A Mini Pearl of Allah?? Opinions, Value??

[Bodecia]

Hi, spotted this and thought of the POA but this is better looking I think. :) The pearl is 25 mm high and the thickness is only 7mm. What do all you experts think of it. Would it be worth having just because it is natural or does this type of pearl have to be huge to be of value. Thinking of Value what do you think it is worth?? I sort of like it one minute and not so much the next. Would love some opinions on it.

Thanks All, Bodecia

[DrTKStern]

Hi, spotted this and thought of the POA but this is better looking I think. :) The pearl is 25 mm high and the thickness is only 7mm. What do all you experts think of it. Would it be worth having just because it is natural or does this type of pearl have to be huge to be of value. Thinking of Value what do you think it is worth?? I sort of like it one minute and not so much the next. Would love some opinions on it.

Thanks All, Bodecia

Hi,

Do you know more about its history? Decorations suggest French influence. I like it. Definitely valuable if a pearl and not carved shell.

Tom

[Bodecia]

Hi Tom and thanks. Here is some more info that the seller had listed. It looks natural to me and not a shell. I will post some more photos in a few minutes. Can you guesstimate on value? :)


Gorgeous authentic Art Nouveau chateleine pin in Sterling Silver with a natural Pearl. At the time this pin was made there were no cultured pearls. I have read that Mr Mikimoto actually developed the technique for inducing pearl creation and that did not happen until the late 1910s. This pin dates to at least a full decade prior to that, and probably more. It comes from the Estate of a family who moved from Russia to the United States in the early 1900s. I also believe it is Brittish as it is marked "Sterling" in the back.

It measures 1 1/8" tall by a bit over 1" wide. Closes with an old fashioned C shaped clasp. It is in beautiful condition, only showing a small bowing to the clasp prong due to wear.

The pearl measures 1/2" tall by 5/16" wide. It is lustrous and has good orient, with many colors displayed. It is a baroque pearl which happens to resemble a flower, the silver leaves enhance the shape. A very unique piece and truly one of a kind.

[Bodecia]

Okay have some photos of the back etc. They are not very big photos but I think it should give you a good idea if it is a genuine natural or not. Thanks for you advice. Must go look at your gorgeous pearls again. Love them. :)

Bodecia

[pattye]

Hi Bodecia,

That's a pretty piece. Does look like a pearl. Being in sterling should bring the cost down a bit. MUCH nicer than POA! I don't have a clue as to value, though.

Pattye
so many pearls, so little time

[Caitlin]

It is too lustrous to be a clam pearl! I am thinking it is a river pearl from Scotland.

I heard that the GIA can tell a freshwater from a salt water pearl.

You sure do find some interesting pearls!

[Slraep]

It is too lustrous to be a clam pearl! I am thinking it is a river pearl from Scotland.




Yup, you beat me to it Caitlin--- Scottish river pearl is the most probable and it sure looks like it could be one. Doesn't look like a clam pearl.

Slraep

[Caitlin]

Glad you agree. The pattern of the luster is very similar to other baroque river pearls I have seen. I think the sterling looks very old and worn in the closeups. It is a lovely piece.

Are you thinking of buying it? Sorry I can't even take a guess at its value........

[Slraep]

Bodecia, you should ask/check that the pearl is original to the setting. If not, it could have been replaced by a CFWP. If there are no signs of tampering, then Scottish river pearl still stands.

Slraep

[Bodecia]

Hi All,

Thanks for the feedback. I will tell just how good it is when it arrives. I bought it. It had a BIN price on it. I saw it earlier today and just couldn't stop thinking about it. Then when I saw Tom's reply I went mad and heart thumping in case it had been snapped up I swooped on it and well now it is done.

I am thinking of using it as a Pearl Enhancer and will send the photo of what the seller said it was used as. I am planning on turning the brooch/pendant thingy upside down and popping in on some pearls.

As for Scottish River Pearl, yes that would explain the Sterling on it although I would have expected it to be properly hallmarked it from Britain. But then only an English speaking country would put
Sterling on it so although it does look French it can't be.

Will send another photo of the way I am going to use it too.

Caitlin - thanks. I smell pearls out. If I was a lot younger and even crazier than I am I would probably have Pearl Studs in my nose - hah. I wasn't looking for pearls in silver when I came across it. It just popped up in my search, probably because I also entered the Search in the description as well as Title. I don't normally do that, so I guess I was lucky - well I hope so.

Bo

[Bodecia]

Hope you can understand what I mean about turning it around and using the brooch as a Pearl Enhancer. But along with the last photo this should give you an idea. These photos are from the back and you can see the hook thing that would do the job.

Has anyone any idea how much it is worth. I would hate to think I paid too much. :mad: but I always like to know. I paid $145 plus shipping.

Bo

[Bodecia]

Slraep,

Bodecia, you should ask/check that the pearl is original to the setting. If not, it could have been replaced by a CFWP. If there are no signs of tampering, then Scottish river pearl still stands.

Hi, I guess I will find out for sure when it arrives in a week or so. I paid for Express for safety so it should be too long. Of course I have paid for Express before and had things sent via ordinary airmail, not even boxed. Some sellers suck.

