A real pearl will have well defined edges like a hollow cylinder.
What does a real pearl necklace look like.
Real pearls have like a fingerprint like surface ridges in them so they are not identical or perfectly spherical.
Pearls on a strand or necklace will usually have holes drilled in them for the string to pass through.
Real pearls are formed by nature and will always have some sort of imperfection if you look close enough.
Real pearls are more likely to have settings of gold silver or platinum.
Method 2 of 3.
Look for clues around the drill hole.
Even so the setting can provide clues to help you reach a conclusion.
If you notice any paint is missing or if the material from inside the pearl formed a burr when the pearl was drilled your pearls are probably fake.
Examining this hole carefully can help you tell whether your pearl is real or not.
When you do the same to a cultured pearl you will see a thin brown line between the nacre layer and the nucleus of the pearl.
Some fakes have high quality settings and some genuine pearls have cheap settings.
One thing you can do to determine if a pearl is real or fake is to detect the weight.
But there are clues.
A string of pearls is likely fake if every pearl appears like a tiny ball.
If you place a natural pearl against a dark background like a box lined in black cloth and put it under a strong light the natural pearl will look like a small white homogenous ball with no discernible inner rings.
In the 1950 s 60 s and 70 s a typical size for cultured pearls was 4mm to 6mm.
In a finished necklace or bracelet real pearls are more likely than faux to have knots between each pearl.
To find it look carefully between two pearls at a drill hole.
Real pearls will have a drill hole that is quite smooth and doesn t show any chipping unless it has been mishandled.
Real pearls will often show evidence of a nucleus.
Real pearls are made by nature so there should be some variation in size.
Look for onion skin.
Pearls strung along a strand will have holes drilled for the silk string to pass through.
Are they real pearls.
Not every pearl will be the same size.
A pearl is a hard glistening object produced within the soft tissue specifically the mantle of a living shelled mollusk or another animal such as fossil conulariids just like the shell of a mollusk a pearl is composed of calcium carbonate mainly aragonite or a mixture of aragonite and calcite in minute crystalline form which has deposited in concentric layers.
Examining pearls by feel.
Examine the drill hole with a magnifying glass.
Look around the pearl drill hole.
If you look very closely at them even under a magnifying glass you will notice these surface ridges and the specific quality to each pearl whereas fake pearls they all of them look identical and have smooth surfaces.
You may not be able to hold the pearls alone.
Imitation or simulated pearls often have rough or rounded edges.
Pearl size get out your ruler and measure the diameter of the largest pearls on the necklace.
Also look for chipped paint or coating around the hole.
