Are My Pearls Real?

Not sure if your pearl is or an imitation glass bead? Its not as hard to find out as you might think.

First off, you can always take your pearls to a jewelers. A jeweler can authenticate and appraise your pearls, especially if you're thinking of selling or insuring them.

The second method is the tooth test. DO NOT BITE YOUR PEARLS EVER! Not only will you damage your pearls but dental repairs are costly.

A tooth test is a non-invasive and tends not to do damage to your pearl's surface (unless you press too hard, which can damage the pearl).

The first step is to brush your teeth. You don't want to get any teeth cooties on your pearls and brushing helps perk up your teeths' sensitivity. Next, taking the pearl between your fingers, place the pearl against the flat part of your teeth. Your incisors (or upper teeth) work best but I've learned that your lower teeth work as well (I lost my incisors in a childhood accident and they were replaced by porcelain fillers). Try to keep the pearl near your gum line without touching your gums.

 What you should feel is a sandy or gritty texture, sometimes compared to the texture of a chalkboard. You might even hear the pearl scrape the ridges of teeth.

If you can't feel the difference, try placing a flat glass bead, which you can find in any crafts store, against your teeth. If your pearl feels smooth and flat like the bead, its fake.

Another method is to look under a microscope at your pearls. A pearl should have a maze like or fish-scale like surface. A fairly flat, even surface is a fake.

Other methods include rubbing pearls together and drilling pearls, but these methods are invasive and can cause lasting damage to delicate pearls.



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