| Hi Bobbie & Paul,
The "Japan" mark indicates higher-quality costume jewelry probably of the "cultura" glass beads kind. If you have a reasonable suspicion that any of the "pearls" in the jar are cultured ones, you may take them to a jewelry store and ask there if they can sort the wheat from the chaff. Chances are however, that what you have there is old costume jewelry. You can wash the pieces and restring or redesign them for sale on a crafts fair or make holiday gifts of them or tree ornaments or sew them onto sweaters etc.. You can have lots of fun with vintage beads and you never know there may even be an ugly duckling in the lot that turns out to be a beautiful swan after cleaning.
Zeide |