Caitlin,


Glad you agree. The pattern of the luster is very similar to other baroque river pearls I have seen. I think the sterling looks very old and worn in the closeups. It is a lovely piece.

Are you thinking of buying it? Sorry I can't even take a guess at its value........


Yes, you have seen my now Caitlin that yes I was thinking of buying it. I just couldn't get it out of my mind. :) What's new there where pearls are concerned.


That's a pretty piece. Does look like a pearl. Being in sterling should bring the cost down a bit. MUCH nicer than POA! I don't have a clue as to value, though.

Hi Pattye, Yes I think it is much nicer the POA too. That is really horrid. Still I wouldn't mind owning it if only to sell:D

Bo

[Caitlin]

Considering the age, the size of the pearl and the beautiful design-that is such a clever way to make it an enhancer......I think it is a reasonable price. You certainly were not burned.

[pattye]

Hi Bodecia,

I think you got a real deal! I would have paid $200 easily for that, but not $2000. I agree it could be a river pearl, that is what the striations remind me of, although it is thicker than most of the Mississippi river pearls we saw in Tucson. I love the graceful design and that you can use it for an enhancer without changing or damaging the piece. Hope it reaches you in A-1 condition.

Pattye
so many pearls, so little time

[GemGeek]

I agree with Caitlin and Pattye, that is a good price on a unique piece that's sure to bring you years of pleasure. ;)

[Bodecia]

Hi All, I have been bashing my computer so much today and tonight - well now it is morning and still not in bed - but the computer half froze. I have never had one 1/2 freeze on me before :) Couldn't access this site or a couple of others I was working on.

But thanks to All. I thought it was a decent enough price and to Caitlin & Pattye for thinking it is a clever idea to use it as an enhancer. As a brooch I could only really only drool over it, in my jewellery box, not down my chest :) but this way it should work.

The seller emailed me and she is going to double box it for me. One of the good sellers.

I will take some decent photos of it when it arrives and post them. The ones listed were not that good. Maybe Tom might come in again as he probably would have a good idea of how much it might be worth. Not that I want to part with it but just to know is good.

Gemgeek, I am sure you are right, it will give me years of pleasure.

Bodecia

[Valeria101]

'Bet it is a natural American freshwater. The pin is nicely hand-woked and the sum total may of more interest for the design and the period then the pearl... Somethig that the Arts & Crafts period (http://www.tademagallery.com/)(1900-1930) could have produced, methinks.

Congratulations ! :)

[Bodecia]

Hi Valeria101,


'Bet it is a natural American freshwater. The pin is nicely hand-woked and the sum total may of more interest for the design and the period then the pearl... Somethig that the Arts & Crafts period (1900-1930) could have produced, methinks.

I think you are right. It explains why there are no hallmarks and just the Sterling mark instead. If it was from Britian there would be Hallmarks. Legally they had to have them I think. Also the style is Arts and Crafts or Art Nouveau, which are really only seperated by the years, style wise they are pretty much the same.

Just because the family came from Russia doesn't mean they didn't buy it in America. Probably White Russians on the run from the Reds.

Hope some of our other pearl experts give their opinions on it. Tom and Jeremy plus the many others that know their stuff. I know you do too. Looks like I now have or will have a bracelet and a brooch (enhancer) with Mississippi Pearls. The brooch I will keep. :)

Bo

[jerin]

Considering the age, the size of the pearl and the beautiful design-that is such a clever way to make it an enhancer......I think it is a reasonable price. You certainly were not burned.



Hi Bo,

I´m in total agreement with what Caitlin says above. It is a lovely piece and you didn´t pay too much at all - if it is that old and this is a freshwater natural from Scotland - I think the mystery of who could have had this piece alone is worth the money.:)

[Sueki]

Hello Bo,
We didn't always hallmark silver and gold in the past.
In fact, smaller items were most often not hallmarked. Silver was usually just stamped "sterling" and gold usually just stamped "9 CT" or whatever the carat was.
This went on right up until the 1970s, when the hallmarking laws changed.
And it's a lovely piece - nice that it's still going to be worn after all these years.
The spirit of the maker will be smiling......

[olmander]

About how old is the piece: I just read that one of the indicators is the lock on the brooch. If it is C-like, it is more likely to be late Victorian or earlier. If it is a tube - it is rather Edwardian or anyway the turn of the centuries. A safe lock is the 20th century.

In your case the lock looks to me rather in the direction of a tube (or a thick C). Another indicator is the length of the pin on the brooch: a Victorian one would have a pin which is seen from under the brooch. Although of course it could have beem modified later because it was used with a watch.

I was exploring this subject while buying a beautiful garnet bracelet (with Bohemian pyrops), which was being sold by our local antique dealer on behalf of a 95 year old woman from the neigbourhood, who got is from her mother, and nobody knows how old is the piece in fact. It was easier to estimate the age of the brooch, which was part of the same set (but which I did not buy), and there it was rather clear: the C-lock was really a bigger and more open C-lock, an the pin was long.

Olga

[Caitlin]

Yes I think it is much nicer the POA too. That is really horrid. Still I wouldn't mind owning it if only to sell:D

The owner of the POA died in January. I am fairly sure they may try to sell it to meet his probate claims. I am going to add some stuff to that thread about it. (the thread is a sticky on the "other pearls" forum.