Article Topic: Identification of imitation black pearls through the investigation of drill holes made in the pearl.

Gem Material: ‘Black Pearl’ (Plastic)
Author: Ronnie Bauer
Abstract from Article:
‘What makes this imitation strand unusual was that it displayed a very fine “luster” and outer coating was not very smooth to the touch. Though the feel was not gritty like natural or cultured pearl, the drag effect was enough to cause one to take a second look at the strand. Also the heft of the beads was unusually heavy for imitation pearls and more consistent with heft of cultured black Tahitian/Cook Island type pearls.’

Please contact BAUER at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it if you would like to access the whole article incl. images.