STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Kelly · Hermes

how do I tell real pearls from fake?

relrel · Marc Jacobs

you're supposed to be able to do what's known as a "tooth test". you can rub the pearls across the front of your teeth and real pearls will feel gritty while fake pearls will feel smooth. this isn't a perfect method though.

however, there's also the difference between natural and cultured pearls. natural pearls are just that, completely natural, while cultured pearls have been farmed by inserting the grains of sand periodically to force the oyster to make the pearl. natural pearls are way more expensive than cultured pearls but there is no good at-home method for telling the difference, a jeweler would have to use an x-ray machine to see inside the drilled hole.

are you going to be selling everything, or just handling the divvying up (or whatever the nice word is there) for family members? if you are going to be selling it, i would seriously suggest getting a real jeweler in there. you don't want to be underselling anything. the family lawyer should be able to recommend somebody to do the appraisal on everything. it would also be a good idea to get the jewelry appraised so that if you are keeping anything then you can get it insured at the right amount.

Kelly · Hermes

thanks, I didn't know about that tooth test at all...certainly easier than bringing a big box to a jeweler!

We're keeping the real and expensive pieces in my family, just between my mother and me. Otherwise, we just have boxes and boxes of costume jewelry that we'll never wear (we have quite different taste from our dear friends, sadly!). We're only giving away the costume jewelry to friends and other members of our family :)

bloomie · Marc Jacobs

I have always heard that if you drop pearls in vinegar and they dissolve...then they were real. That is not a viable option in my opinion. I don't know if it is true, but please don't try it. I would hate to be responsible and would hate for you to lose your pearls.

Kelly · Hermes

hahahahahaha

that is interesting, though...I've never heard that!

theotherjess · Chanel

Real pearls are a lot heavier than fake ones too. Not really a test, but just a heads up.

ejc423 · Coach

I learned about the "tooth test" when I was probably in middle school, and I tried it on all my mother's jewelry. It works.

Kelly · Hermes

thanks for the tips, everyone!

thanks to the tooth test, I've just discovered that the two pearl strands I have with me are fake. Maybe when I go visit my family this weekend I'll be able to find authentic replicas... I'd love if it we have a (real) heavier version of my pearl rope, because it's beautiful but it flies everywhere when I go dancing!

-- Edited by ttara123 at 22:52, 2006-05-22

Cortney1982 · Chanel

This is funny, I remember in second grade about a different tooth test on pearls. This one girl said if you bite on it and it breaks it's fake, if it doesn't it's real. Well, she of course had a fake strand but some were "real" (since she didn't bite hard enough) and some were fake on the same strand, go figure!