How can you identify a genuine pearl?

Question

If you cut one in half would it be layered inside and have a lump of sand or something in it? When you "culture" a pearl is that actually being cruel to the oyster/mussel by giving it indigestion?

Answer 1

Wash it............ place it between your top and bottom teeth,

move your jaw side to side.......... If it feels smooth it's not a pearl!

If it's "gritty" it's genuine

I hope yours is gritty!

Good Luck

Answer 2

One way that jewellers can determine whether a pearl is cultivated or natural is by x-raying the pearl. If the grit in the centre of the pearl is a perfect sphere, then the jeweller knows it is cultivated.
This is because when the cultivators insert the grit, (usually a polished piece of mussel shell), it is always perfectly round, so as to produce a more expensive, perfectly round pearl. If the centre is not perfectly round, the jeweller recognises that it is genuine, and gives it a higher value. Imitation pearls are much easier to identify by jewellers.
Some imitation pearls are simply made of mother-of-pearl, coral or conch, while others are made from glass and are coated with a solution containing fish scales called essence d'Orient.
Although imitation pearls look the part, they do not have the same weight or smoothness as real pearls, and their luster will also dim greatly.

Answer 3

Don't think there would be much difference between wild and cultured pearls. Actually the superior technique for manufacturing a pearl is to implant an oyster with a pre-cultured 'seed' pearl and waiting the 6-7 years for it to gain the requisite size. There is a very unusual technique for producing pearl objects in the form of figurines or crucifixes within live oysters up to 5cm in size.. but I don't think you'll find it on the net!
As a rough guide ..if it's irregular in shape and not classically pink, it's probably 'natural'

Answer 4

bite it