Pearls - what's the difference?

turbo77 on 31/07/2013 - 14:01

hi all,

going overseas to Shanghai, my mom wants me to get some pearls for her. i read about south sea, sea and fresh water pearls.
what i have read south sea are the most expensive of the lot as it all natural.

doe anyone know the current market value of them or how to really check if its a real or a fake ( read about rubbing the pearl on teeth for grind feel and look for imperfections like dint etc that how you know it a real) but manufactures can imitate these things by now and by scratching it to see also devalues the pearl?

any tips be great.

cheers

General Discussion

Comments

  • bajillionaire on 31/07/2013 - 19:16

    Genuine pearls will dissolve in vinegar.

  • ZippyRoo on 31/07/2013 - 21:51
    +1

    I love pearls, I think other than jade, they're probably the second hardest precious material to judge their quality on. Yes, they should be powdery when you grind it with your teeth but it's not something you'd do in front of the seller. A lot of the judgement comes from experience. If you look at the imitation (plastic) pearls, you can see that the lustre almost looks too shiny, it doesn't have that milky shine you'd get from real pearls.

    Shanghai is not the best place to buy South Sea pearls or Tahitian pearls, probably not even that good to get Akoya pearls, all of the above 3 will be quite expensive and you'll only find them in high end shops. South Sea pearls, especially the golden ones are the most expensive but compared to other places in the world, Australia actually offers some excellent prices if you shop around and bargain with shop owners.

    However, you'll be in heaven for Fresh Water pearls when you're in Shanghai. They're everywhere! Even local markets have them. Because these pearls are cultured, they're generally very easy to do and most sellers won't even bother selling you fake plastic ones. If they tell you it's a fresh water pearl, it usually is. If you go to Cheng-Huang Temple, you'll find pearls in every shop. As a general rule, a pair of earrings will be around RMB30 (AUD5) and a necklace will be around RMB100 or less. I once picked up a long strand (waist length or maybe even longer) of light purple fresh water pearls for RMB150 which is less than AUD30! Bring a calculator and make use of your bargaining skills. If you want to buy something nicer, you can find a lot of high end jewellery stores on Huai Hai Road and they will have beautiful South Sea pearls set on 18kt gold or platinum, but they will be thousands and you're probably better off buying them back at home.

    Trust me, I'm from Shanghai and Fresh Water pearls are everywhere, not so much the others. :) Enjoy your pearls.

    • anastasiastarz on 26/06/2022 - 04:37

      Do you have any tips on buying pearls in Australia?

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