Some of the enchanting beauty of pearls come from their uniqueness: no two pearls are alike. Nature rarely replicates its creations; pearls are seldom perfect and identical. In other words, if a strand of pearls present with no imperfections it is likely an imitation. To further investigate:

• Tooth test: although not sanitary, lightly rub pearls against the biting edge of your upper teeth. Real pearls will feel gritty and sandy whereas imitation pearls are likely to feel smooth.

• Flaw test: if pearls appear flawless, they may be an imitation. Pearls are rarely perfect, hence their unique beauty.

• Heaviness test: bounce the pearls in the cup of your hand. Unless the imitations pearls have solid glass beads, imitation pearls feel lighter than cultured pearls.

• Matching test: look at the virtues of pearls described above. Imitations are often perfectly matched.