Golden pearl treatments

[kelluvpearls]

There seem to be a lot more golden coloured pearls available lately. I was wondering if we can differentiated those that has been treated (e.g. dyed) from those with natural colouring easily? How can we tell if the pearls have undergone treatment?

 

[JBazar]

The number one indicator when differentiating real golden pearls from dyed is to look very closely at the drill holes of the pearl. On enhanced or dyed pearls you will notice a small ring of dark color around the drill hole where the dye is thicker. The other way to determine weather a strand is dyed is to take a look at the uniformity of the strand. If the strand is perfectly matched in a very deep gold and the price does not reflect the overall quality of the strand then that can be cause for suspicion. Deep gold strands that are well matched fetch very large sums of money, so if the price of the strand is in the low thousands and the pearls are good sized and round take a closer look. A lot of people are dying golden strands and not disclosing it so if the price is too good to be true take a second look. Also by buying from a trusted vendor with a good reputation you should not have to worry about this. People who dye golden pearls often have a less than stellar reputation in the industry.

 

[kelluvpearls]

Thank you for replying JBazar. Will there still be a small ring of darker colour around the drill hole if the pearl was dyed pre-drilled?

 

[pattye]

Hi kelluvpearls,

Do you have a loupe for examining your pearls? Josh's advice is very good. Examining pearls under magnification whether you are purchasing or not will help you become familiar with subtle differences.

 

[Caitlin]

I remember from a Strack lecture several years ago that the color can also collect in the divots or pits, or fine lines on the surface,. So get a strong magnifying glass or a loupe to look on the surface as well.

 

[kelluvpearls]

Hi Pattye and Caitlin

Thank you for the loupe suggestions, I have one and will study my pearls more closely. I'll need to get some dyed pearls and see if I can differentiate between dyed and undyed pearls.

 

[jacques.christophe]

Hi Kelluvpearls,

If you are sensitive to luster and orient, these are the two factors which seem to change quite a bit when the pearl is dyed. In my experience, just from looking with a naked eye, it almost seems as though the light does go through the layers of nacre, therefore orient is very minimal and color seems to be only on the surface. Hope these comments help. The best is always to ask before you buy, and as Josh mentioned, try to stick to your reputable suppliers in order to be sure.

 

[Cees]

on the Hong Kong Fair in June I noticed many enchanted golden pearls. Wished they had tried to make them into Tahiti's