Pearl earrings and other pearl jewelry are known for their elegance, no doubt about it. If you are going to a formal event, you can never go wrong with pearls as accessory. Pearl earrings, necklaces and bracelets always connote style, class and sophistication. Pearls are very flexible, too. You can dress very simply, or you can dress to the nines, but wearing a pair of pearl earrings or a string of pearls on your neck will never fail to complete your look. This is exactly why every woman should own at least one piece of pearl jewelry in her lifetime.

Pearl jewelry, such as these earrings, can be a girl’s bestfriend:

Pearls are greatly valued and expensive because aside from their beauty, they are rare and quite difficult to culture. Authentic pearls can last years and years, too, without diminishing in beauty. Pearl jewelry, in fact, can make a really precious heirloom piece — something one woman can pass on to the next generations of women in the family.

Pearls jewelry pieces, like this string of pearls, are timeless!

Women ought to beware, though, as many jewelry pieces are made of fake pearls. Fake pearls may look just as beautiful without being too pricey, but they still don’t come close to the real thing. How can you tell whether the pearl is fake or real? There are actually a few simple tests you can do to make sure you get only the authentic ones.

1. The Weight Test. Bounce the pearls carefully in your hand. Real pearls actually feel heavy to hold while the fake ones feel unusually light.

2. The Magnifying Glass Test. Get a magnifying glass and examine the pearls very closely and try to spot flaws or blemishes. Real pearls mostly have their characteristic minimal ridges, irregularities and imperfections. The fake ones, on the other hand, look wonderfully smooth and flawless.

3. The Sun Test. Take your pearls out into the sun or hold them up one by one under a bright indoor light. Real pearls won’t be perfectly matched under the light or under the sun. You will see variations in the pearls’ iridescence and color. Fake pearls are mostly perfectly matched for their color and overtones.

4. The Tooth Test. Put the pearl in your mouth and rub it very lightly or softly across your upper front teeth. Be very careful not to swallow it. Real pearls feel sandy or gritty while the fake ones will feel smooth.

Not all pearl experts find this a reliable test, though.

5. The Price Test. You can tell a real pearl from the fake one by just basing on the price. You should know beforehand the average price of authentic pearls from known dealers. Real pearls have a comparative or reasonable price while fake pearls are unbelievably cheap or discounted.

Of course, if you still cannot tell from these simple tests, you can try drilling a tiny hole in the pearls (preferably after buying them, of course). Get a magnifying glass and examine the edges of the hole. Real pearls will have smooth and sharp edges while fake ones will have bumpy or ragged edges.

Remember, though, that there are two types of real pearls, the natural and the cultured.

Cultured pearls like this are still considered genuined pearls:

Real pearls may also either come from freshwater or saltwater. And there are also slight differences between these kinds of real pearls, so it is still best to talk about this with your dealer. After all, pearls are a great investment, and you wouldn’t want to invest on something you have no previous knowledge about.