Pearl testing

[Caitlin]

http://www1.uni-hamburg.de/mpi/museum/en/perlen/perlen_en.html

The Mineralogical Museum of the University of Hamburg is offering an identification service for pearls using different X-ray methods: X-ray tests can show whether

• a pearl is natural or cultured
• a cultured pearl is bead- or tissue-nucleated
• a pearl is from marine or freshwater sources.

Interesting pictures in this link

 

[R Garten]

Very interesting pictures. I wonder if theres a lot of fake pearls being sold in Hamburg. Either way its a great service for those of us who are really interested in their jewelry.

 

[Valeria101]

I wonder if there's a lot of fake pearls being sold in Hamburg.

No idea... however, after spending a good while in both Germany and the US, the image of pearls in jewelry is quite different with more recognition to the unusual and way more 'presence' of natural ones on this side. No wonder certification is in demand. Someone with better insight in the industry could probably come up with a good 'measure' of this cultural difference... to me, it is a different 'landscape', but can't quite point the finger to one compelling fact (fewer pearls altogether, more diverse, more extreme prices at both ends in Europe - how could all those traits fit together? - must be missing something).

 

[Valeria101]

Along the same lines: what are (some of) the identifying characteristics of natural VS. non-nucleated cultured pearls? Is this a clear-cut, safe-bet ID already?


E.G:

- natural VS. cultured identification patterns on a Bahrain lab's site

- and more in GIA Insider 24-II-06

from such superficial presentations and few images, a couple of questions emerge: #1. nuclei are easy to find, thus not an ID problem, #2 some of the cultured and some of the natural pearls have no discernible internal structure at all, right?, #3 the cavities cited by the Hamburg lab as mark of cultured pearls appear in naturals according to GIA. Finally, #5. if identification really is not simple, do these guys share notes on ID (as it happened for Be treated sapphires, say, where labs publish and share research on identification) ?

I realize that what I have a hand is not good enough to ask questions. If comprehensive info is accessible, disregard questions - I'd be happy to take note.

Just curious