I am often asked how to tell real pearls from fake pearls, usually followed by some reference to “tooth testing.” The most important question is really this: how do I make sure that I am paying a fair price for the pearls that I am buying?

With many of today’s freshwater pearls available at reasonable prices, most people can purchase real pearls of one type or another. I would argue that consumers lose a lot more money overpaying for low quality real pearls than buying fake pearls misrepresented as real.

With that being said, there are a few things you need to know to judge the real and the fake. First is the nomenclature. Artificial pearls go by many names: fake, faux, manufactured, semi-cultured, imitation, simulated, and dozens of brand names such as La Tausca, Majorica, and Laguna. Most of them are made of plastic or glass. Some are real shell beads lacquered with layers of pearlescent substances made from oils and ground fish scales. There is nothing wrong with liking these wardrobe pieces. Some are only worth a dollar or two. High-quality knockoffs can cost anywhere from $100 to $300, but don’t hesitate to spend more than $50 on fakes.

The best way to spot fake pearls is to fully engage your senses. Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Keep it. Real pearls have a weight that makes them feel heavy for their size.




• feel them. Real pearls are cool to the touch and get a little warm when held for a minute or two.




• Look at these. Real pearls have natural blemishes and markings and slight differences in size and color. Fake pearls have a uniform quality. If the pearls are perfectly round and a perfect match, but not expensive, you can be perfectly sure that they are perfectly fake.




• Examine the drill holes carefully. The hole itself should be small and clean around the edges. Rough, broken areas around the edges may indicate a poor quality fake or genuine pearl. Looking into the hole, a uniform quality of the surrounding material indicates an artificial pearl.




• Examine the knots and the clasp. The lame thread, neither silk nor knotted, is an infallible sign of imitation pearls. A cheap brass or gold vermeil brooch also indicates fakes.




• Light test. Plastic is the most common material for faux pearls. Shine a bright pen light from behind. A plastic bead will have a uniform shine. A true cultured pearl will have a dark center.




• Teeth test. The nacre of a real pearl is made up of calcium and aragonite crystals and binding proteins that overlap in a grid pattern. Gently rub a real pearl along the edge of your upper front tooth and it will feel slightly abrasive or gritty. A fake pearl will feel slippery and smooth.




• Common sense. Fine pearls are expensive. A perfectly matched necklace of 10x12MM round Tahitian pearls is not a $900 item. Know what the pearls cost. The pearl market is quite efficient. Price anomalies are not common. If you find a deal that is too good to be true, chances are the pearls are fake, shoddy, or stolen.




• eBay. There are reputable sellers on EBAY and auction sites, but there are also a lot of hawkers hiding there. Be especially careful when buying pearls directly online from China. This is a great way to turn your hard-earned dollars into a handful of worthless accounts.

The more you plan to invest in fine pearls, the more you need to do your due diligence.