Fake, Imitation, Laguna, Faux, Majorica, Majorcan, Swarovski Pearl Photos, Stories

[perlmutter]

Thanks for the info Pearl Dreams.

This thread has been very helpful as I like occasionally to buy faux pearls so pictures of various imitations are great. Would like to contribute my shell pearl earrings and plastic bead strand. Earrings are 10mm and I included a close up when you can see that surfaces are not ideal but on ears they look pretty good. The necklace was a gift and sold as real (?) thing by a clueless store clerk. No one in right mind would think those were real pearls - everything about them is fakeupon closer inspection. I do like the look as the color is interesting and goes with a lot of my clothes.

 

[pattye]

Perlmutter,

Nice addition to our examples. The necklace reminds me of our "pondslime" pearls, which can be a browny beige, though more mottled than yours. A pleasant color, as you mentioned! Earrings look pretty realistic.

 

[perlmutter]

Pattye,
I agree these shell pearls look more real than some other imitations. There is a bit of mother of pearl mixed, as I've read, so it's a different look. I saw Majorica strand at a high end department store and they looked very different than real pearls to me. With shell peals, there is no immediate certainty that they're fake.

Not sure of durability for shell pearls as these earrings are my first experience with this particular imitation but I do think the surfaces wore in a bit over the year that I've had them. I do wear them a lot - they're my favorite earrings.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

I bought a few Swarovski imitation pearls to make earrings with. I like their luster...it's not high gloss, but a nice metallic look.

These are 10mm and have the small holes-- smaller than are usually seen with glass imitation pearls (they are also sold with larger holes.)
Swarovski pearls have a lead crystal bead and are heavier than regular glass pearls. I was surprised how heavy these were, actually. I wonder what a whole strand would feel like on the neck.

The surface of the pearls was nice but the drill holes were not equally good. Each bead seems to have one good hole and one not-so-nice-looking hole.
The below beads were the worst of the lot:

 

[Katbran]

I do like to use a few good fakes as well in some designs! Those are quite pretty, like that light bronzey colour!



If anyone knows a source for really really big shell pearls or other nice fakes...like 40mm ... do send me a note! I've found them easily up to 20 but I want to do something with large wood and huge pearl beads.

 

[dkan 168]

Here are some of my pearl pendants, the 3 at the back are real pearls in set in white gold; and the two in the front are fakes, in rhodium plated metal set with CZ or paste.

The two fake pearl pendants were 38 Canadian Dollars a piece I believe, which I thought was good value for money, as from a distance, they look good to the untrained eyes.

DK

 

[pattye]

DK,

Great examples! I feel single pearls, as nicely set as these, are much more difficult to judge as fakes than a whole strand.

 

[pattye]

Tonight I was browsing through the pearl category at etsy and came across this listing for genuine Mallorca pearls: https://www.etsy.com/listing/95349082/exquisite-vintage-genuine-mallorca-pearl?

Yes, I did send her a message with an explanation that they were manmade and how. Wonder what she paid for them?

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Wow, that is hugely overpriced, Pattye.

 

[Naan]

You can enlage image by double click
Fake Tahitians

 

[pattye]

Naan,

Is this the "pearl" that you think has metal inside? Was it part of a necklace?

 

[Naan]

It was undrilled pearl when I purchased it as real Tahitian pearl After drilling i am understand it fake. This pearl was slightly gritty and cold
But is fake

 

[pearlescence]

Wows Pattye, that is certainly an ambitious price! the listing is unchanged - did she respond to you?

 

[pattye]

Wendy, no response.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

I made these with the Swarovski imitation pearls from post #64 above. These are 10mm.

I have to say I enjoyed working with them, and like the look-- even though they are imitation! Something new, fun and inexpensive to wear this spring.
I made similar earrings for my mother and her friend as well.

The Swarovski pearls do not look like real pearls. Not lustrous enough-- more of a soft, surface metallic shine. And a range of nice colors, for beaders.

 

[Sarah]

I made these with the Swarovski imitation pearls from post #64 above. These are 10mm.

I have to say I enjoyed working with them, and like the look-- even though they are imitation! Something new, fun and inexpensive to wear this spring.
I made similar earrings for my mother and her friend as well.

The Swarovski pearls do not look like real pearls. Not lustrous enough-- more of a soft, surface metallic shine. And a range of nice colors, for beaders.

Wow, so pretty! I suppose many folks don't recognize real pearls either, let alone fakes. These are beautiful, wearable and affordable designs. Love them!

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Thank you! The metallic leather cords are so useful now that precious metal is costly.

 

[pattye]

Very cool! I thought it might be the silky cord, but metallic leather is gorgeous and probably more longer lasting.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

An advantage of the leather is that if the holes are the right size, there is enough friction that you don't have to anchor the beads in one specific place. Friction will keep them there unless you deliberately move them.

The leather was 1.5mm and the bead holes had to be enlarged a bit. (I used a small battery powered bead reamer, submerged the Swarovski pearl in a small bowl of water to lubricate the reamer bit and trap glass dust, and drilled away! Very easy.)

 

[Mommy33]

This subject and the wonderful info shared has already helped me...wow! I just purchased some FW pearls online that had lots of pictures. Since I haven't gotten them yet I am a bit nervous. They are higher end than usual. So I just looked at the pictures (pictures on this site are supposedly of the actual pearls sold to me) and the less round pearls show an elongated shadow...the shadows ARE different. The colors vary too. Thank you so much.

Many of the fakes would surely fool me. I am such a newbie. Beautiful.