Products made from natural pearls have been valued since ancient times and are considered an exquisite decoration. The high cost of pearls is explained by their long maturation and the difficulty of obtaining them.

The cost of pearls depending on the type

Natural sea pearls, cultured by man. Such pearls mature inside the mollusk for up to two years. Human participation is reduced to the launch and control of the process. The advantage of such pearls is the ability to control the size, shape and color of the pearl. Even though cultured pearls are much easier to obtain, the cost of a single pearl ranges from $100 to $600. Black cultured pearls start at $1,000 for a single pearl.

The characteristics of natural cultured pearls grown in river water are lower compared to sea water. Therefore, it costs much less: from $20 to $100 for one pearl.

Artificial pearls are considered when their formation does not require the participation of living organisms. It can be done so well that at first glance it is difficult to from the original. Regardless of the quality, artificial pearls are many times cheaper than natural ones.

How to distinguish natural pearls from artificial

Natural pearls are heavier than artificial ones, because the pearl is not hollow inside. Before buying, weigh the pearls in your hand.

Drilled holes in pearls are also important criteria. When drilling artificial pearls, chips of the top coating may occur. When you carefully examine each pearl, you will notice the plastic showing through.

If the jewelry has already been bought, you can check its naturalness with a lighter. Carry pearls over the fire, natural pearls will remain unchanged, and the fake will melt.

In order for pearls to become a profitable financial investment and serve for hundreds of years, being inherited, it is recommended to store them in a bag made of soft tissue(velvet, velor, etc.). After contact with the skin, you need to wipe the pearls with a soft cloth to remove sebum, cosmetics and perfumes.

Jewelry made from natural pearls is elegant and noble, and to become the owner of such a value, you need to spend a lot of money. Therefore, in order not to buy a fake or imitation, arm yourself with a few tips on how to distinguish real pearls from fakes.

Pearls are a precious gift from the sea, which people have appreciated for its exceptional beauty and perfection since time immemorial. In addition, they do not need to be further processed and immediately after extraction they are ready for use. grows 5-7 years from sand or stone chips in a clam shell. Around the foreign body that has fallen into the shell, natural mother-of-pearl is deposited in the form of thin films in concentric layers of mineral organic matter that do not touch each other.

Since the 16th century, they began to produce artificial or cultured pearls, and now a mother-of-pearl bead made of natural materials is manually put inside the mollusk and returned to the reservoir for pearl cultivation. This is how natural cultured pearls are obtained, which, in terms of aesthetic characteristics, are not inferior to pearls of natural origin.

Mining natural pearls is prohibited.

But "wild" pearls sometimes come to the market from poachers and they are sold only at auctions. And by real pearls they mean cultured.

This amazing gift of nature in the old days was called "pearl", "magarit" and "skate", they have been admired for several hundred years, and there are still disputes about its origin, supported by huge amount various legends. According to one of them, pearls are the frozen tears of a nymph in love, who angered the gods and imprisoned in a high tower for her love for a mere mortal.

Unbelievable but true?

Of the other interesting facts, however, no longer fictional: one of the oldest pearls in the world took pride of place in the box of Elizabeth Taylor, and the largest, weighing 6 kg, was found near the island of Palawan (South China Sea) and subsequently adorned the pages of the Book of Records Guinness. The "Great Southern Cross" was the name given to a composition of 9 pearls found off the coast of Australia that coalesced to form a shape resembling a cross.

Half true, half fiction, researchers recognize a different story: when Ivan the Terrible noticed the tarnishing of the unique northern pearl on the symbol of power - his staff, he immediately gave the order to "bring back to life" the seafood that had lost its former luster. Pearls were taken for washing to the Keret River. According to legend, 100 and 1 immersion in water had to be done by a young maiden in order to restore the original beauty of a pearl necklace. After the pearls were again delivered to the royal court.

