June 22, 2009

Imitation Pearls

Another question that I have been asked recently is “Do pearls get made synthetically now?” The answer is yes; synthetic pearls do exist and can be found in many high street shops. However, synthetic pearls are not real pearls and they are usually referred to as “imitation pearls”. These “pearls” are made of crushed shell which is then treated with a resin to stabilize and harden it into a solid mass. This mass can then be shaped, dyed and polished to resemble real pearl. Most synthetics are painted on enamelled glass or something similar. An important fact to note is that all the pearls used within the Mai Pearls designs are all Chinese freshwater pearls and no imitation pearls are used.

Posted: June 22, 2009 02:31 PM