Originally Posted by TievoliJewelry

There definitely is an easier test to determine whether or not the strand is real. The most basic method is what we like to call "the tooth test". Take the necklace and run one of the beads against the biting edge of one of your front teeth. If there is a gritty feeling it is possibly a real pearl. Compare the texture to that of a smooth bead, or a piece of plastic. Pearls are made up of concentric layers of nacre so they have a scaley texture and you can feel this with your teeth.