Question about the 2nd question in quiz 2

The second dealer does not say the pearl is cracked, but rather brings Kino's attention to its surface.

"Better pearl are made of paste," he said. "I know these things. This  is soft and chalky, it will lose its color and die in a few months. 

Look-" He offered the glass to Kino, showed him how to use it, and  Kino, who had never seen a pearl's surface magnified, was shocked at the strange-looking surface.