Queen of Gems | Natural and Cultured Pearls

ja9garnett (49)in #steemstem • 6 years ago (edited)

A short story...

Long time ago, a merchant who’s far from his home is looking for a gift for his wife. Along with his journey as he travels with his merchandise, he arrived to the place where a great trading of pearls exists - a very known town for its beautiful pearls. There he started to look for the most genuine pearls that he could buy, at last he found the most famous trader of genuine pearls in the town.

As a merchant, he’s being meticulous in examining fake pearls from the authentic one. For this gift is for his wife’s birthday, he decided to buy a necklace made with either natural pearls or cultured one. As he went to the store, these are the identification he does for searching an authentic one:

Luster

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Looking through a genuine pearl you can see the difference from the imitated one. First it is their luster called as “mirror-bright” which is very common classifications for the gems. A natural or cultured one is always bright and creamy. When it’s exposed to light it reflects a piercing, friable and highly defined surface unlike the fake one which lacks of luminosity.

Size Imperfections

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Genuine pearls are noted for its irregularities of their shapes, real pearls are very rare to be seen as perfectly round or sphere.

Heaviness

Fake pearl has lighter weight than the real one which has a dense nacre that added to its weight. But take note some are made also from glass which can make the buyer fooled for it.

Color

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Good-quality pearls are usually having their overtone or a body color and stick to its usual color every time.

Temperature

Real pearls are usual cool to touch and adapts body warm when touched, however a fake one has its room temperature at first touch.

Tooth Test

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In determining a real one it can be identified using a tooth. It is rub on one of your teeth and you can feel the sandy, gritty, rough, coarse texture of its surface all because of its nacre.

10X Magnification

Here you can see the quite smooth to smooth surface and appears a maze-like pattern which result to its gritty texture.

After he checked the pearls and identifying that they are good quality one, he settled for the pearls with its golden hues. He thinks that it’s perfect for his wife’s creamy white skin and could enhanced her beauty by wearing one.

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From that country the merchant decided it’s time to go back home and present his gift to his wife. Gladly the wife was very surprised by his gift and they live happy throughout their lives.

Nacre – it is produced by mollusks as an inner shell layer and outer layer coating. The hard and bright substance.