The Swiss Gemmological Institute SSEF has introduced a new service for clients – age dating of pearls using carbon-14 (14C). “This scientific method can provide the pearl industry with new valuable information about the age of loose pearls and pearls in jewellery,” SSEF said.

The introduction of the service has a very practical impact. “Age determination can support evidence of historic provenance in the case of antique jewellery and iconic natural pearls,” SSEF outlined. “It can also be used to identify fraud in cases where, for example, younger pearls are mounted in historical jewellery items, or have been treated so that they appear older than having been farmed during the 20th century.”

Moreover, the 14C age dating method can aid in determining whether a pearl is of natural or cultured formation, as the commercial cultivation of pearls from certain mollusc species commenced only during the 20th century.

The oldest natural pearls examined by SSEF using the 14C age dating method were recovered in the famous Cirebon shipwreck off Java in Indonesia and SSEF was able to determine that they dated back to the turn of the first millennium (11th century).

Dr. Michael S. Krzemnicki, director of SSEF, said, "We are honoured to be able to offer this new service to the international pearl trade. It is an opportunity to document the provenance of unique and iconic natural pearls as well as further protecting the natural pearl trade."

SSEF said the 14C research and services are being offered in partnership with the Ion Beam Physics Laboratory at ETH Zurich – which is one of the world's leading universities.

The laboratory said it is the first institute worldwide to offer such a service.

Pic Cap: Natural pearls recovered from the Cirebon shipwreck in Indonesia dating back to the 11th century, which were identified using 14C pearl method developed by SSEF and ETHZ. Photo: SSEF