How to Avoid Traps When Buying Tahitian Pearls

To differentiate genuine Tahitian black pearls, consider the following points:

1. Price

Authentic Tahitian black pearls are expensive due to their quality and rarity. If the price is too low, it’s likely a dyed pearl. Currently, even a low-quality Tahitian necklace would cost at least SGD400 or USD300.

2. Color

Real Tahitian black pearls come in various colors, including black, gray, green, and blue. If a pearl is of a single tone, overly vibrant color, it may be artificially dyed or a fake.

Below is list of natural color for Tahitian pearls, any other color not listed here is likely dye pearl.

 

 Example of color dye pearls are listed below

3. Luster

Real Tahitian pearls have an oil-like shine that reflects light. If the luster appears dull or suspiciously fuzzy, it could be dyed.

4. Shape

Authentic Tahitian pearls come in various shapes, including round, near-round, and semi-round. If the shape is either irregular or too perfect, it could be artificial.

5. Surface

Authentic Tahitian pearls typically have slight texture variations or small indentations, while imitations are usually smoother without these details.

For dye pearl it usually have rough surfaces as the dye clumps on its surface. Usually freshwater pearls are use to dye and sell as saltwater Tahitian pearls.

Above shows a Dye Pearl with irregular rough surface. Below is a natural Tahitian pearl, the natural pearl are raise in depth of 30m and the high pressure cause the pearl to have more compact and smoother surface.

Below show a dye pearl under magnification lens and you can see some dye clumps collected in dents of pearl

Do look at the pearl drill hole if this is coated with color it likely a dye pearl.

These are just some basic ways to check. If you’re unsure about a pearl’s authenticity, it’s best to have it professionally tested.