The most reliable way at any time was to contact a specialist - a gemologist. Using a special X-ray machine, he will quickly determine the originality and quality of the jewelry.

Now we know how to distinguish natural pearls from artificial ones, so you can safely go to the store and purchase a decent product that you won’t be ashamed to show off to others.

How to distinguish natural pearls from artificial ones and how to determine the authenticity of the stone? It is not difficult to purchase it; in any jewelry department you will be offered a lot of different jewelry made from this stone, but whether it is genuine or not is another question.

Pearls have not gone out of fashion for several centuries. This stone personifies the tenderness and femininity of the fair sex, its purity and innocence.

Natural is extracted from the bottom of the sea, where it matures in the inner part of the shellfish. And artificial is produced in two ways.

Cultured - when an artificial bead is placed in the shell of a mollusk and it is covered with mother-of-pearl, such a bead often happens large sizes than natural.
Created using glass using sphere blowing. After which the cavity of the ball is filled with pearl essence.

How to distinguish real pearls from fake ones?

Today it is very difficult to find. In the market for these products, they have learned how to skillfully fake natural stone. But connoisseurs of natural things have learned to spot a fake.

How to distinguish pearls from fakes:

If you drop a bead on hard surface, then the natural one will bounce off, the artificial one will not.
If you feel the bead, the natural surface will be slightly rough; this can be felt if you run the surface over your teeth, in which case a certain creaking sound will be heard. usually smooth to the touch.
Natural is not perfectly round. This depends on how the grain of sand lay in the shell; over a long period of time, the nacre fibers lay unevenly on it, and the grain of sand was not initially perfectly round.
A natural specimen does not conduct heat well. If you hold it in your hands for some time, it does not change its temperature. If the pearl is not natural, then it heats up in this case.
Another difference is that artificial is not as durable as natural, it is easy to split. And it is lighter than natural.
To determine the color, you need to dim the light and look at the pearl: natural has an even color with several small spots that are darker than the natural color.
The hole in a pearl bead must be even and precise, as jewelers take care of every stone. A fake may have chips and cuts.
If you look into this hole, the natural pearl will have the same texture as on the surface. IN artificial stone Plastic or glass may be visible in the hole.

Quality characteristics of the material

You must know the quality assessment criteria natural material to answer the question of how to distinguish natural pearls:

Natural shine.
Thickness of layers and quality of mother-of-pearl.
Color and shade.
Bead surface and quality.
Volume of stone.

As follows: initially, a grain of sand enters the oyster, which over a certain period of time becomes enveloped in mother-of-pearl. Thus a pearl appears. After this, the divers remove it from seabed. Previously, people mined pearls in large quantities. But gradually it became less and less, and the demand did not decrease. So they began to grow artificial ones.

Artificial pearls are much cheaper than natural ones. Nowadays, many farms successfully grow it.

Pearls can also be grown in a river. They have certain differences with the sea. The sea one grows in oysters, and the river one grows in shellfish. In addition, the river is distinguished by its appearance, it is not as glossy as sea, slightly rough, up to 7 mm in size. The sea one is larger, sometimes much larger. The shape of sea pearls can be of different types.

When you buy pearls, you should pay attention to their color. It has a base color and shade. For example, it may be white with pink tint or black with green tint. To check the color, you need to apply it to a white surface in diffused light. Besides, great importance has shine, the brighter it is, the more expensive the stone.

Pearls tend to fade when unfavorable conditions. He is contraindicated high humidity or too dry air. It should not be kept under for long sun rays. Also this stone does not like tobacco smoke, sweat, water, cosmetics, hairspray.

How to identify natural pearls? When buying, you should not always focus on price, since not a single manufacturer will admit to you that they are selling a fake. You have to act on your own. When you come to the store, you can determine for yourself whether the stone in front of you is artificial or natural.

Firstly, real pearl earrings or beads have a rough surface, uneven in volume and shape. Artificial stones can be perfectly matched.

If you rub the stones against each other and they become smooth, you can be sure that the jewelry is not natural.

Secondly, if pearl jewelry is sold at a discount, you should think about whether it is real. Due to the difficulty of obtaining it, a real specimen is unlikely to be sold at a reduced price.

Thirdly, if the decoration is not made from natural stones, and made of plastic or glass, the coating may wear off over time. This can be found out by looking into the hole of the bead; it should be smooth and uniform; if there is damage and inhomogeneity, then you are dealing with a fake.

Since ancient times, many peoples have had various signs and beliefs associated with this precious stone. For some peoples, pearls symbolized wealth, longevity and prosperity. For others, it was a symbol of purity and innocence. Also in Ancient Rome there was a custom to tie newlyweds pearl necklace in token of marital fidelity. The Indians of pre-Columbian America had a lot of pearl jewelry; idols found in tombs were literally hung with such jewelry.

IN Ancient Rus' This stone was also valued. It was believed that seeing it in a dream meant troubles and frustrations, and receiving it as a gift meant tears. This strange interpretation of dreams was associated with the legend that pearls are the tears of a mollusk. Often in Rus' pearl jewelry worn in combination with other stones.

Pearl jewelry was also valued in Muslim countries. Speaking about this material, one could write a whole book, its history is so rich. Now you know how to distinguish jewelry made from natural pearls from fake ones. The main thing is to be careful, and then no one will be able to deceive you.