Majorca Pearls...Fabulous Fakes!

Majorca Pearls...stunning simulated Pearls
Majorca/Majorica/Mallorca Pearls is the brand name for an elegant, well-made type of simulated pearls, or "faux pearls".
They were given this name because they were originally invented in Majorca (Mallorca), Spain, and continue to be manufactured there to this day. These extremely fine simulated pearls are highly sought after by more discriminating buyers worldwide!The gepany uses a glass bead, and coats the
surface with an adhesive paste made from iridescent North Atlantic fish scales and oil (hemage) to make the surface look like a real pearl. These nuclei are repeatedly dipped
in high quality essence d orient and polished between
dippings. It takes as many as 30-40 dippings and polishings to produce these ultra-elegant hand-made pearls. A special final coating is then applied, and to prevent
deterioration, Majorica pearls are then put under ultraviolet
radiation.

The making of simulated pearls is a tradition that local Mallorcan women have
been doing since the 19th century. In 1890 a German immigrant called
Eduardo Hugo Heusch created the gepany Indstria Espaola
de Perlas Imitacin S.A. in Manacor on the island of Mallorca
in Spain. This gepany was responsible for the creation of simulated
pearls. After Heuschs death his children renamed the factory to
Pearls Majorica or Majorica Pearls.

Majorica pearl manufacturers are well known for not allowing inferior pearls to
leave the factory. As a result of this, they are known worldwide for
producing only the finest simulated pearls. They are the only brand name
imitation pearls that the public instantly recognizes. These pearls have such a
close resemblance to natural pearls that only experts can distinguish
them.Even More Fabulous Fakes!Majorca Pearls have been around for well over a century, and if you are lucky enough to find real Majorca Pearls on okay, they are not cheap. But now, others are taking up the mantle of producing some gorgeous organic Faux Pearls, and you will find these stunning simulants on okay far more often!These Faux Pearls are called "South Sea Shell" Pearls. Often referred to as "lab" South Seas Pearls.These beautiful simulated pearls are made in the same way Majorca Pearls are made, but instead of "hemage" made of oil and powdered fish scales, the glass nucleus is dipped into adhesive, then into powdered, often beautifully colored mother of pearl, and redipped and repolished in much the same manner. The resultant pearl is utterly stunning. Of course, even in the exacting manufacture of fine pearl simulants, you will always have a number of "reject" pearls...pearls that are flawed, with surface blemishes, or uneven lustre. Some are even made to look like natural "baroque" pearls. You find these rejects on okay as well, and they make some lovely bracelets and necklaces, despite their obvious flaws. The flaws make them look even more real to many pearl lovers.So how do you tell the fakes from the real thing?Well, that's extremely difficult at times, especially with Majorca Pearls. Many times, only an expert will be able to tell the difference. It is easier with Sea Shell Pearls, because they are often exotically colored, and the surface is mirror-brilliant. The surface does not feel "gritty" when drawn across the teeth...it feels smooth and glassy. The pearls below are high-quality Sea Shell Pearls. Note the high luster and the brilliant hues!I own several vintage strands of Majorca Pearls, and they are amazingly real looking. I paid good money for them back in the 60's, and one of the strands even was upgraded with a gold and diamond clasp! Most Vintage Majorca (Mallorca) Pearls have solid sterling silver findings. Newer strands gee with gold plated clasps. That's a shame, because these fabulous fakes deserve precious metal. I have recently purchased several beautiful strands of Sea Shell Pearls, as well. The Sea Shell Pearls are heavier, and more dense than the Majorca. When body oil get on Sea Shell Pearls, it dulls, rather than enhances the glow. The surface is not porous. You need to gently wipe your Sea Shell Pearls after wearing them to maintain their luster and brilliance. These Majorca Pearls have the stunning luster of real pearls, and are so perfect, they often cannot be detected to be faux-pearls without x-ray. So you can see that you must find trustworthy sellers who are honest and ethical, or you just might be buying fabulous fakes instead of real pearls. Most pearl merchants are trustworthy, and with Majorca Pearls, the sellers don't hide the fact that they are selling these magnificent, ultra-perfect pearl simulants, because they are often nearly as expensive as the real thing! But there are merchants on okay who don't let you know up front that the pearls they are selling are Sea Shell Pearls, unless you pin them down with an e-mail.So don't hesitate to ASK. If you see a stunningly lovely strand of pearls selling for a pittance, don't bid unless you make sure of what you are buying. Some of the more honest sellers call their pearls "South Sea lab Pearls", "South Sea Shell Pearls", or "created South Sea Pearls", but there are a number who don't lay it out this clearly. You have to read the small print. Or you have to ask.So enjoy shopping for Pearls on okay, but buy carefully.