It was up to historians to decide whether it was or not, but the fact remains: the fashion for pearls decorating jewelry not only does not “fade” over time, but also constantly makes new turns. From this substance, which is formed in the shells of molluscs, a large amount of jewelry is made today. And the imitations of snow-white mother-of-pearl beads cannot be counted at all! If you purchased a piece of jewelry with this incredible gift from Poseidon, or are about to do so, read our tips on how to distinguish real from fake pearls and don't forget to show off your "jewel box" in the comments.

Natural or not?

Method number 1: Of course, there is nothing better than asking a professional gemologist for advice, who, using a special apparatus, will be able to determine whether you brought him a quality pearl. If you want to manage on your own, you can first check the price tag for the product: real pearls cannot be too cheap, even “on sale”.

Method number 2: you can try the following test: draw a single pearl with the edge of the nail: if there are traces or the paint has peeled off, the pearl is a fake.

Method number 3: trying pearls “by the tooth” is not such a radical decision, but quite an effective experiment. Lightly rub the pebble on your teeth: the real one should creak with such friction.

Method number 4: did the pearls fall to the floor, bouncing merrily? Do not rush to collect, but take a closer look: how many times did they soar into the air? The "jumps" of real pearls are quite frisky and repeated, since it has a different density.

Method number 5: take a magnifying glass and look at the shape of the bead in a magnifying glass. Either a fake or copies worth over $10,000 have an ideal smooth surface without a single unevenness and roughness. Do you remember paying this amount for a bead? Here is your answer.

Method number 6: wear pearl beads or a bracelet? Carefully move one of the pearls aside and look at the edges of the hole through which it is strung on a thread or a special fishing line. If you see that the paint is peeling off along its edge or notice the top layer is chipped, then you have a fake.

Method number 7: Real and frankly fake pearls also differ in weight: genuine "beads" are heavier, because natural material it is "weightier" than plastic.

Remember that only an experienced specialist can give you the most accurate assessment of the quality of pearls. Do not forget that cultivated, or grown in artificial conditions, pearls (which is now considered the leader in sales and is used everywhere) are not considered a fake.

Do you have pearl jewelry and what kind?

how to identify natural pearls

When we buy pearl jewelry, we want to know whether natural pearls are in front of us or a fake. How can you tell real pearls from fake ones? How to check its naturalness?

1. Pay attention to the price and weight of pearls

If the price is very low, then most likely the pearls are not natural. Real pearls are much heavier than fake ones. Imitation pearls are usually filled with wax or hollowed out. Take a pearl in your hands and estimate its weight.

You can also test the naturalness of the pearl:

2. If you hold a pearl on the surface of the teeth, then a thin creak occurs, which creates a pearl.

3. If you throw a pearl from a distance of 0.5 m onto the floor, then a natural pearl, unlike a fake, will bounce off the floor like a ball.

4. If two natural pearls are rubbed together until a pearl powder is formed (scratches appear on the pearls). If you rub pearl powder with your fingertips, then scratches disappear from natural pearls, there is practically no visible damage. If the pearls are fake, then the top layer of mother-of-pearl is erased and another material can be seen inside.

5. If there are no individual pearls, but only a pearl necklace, then you should carefully examine all the pearls. In nature, there are no two identical pearls. And even if in a necklace they seem even at first glance, upon closer examination you will notice that they are all different from each other. In the case of a fake, all "pearls" will be the same.

6. You can conduct an inspection, armed with a large magnifying glass. The surface of natural pearls will look scaly, the surface of fake pearls will be uniform, uniform.

natural pearls

7. If you have separate pearls, then place the pearl in acetone, the natural one will not dissolve in acetone. You can conduct the same experiment with vinegar, natural pearls should dissolve in vinegar.

Pay attention to the brilliance of pearls

8. Natural pearls have a deep, intense, even luster.

9. Pay attention to where the pearls are drilled

Natural pearls in such places do not form chips, unlike fakes. Looking at the inner surface of natural stone, you will see the same shiny pearls.

10. Another way is to place a pearl in an electromagnetic field (if there is such a possibility), a natural pearl in such a field will remain motionless. The fake one will turn and take its position along the lines of force.

