I have seen this line sold on HSN too. If you go to
www.hsn.com and search undert technibond pearl it usually brings them up. In their case they claim they are almost "real" because the "pearls" are mother of shell beads coated in a "marine solution" that is almost the same as an oyster's nacre. I think the item description at HSN even explains a little about the coating.
The first time I saw them presented on the air the host talked about how they felt cold when first put on like a real cultured pearl does. When I watched, they didn't say anything about confusing them with the real thing, but did make it sound like these pearl plated beads (here is where that term truly should apply) were a good alternative to south seas.
If you look at the customer ratings, people who have seen the real thing say these beads look fake and could never be confused with actual pearls.