Gemstone treatment

Dyeing, Pearls

Color can concentrate around drill holes, blemishes, cracks, or nacre boundaries. Some dyed pearls show unnatural uniformity.

01

What to look for

Color can concentrate around drill holes, blemishes, cracks, or nacre boundaries. Some dyed pearls show unnatural uniformity.

02

What it means

Dyeing changes pearl body color to imitate naturally colored pearls or create fashion colors. It must be disclosed.

03

Expert move

Inspect drill holes first. Dye concentration in the drill channel is one of the easiest clues.