One of the most reliable ways to take your pearls to a gemologist

11. Authentication is carried out on special equipment, after which a conclusion is given with a 100% accuracy guarantee.

The appearance of artificial pearls was appropriate. This is by no means a desire to deceive buyers who did not know how to distinguish natural pearls from artificial ones. In 1893, for the first time, Kokichi Mikimoto, a businessman from Japan, took out a hemispherical cultured pearl from an oyster. This was a necessity, because these mollusks were already on the verge of extermination, which jeopardized the very possibility of extraction and satisfaction of consumer demand.

Today, the problem of extermination of mollusks is no longer relevant (pearl mining has been banned for more than half a century, and you will only find "wild" stones at auctions), but another one has come in its place: artificial pearls are often passed off as natural on the market. Moreover, sometimes it is created from plastic and covered with paint. Deception of buyers, including business representatives, is possible, since not everyone knows how to determine whether natural pearls or not.

Interesting fact: Even Carl Linnaeus in 1761 was able to grow round pearls.

Our task within the framework of this material is to provide detailed recommendations and explanations that will allow you to easily navigate this issue in the future without having any special knowledge and skills. There are 5 main criteria.

Secret #1: Evaluate Roughness!

Many mistakenly think that high-quality natural pearls are perfectly even. However, it is worth remembering how the process of its formation takes place. Over the years, a foreign body that has fallen into the bowels of a pearl shell is gradually wrapped in many layers of mother-of-pearl. Of course, there is no need to talk about uniformity.

Add here and known fact: the basis of a pearl is a grain of sand, and it almost never has an ideal shape. Interestingly, both artificial and natural products look the same, so it's worth running your hand over their surface. If you can feel the nuances of texture, most likely it is natural pearls.

Interesting fact: If you run a natural pearl across your teeth, you will hear a clear creak.

Secret #2: Weight Matters

Another nuance, how to distinguish natural pearls from artificial ones, is the definition of gravity, weight. Everything is logical here, and again we should recall the peculiarities of creating pearls in nature and in artificially created conditions. The latter are usually hollow inside or filled with wax, which makes them excessively light. It is enough to take a pearl in your hand and estimate its weight (of course, it is important here that you are familiar with natural pearls, otherwise it will be impossible to draw conclusions).

Concept note: pay attention if you appreciate black or pink pearls, then there are subtleties. Thus, the former are usually forged from germanite, and the latter from coral. In this case, the weight will be, on the contrary, more.

Secret #3: Pearl Soul

If a we are talking about beads, that is, an extremely simple and efficient way to distinguish natural pearls from artificial ones. It is enough to closely examine the holes in the beads, their edges. They are a litmus test of the nature of pearls.

If you drill a natural stone, then inside it will remain itself, but an artificial product will demonstrate hard-hitting chips and cracks, and from the inside you will see a base in the form of glass or plastic.

Interesting fact: you need to know that natural pearls have many "faces", the main of which are 2 types. It is cultivated and natural stone. If everything is clear with the latter, then the former is grown on farms. In fact, it is no different in its characteristics and is not, contrary to popular belief, a fake.

Secret #4: Jump to the rescue

For quite some time now, all those who are interested in how to determine whether natural pearls or not have used the simple method of ... dropping the stone on the floor. It is important to comply with some conditions, namely:

• Drop height about 0.5 meters
• The floor surface must be hard and smooth for the purity of the experiment.

• If we are dealing with natural stone, then the latter will behave like a jumper due to its high density structure.
• Artificial analogue - roll.
• If you are faced with a rough fake, it may even break completely.

Note: do not be afraid to damage the pearl. natural stone such a fall is not capable of causing absolutely no harm, and the method has proved its safety in practice.

Secret number 5: the issue is the price

This item should only be used in conjunction with the previous ones. Price always matters. How to distinguish natural pearls from artificial? Look at the cost? In the vast majority of cases, the first one is much more expensive, but they try to sell fake “brothers” faster at a lower price. Of course, you can find very expensive jewelry from popular brands, but we are not talking about them.

Life hacks for pearl connoisseurs