Clasps and Brands!

[ChefJulie]

Hello to all! My name is Julie, and I'm new to the site. Grateful to have a chance to ask my 2-part question.

I've inherited a lovely pearl necklace from my beloved godmother. Quick details:

23-inch cream-colored 6mm pearl necklace with medium luster.
Cord is knotted cotton.

1) The necklace came with a Certificate of Authenticity which states that they are "Allegro"-brand cultured pearls.
I cannot find a single reference online!

2) The silver clasp fishhook carries the ONLY identifying feature on the necklace, and that is "14KM". Yes, that reads "14K" and the capital letter "M" right next to it.

The necklace came to me wrapped in one of Auntie's small silk handkerchiefs, and in a nondescript stiff white cardboard jewelry box.

My final clue is that a tiny handwritten gift card (like one that you'd find in a bouquet of flowers) reads, "Thank you for all you do". This came to my aunt in the 1960's as a group gift from the employees she managed in the GE Building at 51st and Lex in NYC.

Would anyone have ANY guesses?

With gratitude!!!
Julie

 

[BWeaves]

Can you give us some photos of the pearls on a white paper towel, natural light?
Can you give us a close up of the clasp and its markings?

 

[ChefJulie]

Thank you so much, Rare Pearl!

I've attached several photos, but wasn't able to capture the markings on the "hook", which reads "14K M".

Thank you for any info that you can provide!

Julie

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Honestly, it just looks like a generic fishhook clasp. And the pearls are average akoya cultured pearls.
I am not familiar with "Allegro" as a brand.

I usd Search to see if there were other references to Allegro brand on PG but came up empty as well.

 

[ChefJulie]

Thank you! I'm new to this, obviously, and think it was probably a NYC jewelry store purchase from sometime in the middle of the 1900's.
I figured that if one of the experts noticed something, they'd speak up!

Grateful for your time and attention!

All the best,
Julie

 

[BWeaves]

That's a very generic fish hook clasp. Any "trademark" on the clasp would be the brand of the clasp and not the brand of the pearls.

 

[ChefJulie]

Ah, BWeaves, thank you! And the mystery continues...

 

[BWeaves]

Only the really top name brands have recognizable trade-marked clasps, like Mikimoto for example. Although, even my Mom had the Mikimoto clasp removed from her Mikimoto strand and replaced with a diamond clasp, so you can't go by the clasp at all.