Is it true you can test to see if you have a real pearl by rubbing it on your tooth? If it’s gritty to the touch of your tooth it is real… If it rubs smooth on your tooth then it is a fake! So far my few tests have proven this to be accurate. What say you?
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Alacrity Reputation: 199 See Alacrity's booth |
By placing finger or thumb on it and an imprint is shown on the luster by looking closely with an eyeglass then it is not real.
Had it been the “mikimoto pearl” then there is a different proceedure to follow.
(sorry but I cannot reveal that information out on the net)…
Great question thou!
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MONTROSE Reputation: 8354 See MONTROSE's booth |
I remember seeing that in movies and heard it growing up. Never tested it, though. Real pearls would be pearl all the way through. Cultured pearls just have a thin coating of pearl on them. At least that’s the way I understand it. I saw something on TV that they were making cultured pearls in Tennessee or in the Tennessee river (been a while since I saw the show) in all sorts of shapes and sizes.
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AnimalEverything Reputation: 20 See AnimalEverything's booth |
It’s ABSOLUTELY true! And very easy to test.
Rough on your teeth is real
smooth on your teeth is fashion / or fake.
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EuropeanGoodies Reputation: 1165 See EuropeanGoodies' booth |
Yes, if it feels scratchy on your teeth it’s real.
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the_seller_inc Reputation: 616 See the_seller_inc's booth |
Oy. Okay, here’s a real answer- I’ve been in the jewelry business for over 10 years and am currently getting my gemology degree.
This trick is used to determine if a “pearl” was formed in a shell or not, this test can verify if the pearl came out of a shell or is just a bead with a pearl-colored plastic top, that is ALL.
The term “REAL” when referring to pearls is vague, “real” SHOULD mean natural but can mean cultured or natural.
To find out if a pearl is NATURAL- you have to send it to the gemology institute of america (GIA), the pearl will then go through a verification process including having an x-ray done and they will send you documentation verifying your pearl’s authenticity (considering this verification will increase the value of your pearl(s) by about 100x if found to be natural, it is worth it to send them in.)
Most pearls you find will be cultured, so if the pearls do feel sandy, assume they’re cultured and pay accordingly.
Cheers!
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Gotgold89 Reputation: 12 |
LOL, not that the answer above wasn’t real -
It’s ABSOLUTELY true! And very easy to test.
Rough on your teeth is real
smooth on your teeth is fashion / or fake.
It’s still true :)
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BlueBoy Reputation: 869 See BlueBoy's booth |
Yes, it’s true. Glass beads are smooth and the real thing is not. Thanks to Gotgold89 who brought up another topic to be considered. You can’t believe how many times I’ve found the real thing at a yard sale for less than a dollar because people don’t realize what they have…Enjoy the hunt!
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TwoFriendsTrading Reputation: 94 See TwoFriendsTrading's booth |
As far as I can remember, my mother told me , that rubbing the pearl on your teeth it should feel rough and that means they are real. If it feels real smooth then they are not real pearls.
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maxy_boy Reputation: 12 See maxy_boy's booth |
I think what Gotgold89 was saying is that now of days, they culture some pearls using the same process as the earth so it can be very difficult to tell the difference, even for scientists.
The same problem with diamonds and even worse.
So, you can know that it’s at least cultured with the tooth test, but to find out if it’s really genuine, further testing must be done, unfortunately !
It’s really a pity, they are now so advanced and able to imitate just about anything that we can barely know for sure anymore.
I hesitate before using the word genuine in my listings because of this even when I’m almost positive that the item is genuine.
But on a more positive note and in the end, the beauty of the pearl or gem is what counts the most, as that’s what it is, eye candy :)
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angiesjewelry Reputation: 577 See angiesjewelry's booth |
Viewed: 5990 times
Asked: almost 15 years ago
Latest response: almost 15 years ago
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