Pearls and diamonds are the centers of jewelry designs since time immemorial. There are several ways of pearl stringing to create beautiful jewelry. Remember that pearls are as delicate as they are precious. 

However, with technological development, there are many artificial pearls. Humans even developed techniques to farm and harvest pearls. There are ways you can identify natural pearls and diamonds. In this article, you will get the basics of identifying natural pearls and diamonds.  

History and Symbolism of Pearls 

The application of pearls in jewelry accompanies back to ancient Greece. Many cultures held pearls with high regard. In the Byzantine empire, only the emperor had the right to wear pearls. Many other cultures had restrictions on who could wear the precious gem. 

In England, the 16th century was branded the pearl age. It is the century that they discovered the value of the naturally occurring gem. Pearls were harvested to near extinction. To meet the market demand, the Japanese started to farm pearls. They did this by introducing an irritant into a mollusk. 

Many societies thought that pearls possess some magical powers. They even associated it with the moon. In China, pearl stringing was done to protect people from dragons and fire.

In other parts of the world, pearls were a symbol of purity and modesty.

Pearl Stringing

Every jeweler should have an art of pearl stringing. It is necessary since they will get numerous orders that involve pearls. You can’t handle pearls like any other gemstone; they are delicate, and you may damage them in the process. 

There are several tools you need for pearl stringing. They include;

• pearl knotting tool
• gimp
• flush cutter
•  scissors and tweezers
• Carded silk cord
• Fine shears
• Lighter
• clasp
•  glue or clear nail polish
• pearls 

Ensure that the pearls are bot so small that they break during stringing—the silk number should correspond to the pearl thickness. You can use one number above or lower. Ensure there is minimal resistance when stringing. You can research for videos on how to undertake the pearl stringing process.

How to Identify Naturally Occurring Pearls

Naturally accusing pearls are rare to find. However, they both natural and cultured pearls grow within a mollusk. Thus, identifying them apart is a challenging task. The only sure way to describe them alone is through an x-ray examination. 

Since in every industry, there are cheats; you will find pearl imitations anywhere in the world. If you do not have a slight idea to identify the natural and cultured pearls, you will be duped. 

Use a white surface and roll the pearls under direct light. If the pearl appears to blink, it means it has a thin nacre layer; hence it is cultured. A natural curl will not blink. 

How to Identify a Real Diamond

Diamond is another gemstone that makes a statement in the jewelry industry. It is the hardest gemstone on the Mohs scale. It, you do not need to use a delicate procedure like pearl stringing. However, there are real and fake diamonds. Also, natural diamonds have different qualities. 

There are several techniques you can hold to identify a real diamond. Below are a few steps you can take at home to tell if your diamond is natural or not. 

Water Test

Diamonds have a high density. So, it is common sense that the gemstone will sink once you drop it in water. Use a clear glass of water so that you can see the behavior of the stone once you drop it in the water. If it does not rest at the bottom of the glass, then it is a fake.

Heat Test

Diamond is a very compact compound. It has a very high melting point. We cannot get that even on the hottest furnace on earth. If you need to identify a real diamond, a heat test will help. Hold your gemstone with a tong. Heat is over open fore for about one minute. Drop the hot jewel into a glass of cold water. If it cracks or shatters, don’t be sad, it was a fake. A real diamond will withstand any temperature.

Fog Test

Sometimes you may have a diamond already in your jewelry. You can still run a simple check. Take your jewelry near your mouth. Blow a puff of air over it. Fog will form around it if the gemstone is real. The fog will disappear immediately. For a fake diamond, the fog will rest for a few seconds.

Conclusion

There is so much you can learn about pearls and diamonds. Both are precious stones with opposite levels of hardness. Also, you can learn the art of pearl stringing and start a small business in your neighborhood.