[jyllann]

Good Morning,

I love pearls and have done a ton of reading here on information that all you good folks have supplied...However, I am still very confused on the "tooth test". I have read that gently rubbing them on your tooth is a sure sign and then I read later on that it is not. Can someone please set me straight? Thanks for all your help. Jyll

[mikehrz]

I found this post
http://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/sho...?p=111#post111

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.

Note the word "possibly." Zeide posted elsewhere (don't remember where) that some beads that are not geniune pearls can also pass the test. So I guess if it doesn't pass the test, then most likely it's not a real pearl, and if it does, then it might be. No doubt someone who knows more than I do will be happy to help you.

[Kevin Canning]

while there may be some beads that could pass the tooth test I think generally if you feel that gritty feeling you are getting real pearls.

[purepearls]

It's best to test the pearls on the front of your tooth, not the biting edge. I find it's easier to feel the grittiness because the front of your tooth is very sensitive and much smoother than the edge of your tooth. It's also easier when you have something of comparison so if you have a faux set of pearls or plastic beads, try both one after the other and see if you find a difference.

[perlas]

If there are fake pearls that can pass the tooth test (though I haven't encountered one yet), there are also real pearls that can fail the tooth test if the coating is too thick. In such case, I check on the drill holes.

[jyllann]

Thank you, thank you, thank you all. I appreciate all the answers. I can make better purchases as an infomed shopper. Jyll

[Taylor]

I found you can also rub two of the pearls gently together. Fakes slide easily with no resistance. Non-fakes will slightly resist each other. I like this better than putting flea market stuff in my mouth. I think some old hollow filled glass fakes I bought on eBay might have passed the tooth test just because the glass was so scratched. But they were so old there was no question they were fake when I saw them in person. When you look down the drill hole, what exactly are you supposed to see if fake, if cultured, if natural? I've searched the forums but still can't quite figure this out.

[jshepherd]

This was just posted to YouTube recently (not by us). It takes the "tooth test" to a whole new level!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=DEqpIc_ENLM

[Nerida]

Cutest thing ever! Thanks Jeremy!

[CLICLASP]

Congratulations Laura,
testing not only the pearls but also the stringing ..........

[pattye]

Adorable! Does she belong to one of our forum members?

pattye
so many pearls, so little time

[Satine De La Courcel]

Hi Jeremy,

Yep takes it to a whole new level! entertainign to say the least..

cheers
Ash