How do I know it's not shell pearl?

[mvpearl]

I bought these champagne SSP 9.5mm at a trusted vendor. They were undrilled and were mostly tear dropped shaped. I had to go through for almost an hour trying to find more round ones and as blemish-free as possible. I couldn't get all with similar overtones and chose more for roundness/luster and as close in color as possible. Back story is that the previous week I picked thru all the better quality ones and these were all she had left in stock for champagnes and not alot in this smaller size or color. There are some with black pits. Can you all tell me more about it? My sister (whom I bought it for) asked me how to know they're not shell pearls or fakes. Please advise. Excuse ahead of time if pics don't attach. I tried doing it on my mobile and clicked on the full site button which gave me option to upload. May have to wait till I'm in front of computer if this attachment doesn't work. Thx.

 

[mvpearl]

Also I have bluish tinted windows so you may see bluish due to filtered light in 2nd pic. Pic#1&3 I moved to better lighting.

 

[Lugana]

Hi, and welcome to the forum)
If the pearls are from a trusted vendor, as you say, may I ask why do you doubt their nature?.. Reputable vendors wouldn't stake their reputation.
To tell fake pearl from real pear is easy: just rub two pearls against each other gently, if the contact is completely smooth - they are imitations, if there is some grainy uneven feeling between them - they are real (or very good imitations, but usually it's not the case).
The main question for me would be whether they are SSP indeed or died freshwaters. What do you mean by "black pits"? Can you close up on that aspect in the photo?

 

[mvpearl]

I don't doubt them but I didn't have an answer for my sister as to how do I know they're not shell pearls. I did do the teeth as well as scratch test. I've bought quite a lot from the vendor and based on just buying experience of SSP from the 2 vendors and comparing them to the hundreds of other stalls, I do recognize the SSP. Short of looking under a loupe and xray , what are some other things to rule out shell pearls? Coworkers have bought from this vendor numerous times and their families are in the jewelry business. Coworkers had them independently appraised at 4-5x what they were bought for. Thx.

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

I didn't have an answer for my sister as to how do I know they're not shell pearls.

Pearls grow with concentric lines radiating outward from the nucleus. Beads made from cut shell have visible bisected lines at the surface. The nucleus radiates inward from outside the circle.

 

[mvpearl]

Thank you!!

 

[BWeaves]

Dave's diagram shows the difference better than I could have described it. Perfect diagram.

Also, I think a mother of pearl shell bead isn't going to look anything like a pearl. It won't have nacre all the way around it like a real pearl would.

I'd be more concerned that they are real pearls, but Chinese freshwater pearls rather than South Sea pearls. I cannot tell from your photos.

 

[pattye]

"Real" cultured pearls will show subtle differences in shape, size, color, no matter how well they are matched. These indicators are very clear in your photos, and your Sister will be able to observe this, too. Best observed on a white paper towel, white napkin or something similar. Kinds of blemishes, such as light ring, or partial ring, dents or small pits will be present on some pearls, unless you are paying for a very high quality, and even then there may be a few on close inspection.

Imitation or "shell" pearls will have no difference in color or size (though some can be graduated). They will not have blemishes. Close inspection of the drill hole, which is often larger than in cultured pearls, will not have the crisp edge of a drilled pearl, but will often show some build up of the coating.

I feel you chose the pearls well, it's a lovely necklace!

 

[SunSeeker]

Your strand is lovely

 

[Abi]

Such lovely GSSPs!

 

[mvpearl]

Thank you all for the info and your kind words! I'll let her know what the forum here said. If she wants to get them appraised she can do it in the U.S. ☺

 

[amti]

China uses a lot of shell pearls, which are not really shells but beads with a coating to mimic pearls. Dave's picture shows a true shell bead. The Chinese shell pearls are not like that. I ordered a strand of shell beads for the clasp, which was marked 14k and sold as 14k. However, it failed the acid test big time. This link https://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/showthread.php?10271-Ebay-Chinese-Pearl-Buying-Adventure-Part-2 shows closeups of the shell pearls. You'll notice the same color in every bead, and practically no flaws. I am curious about your pearls. The colors look very pink to me.

 

[Katbran]

That might be the lighting amti - the whole centre of the shot looks pale pink and it's a white background. Might be reflecting off something.

 

[mvpearl]

I'll try to get a better shot and post later. Can't remember how I uploaded it last time. It might be the lighting as I have weird tinted blue windows so when I look at the pics some do look bluish and some rose tinted. I would need to go outside for better lighting. I did go back to the vendor and switched out 4 pearls that had some surface flaws that I didn't care for (if you zoom in the middle pic you might see a blemish/pit(s)). Look forward to hearing your thoughts after I post. Thx!

 

[mvpearl]

amti -Thank you for the link. The close up helped with seeing the coating of the sea shell. I think Chinese ones are like a powdery coating from grind up sea shells? Is that right? I'm only basing on googling. Thx for educating me!

 

[Katbran]

I thought they used fish scales ground up and mixed with resin or some such binder.

mvpearl - the necklace looks very pretty and they look real. Can't tell from the photos exactly what you have - pits are common on SS . The colour isn't coming through for me at all. They look pink.

 

[Sanippy]

I reduced the blue cast in the middle photo. They look pretty!

 

[Pearl Dreams]

My understanding is that most imitation pearls are beads coated with essence d'orient-- substances obtained from fish scales, with a lacquer-- but that shell pearls' coating is made from ground-up pearl nacre.

Either way, they are imitation.
And I suspect some vendors may call their fake pearls "shell pearls" while they may actually be the more common fake pearls with the essence d'orient coating.