How To Tell If Pearls Are Real: 7 Ways To Spot Genuine Pearls
With so much imitation pearl jewellery on the market, knowing how to tell a genuine pearl from a fake is a useful skill, whether you're buying, inheriting, or simply curious about a piece already in your jewellery box. Here are seven ways to check.
1. Try the tooth test
Gently rub the pearl against the edge of your front tooth. A genuine pearl, with its layered nacre, feels slightly gritty or sandy. An imitation, usually glass or plastic coated, feels perfectly smooth.
2. Check the weight
Real pearls are denser than most imitations. Held in the hand, a genuine pearl feels surprisingly heavy for its size, while a fake often feels light and hollow.
3. Look closely for imperfections
Because they're grown by a living oyster, genuine pearls are almost never perfectly uniform. Slight variations in shape, subtle surface characteristics and minor differences between pearls in a strand are all signs of the real thing. Imitation pearls tend to be suspiciously identical.
4. Examine the drill hole
Under magnification, a genuine pearl's drill hole shows the layered, slightly rough structure of nacre. On an imitation, you'll often see a coating that's chipped, peeling, or a different colour to the pearl's "skin", a sign the colour is only surface-deep.
5. Assess the lustre
Genuine pearls have a deep, three-dimensional glow, light seems to come from within the pearl as well as reflect off its surface. Imitation pearls usually have a flat, uniform shine that sits only on the surface.
6. Check the temperature
Pearls are cool to the touch when you first pick them up, warming slowly against your skin, much like a stone. Glass and plastic imitations tend to reach room temperature almost immediately.
7. Ask for provenance and certification
The most reliable way to know your pearls are genuine is provenance. Reputable pearl jewellers can tell you the pearl type, origin and grading of every piece they sell. At AUTORE MODA, every South Sea pearl is traceable back to the AUTORE Group's own farms in Australia and Indonesia, and graded against the AUTORE Five S's™ classification system.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you tell if pearls are real just by looking at them?
Often, yes. Genuine pearls show natural surface variation and a deep, layered lustre, while imitations tend to look suspiciously uniform with a flat shine. For certainty, combine a visual check with the tooth, weight and temperature tests.
Do fake pearls feel different to real ones?
Yes. Real pearls feel slightly gritty against a tooth's edge and noticeably heavier than their size suggests. Imitation pearls feel smooth and comparatively light.
Are cultured pearls "real" pearls?
Yes, cultured pearls are genuine pearls grown inside a living oyster or mussel, just with human assistance to start the process. Today, cultured pearls make up around 99% of the pearl jewellery market; natural pearls (formed entirely without assistance) are exceptionally rare.
What's the easiest way to be sure my pearls are genuine?
Buy from a jeweller who can tell you the pearl's type, origin and grading. At AUTORE MODA, every South Sea pearl is traceable to the AUTORE Group's own farms, from oyster to finished piece.
Shop AUTORE MODA's South Sea pearl jewellery, sustainably sourced from our own farms, or read our guide to pearl types and origins.
