[pmorna742]

I've a commission just now for a pearl necklace for the mother of the groom. She has an old double graduated strand which look like glass pearls to me. But they have a sts clasp, with marcasite, which I plan to use on the new necklace. The pearls are knotted, and look old - I wouldn't know the age, though. Would it be typical to have a precious metal clasp with costume jewellery pearls, and would glass pearls be knotted? #

Morna

[pattye]

Hi Morna,
Yes, lots of the older glass and faux pearls were knotted. Although I have not studied older jewelry a lot, sterling and marcasite would not have been expensive. It sounds like you will be helping to restore a sentimental family treasure!

Pattye
so many pearls, so little time

[Sueki]

Hello Morna,
This is one of my vintage costume bracelets - gorgeous silver clasp, set with glass or paste stones - on four rows of glass pearls; the spacer bars are silver, too. And these beads are knotted between each one. It was quite usual for higher end costume pieces to have silver clasps and findings.

[knotty panda]

Sterling silver mixed with knotted faux pearls and faux gems was almost a staple in the average woman's wardrobe. Cultured pearls were far too expensive. Freshwater pearls hadn't come in to their own. Knotting added that "real" look to the glass pearls. The glass pearls were only worn on special occasions, just like cultured pearls. If you wore them every day, people would know they were fake.

Thank goodness for freshwaters!

I love that bracelet, Sueki.

[jerin]

Originally Posted by Sueki

Hello Morna,
This is one of my vintage costume bracelets - gorgeous silver clasp, set with glass or paste stones - on four rows of glass pearls; the spacer bars are silver, too. And these beads are knotted between each one. It was quite usual for higher end costume pieces to have silver clasps and findings.

Hi Sueki,
you really do have fine examples of costume-jewellery, lovely clasps and the bracelet looks great

[Sueki]

Thanks for your comments Knotty and Jerin,
It was my intention to re-string the bracelet with cfw pearls - such a gorgeous four row clasp - but I can't bring myself to do so.
The bracelet is 1950s, and the glass pearls are in such lovely condition that it seems a crying shame to replace them and break up a perfectly good piece of vintage costume jewellery.

[pmorna742]

Ladies,

Thank you for the very valuable comments. The pearls are in quite a bad way, so there's no question of reusing them. But they are cleverly made so as to mimic real pearls; they sit next to each other in a higgledy piggledy fashion, not properly graudated, as though they are real pearls (which presumably would be properly graduated).

Sueki, thank you particularly for taking the time to show the photo of your costume jewellery - much appreciated.

Morna

[airdancer]

Actually, in Singapore, there are still fake pearls sold in the shops as costume jewellery and lately, I have been seeing lots of teenagers wearing matinee length extremely large sized perfectly round and flawless 'pearls' (At least 15mm).

[knotty panda]

Sueki: You answered my unspoken question. I was wondering why you didn't replace the faux with freshwaters. You're absolutely right! No reason to.

Airdancer: Lots of fauxs here too, especially Swarovski pearls. They look nicer than beading quality pearls. But the coating wears off if they are knotted on a strand in about a year. Not a good thing. I really don't think people understand just how affordable a medium or good quality freshwater pearl is nowadays. Plus, the mentality of akoya good, freshwater bad, Japanese good, Chinese bad is so ingrained in people's heads. When they are buying pearls, that's as far as most people's thinking takes them.