You Bought Your Pearls Online. Are They Real?
Millions of shoppers are now buying their pearl jewelry online, often saving more than 85% off of the identical item from a bricks-and-mortar store. But how do you even know the pearls you purchased from an online auction or online store are genuine?
(PRWEB) October 12, 2005 -- Buying pearls sight unseen can be risky especially since there are many faux (fake) pearls available that can be nearly indistinguishable from the real thing. And even if you are buying genuine pearls, there is no industry standard grading system for pearls like there is for diamonds.
How To Recognize a Fake
Faux (fake) pearls, which have little to no value, can often be identified by using the “tooth test.” Gently bite the pearl with your front teeth, letting your teeth slide over the surface of the pearl. A real pearl feels very gritty while a faux pearl feels smooth. Real pearls are made up of layers of nacre that are deposited like sand on a beach. The slight waves and irregularities in the nacre produce a gritty or bumpy feeling against the teeth.
When purchasing a pearl, if the term faux, shell, Majorca, Mallorca, costume, or crystal is used in the description, then consider the pearl to be an imitation.
How To Determine Quality
Buying a quality pearl is just as important as making sure your pearl is real. Pearl quality is based on the following characteristics: shape, luster, blemishes, nacre, matching. These terms are defined as:
Shape: The roundness of a pearl. A round pearl is one that appears round to the eye. An off-round or near-round pearl appears almost round to the eye.
Luster: The true magic of a pearl lies in its luster. Luster is caused by light traveling through the nacre of the pearl and reflecting back, giving the pearl an inner glow. A quality pearl will always exhibit good luster. A pearl with high luster will clearly reflect objects near its surface.
Blemishes: While blemishes are undesirable, a blemish free pearl can be a sign of poor nacre thickness. It takes a combination of nacre thickness and minimal blemishes to make a quality pearl that will retain its value over time.
Nacre: This is one of the most important aspects of pearl quality because a pearl with thin nacre will not last. (Nacre is the natural substance produced by mollusks to make pearls.) A pearl with thin nacre, while often blemish free, will typically have a chalky or dull appearance unless it has been coated. Coated (or silicon treated) pearls have almost no value, and are often sold without this treatment being disclosed.
Matching: Like two snowflakes, no two pearls are exactly alike. But if each pearl in the strand harmonize to create a balanced effect, the strand is considered to have good matching.
About The Pearl Outlet
Founded in 1998, The Pearl Outlet is a leading Web-based retailer of pearl jewelry that features an extensive selection of pearls in countless varieties and qualities. Company founder and president, Terry Shepherd makes regular trips abroad to work directly with pearl farmers throughout Asia, securing the highest quality pearls at the most affordable prices. The Pearl Outlet is dedicated to educating customers, helping them to understand more about pearls and their proper care. For more information, visit www.thepearloutlet.com.
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