Surprising Facts about Gold, Pearls & Other Stones

Here are the common myths of your favourite precious gems & jewellery straightened out.

Gold

1. The best way to tell if a piece of gold is real is by biting it.

While this method can work in some cases, in some they won’t. The purer the gold is, the softer it will be. Since lead is as soft as gold, you may be fooled to think that this is real gold if deceitful individuals paint it with a gold colour.

2. Real gold comes in different colours.

The only real gold is yellow gold. White and rose coloured gold are actually considered gold alloys. These are made by mixing pure gold with other minerals such as iron, silver, or platinum.

3. The only kind of gold worthy of investment are those that are 23 or 24K.

Even 18 or 14K gold is worth investing in. These also have a resale value and can yield returns, though they are lower than those with a higher K. But this is only proportional to its purchasing price, which is also lower than that of 23 or 24K.

Pearls

4. Mikimoto is a species of oyster and is superior above all types of pearls.

Mikimoto is a brand, named after Kokichi Mikimoto, a pioneering pearl farmer in Japan. While they produce high quality pearls, the name doesn’t always mean it is superior to any other type of pearl. There are other superior types like the South Sea pearls in Western Australia produced by the Pinctada Maxima that makes elegant pearl engagement rings and pearl jewellery.

5. All Keshi pearls are natural pearls.

Keshis are natural bi-products of pearl cultivation. All keshi pearls are not considered natural as some of them are products of a culturing process that involves human intervention. If you’re specifically looking for natural pearl necklaces or pearl jewellery in Australia, you’ll need to check with jewellers if these are really natural or not.

6. Pearls are cultured only from oysters and mussels.

Although this is mostly true, oysters and mussels are not the only source for pearls. There are other sources such as the Melo Melo marine snail, Strombas Gigas and Haliotis Iris mollusc.

Other Stones

7. The most effective way to check if a gemstone is real is through a ‘breath test.’

This is considered an unreliable method of testing the authenticity of a gemstone as some of them, like sapphire, have a high thermal conductivity. This means that when you breathe on it, it will fog even if it’s an authentic one.

Buying precious stones is a big investment. Make sure you get a good deal and not get shammed into buying a piece that’s of a lesser quality than what you paid for.