Computerized three-dimensional X-ray microtomography is capable of revealing the internal structure and some of the material properties of pearls at high resolution, and is thus a more useful tool in pearl testing than conventional X-ray radiography. Differences in transparency to X-rays (radiodensities) can be detected and speed up the process of locating different CaCO3-polymorphs in the pearl. When combined with micro-Raman spectroscopy, vaterite-containing areas can be identified.
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Wehrmeister et al. (2008) studied this question.