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AD12 India CB0
Pearls grow inside oysters and rarely elsewhere (bamboo, cobra, conch etc). Today cultured pearls are available which may be distinguished from genuine pearls by the bore, which is unifom in the genuine, but thin at the start and wide in the middle in the cultured pearl. Another difference is the structure, which is concentric in the genuine pearl, but parallel in the cultured. Natural pearls are also available. These are created like cultured pearls by the intentional insertion of foreign matter into the oyster, but mother-of-pearl is used rather than glass bead. natural pearls are better than cultured pearls, but both are acceptable if a genuine pearl is unavailable.
Imitation pearls made from fish scales are also sold, but these are not suitable for our purposes. Misshapen or otherwise defective pearls are not suitable either, although very small genuine pearls (too small fo jewellery) may be powdered and used for medicinal purposes.
One very important factor, which anyone trying to identify a Gem should note, is that some "faults" are always present in a genuine Gem - their absence and not their presence should be a cause for concern. However, as a rule, any Gem should be shaped in a pleasing manner, lustrous, of pure colour and fine texture. Pearls in particular should not be misshapen.