Real pearls, whether cultured or naturally developed, serve as a symbol and an investment in you or your loved one. Imitation pearls (also known as costume or faux) are made from plastic, glass, or fish scales and cost anywhere from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars. Fake pearls will never display the unique brilliance, look and feel that real pearls offer.
Below are several general quick and effective ways to test that your pearls are real.
|
Characteristics |
Real Pearls |
Fake Pearls |
|
Temperature |
Cool to cold when touched |
Room temperature, not cool |
|
Surface tested by teeth |
Gritty surface when rubbed on teeth |
Smooth surface when rubbed on teeth* |
|
Weight |
Heavy in weight |
Light in weight |
|
Matching of pearls |
Minor difference in pearl matching size, tone, surface |
Pearl matching exact; perfect surface |
|
Reflection of light |
Natural glimmer in light, deep inner glow |
Mirror glass reflection and lusterless |
|
Color & overtone |
Pearl body color is deep, enriched with overtones |
Pearl body color is flat, one uniform color |
|
Drill holes in pearl |
Drill holes are smooth |
Drill holes are rough, or not uniform |
*NOTE – some real pearls can be smooth to the touch as well because of how they were polished.
Beware of Fakes
Many South Sea Pearls offered for sale are NOT genuine organically cultured South Sea Pearls
We have examined web store sites and internet auctions, etc., and many of the cultured South Sea pearls sold there are not real South Sea pearls.
Many cheap Chinese Shell beads and cheap larger freshwater pearls are completely misrepresented and offered as “genuine South Sea pearls” for bargain prices. You may choose to pay less for fake pearls, but do you really think they are genuine? Some sellers offer “South Sea SHELL Pearls” (a plastic or resin bead which is coated with a lacquer is produced in China ), SHELL pearls or beads, SEA pearls and other fantasy names in the category “Genuine South Sea pearls”. This is wrong and a completely misleading representation. Many buyers are not aware of this.
Genuine cultured South Sea pearls are only organically cultured in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Eastern Trade Winds only sell genuine organically cultured South Sea pearls which we buy directly from the farms. We only sell the real thing.
There is always a price to be paid for the best, for excellence, for a genuine product.
Eastern Trade Winds is proud to sell only 100% authentic organically cultured South Sea pearls.
