| Want to know if you've got the real thing? Rub | | | | either gray or black. These are rare, and as a |
| the strand across the front of your upper teeth. | | | | result, very expensive. |
| It may sound strange, but real pearls will feel | | | | As you can well imagine, it's a long, tedious |
| rough or gritty while fake ones will feel smooth. | | | | practice to find oysters that have ingested a |
| This is due to the micropores found on the | | | | piece of sand to produce a pearl. The longer a |
| genuine article. | | | | pearl stays inside an oyster, the larger it |
| Imitation pearls are usually made by dipping a | | | | becomes. Because of this, quality pearls are |
| glass or plastic bead into a solution of fish scales. | | | | considered rare and cost a pretty penny. |
| The coating is generally fairly thin and will chip | | | | Fortunately for those who favor this gem, there |
| over time. Check the pearls for tiny chips or | | | | are now farms in which the irritant is deliberately |
| flakes near the hole drilled through them. If you | | | | injected into the mollusk to produce the pearl. |
| see chips, chances are your pearls are fake. | | | | These pearls are known as cultured. |
| Try holding the pearls in your hand for a minute. | | | | When pearls are made without the benefit of a |
| Real pearls will feel cold initially, then will warm. | | | | mollusk, they're considered man-made. Man-made |
| Real pearls can be either natural or cultured. | | | | pearls are made by using a bit of sand or shell |
| Natural pearls are formed when a mollusk | | | | along with a fish-based product called hermage to |
| secretes a substance called nacre to coat an | | | | act as a substitute for the oyster's mucus. Other |
| irritant that makes its way inside the animal's shell. | | | | synthetic pearls include the "glass" pearl, a bead |
| Cultured pearls are formed with a little human help | | | | painted with hermage and left to dry and harden. |
| -- an irritant is purposely introduced into the shell | | | | These pearls have little or no value. |
| of the animal. You usually need an x-ray or an | | | | Freshwater pearls are produced by mussels. As |
| expert to distinguish between natural and cultured | | | | their name indicates, these pearls are found in |
| pearls. | | | | rivers and lakes rather than the ocean. Unlike the |
| Pearls differ from other gemstones in that they're | | | | oyster, the mussel can produce many different |
| not mined from rock, but rather harvested from | | | | pearls at once, sometimes as many as 40 or 50! |
| mollusks, especially oysters. Clams and mussels | | | | These pearls come in various shapes and sizes. |
| have been known to produce pearls as well. | | | | Pearls are considered classic and elegant. They're |
| Basically, a pearl is produced when an irritant such | | | | the first choice for bridal jewelry and have a |
| as sand gets caught inside the oyster. To protect | | | | reputation of looking good with any outfit, even |
| itself, the oyster secretes a substance akin to | | | | the most casual. They'll also add class and |
| mucus. This substance builds up around the sand | | | | elegance to the most formal wardrobe. If you're |
| and hardens. The end result is a pearl. | | | | considering a purchase of pearls, it's best to do |
| Natural or South Sea pearls are those made by | | | | some research to find the type of pearl best |
| mollusks harvested from the ocean. Every now | | | | suiting your needs and budget. |
| and then, one of the pearls will be a darker shade, | | | | Remember, everyone looks good in pearls! |