Perhaps the most disturbing trend some wholesalers use to camouflage a low grade pearl bead is to layer it with a clear coating somewhat like nail polish. It's almost impossible to tell the pearl's been coated, too. About the only way is to compare a suspected strand with one you know is untreated under high magnification. The untreated pearls' nacre will appear scaly, while the treated pearls will appear even and glassy. Almost all wholesalers of freshwater pearl beads will avoid this practice. Reputable wholesalers of freshwater pearl beads will try to hand pick their selections to avoid low quality pearls of this type.

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