My parents found these pearls... In a piano...

[dlamb43]

Hi there everyone!
I'm here asking if you have any idea of the quality of these pearls. My parents recently bought a new house and the old owners sold some of their furniture to mum and dad because they were downsizing. So, one of those items was a parlour piano. My parents got a piano tuner out and he said he doesn't think it had been tuned in 20 years. He pulled off a panel and found a box, and in it was this pearl necklace.

Now the tuner said that that he reckoned the piano was made in about the 1960s so I hope that helps. The hallmarks/insignia says "Mn & Wb" and we can't really discern the other stamps however one kind of looks like a circle with a dot in the centre and the other is a calligraphy letter (or at least that's what we think).

Thanks for all of your help!

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Yikes! Seems to me the old owners hid their precious pearls in the piano for safe-keeping and forgot about them before selling your parents the piano. I wouldn't assume the pearls are as old as the piano.

What your parents do is up to them, and they aren't under any obligation, but personally I would want to offer the pearls back to the sellers. I would think they'd be very grateful to have them back. Pearls are often very sentimental gifts.

If the strand is 18 inches long I'm guessing the pearls are 5.5-6mm cultured akoyas and they look like they are in beautiful condition. I am not familiar with the brand.

 

[lary007]

What a way to stumble on some pearls!

 

[GemGeek]

I am surprised that people find jewelry, know who it belongs to, and think it's a windfall. It certainly wasn't part of the sale. At least you told the truth about it. Your parents should think about how they would like to be treated if the shoe was on the other foot.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

That petite size was more commonly worn years ago-- most women today would prefer larger pearls.

My guess is that they were hidden when the folks went on vacation years ago and then they forgot where they put them. (Many of us have forgotten where we hid things-- I have!)

Now imagine their joy if they were to get them back, after having felt sad for years about losing them. I hope your parents decide to take the high road.

 

[lmgarden]

My parents had a similar scenario happen to them when they sold and moved from their house years ago. They had unknowingly forgotten to remove all the contents from their safe. After the new owners took procession, they found the pieces my parents left behind. Much to my parents overwhelmingly grateful surprise, the new owners contacted them and offered to personally return the items. Very soon afterwards my parents retrieved the heirlooms they could never have replaced.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Lovely story, lmgarden.

 

[Katbran]

Oh gosh , these do need to go back to the owner..they were obviously very special to them ! Moving is so traumatic ..I'm sure they just forgot and when they remember they could be devastated !

 

[BlackPearlDudeDC]

Mental note "Check inside Pianos at Yard sales".

 

[dlamb43]

Yikes! Seems to me the old owners hid their precious pearls in the piano for safe-keeping and forgot about them before selling your parents the piano. I wouldn't assume the pearls are as old as the piano.

What your parents do is up to them, and they aren't under any obligation, but personally I would want to offer the pearls back to the sellers. I would think they'd be very grateful to have them back. Pearls are often very sentimental gifts.

If the strand is 18 inches long I'm guessing the pearls are 5.5-6mm cultured akoyas and they look like they are in beautiful condition. I am not familiar with the brand.

Mum and dad asked the previous owner of the piano if the necklace was theirs and they said they had no idea it existed and they bought the piano from an auction some 16 years ago AFTER it had already been shipped to Australia. So sadly we have absolutely no way of contacting the original owner as the engravings are all hallmarks and there isn't anything else in the box!

 

[dlamb43]

My parents had a similar scenario happen to them when they sold and moved from their house years ago. They had unknowingly forgotten to remove all the contents from their safe. After the new owners took procession, they found the pieces my parents left behind. Much to my parents overwhelmingly grateful surprise, the new owners contacted them and offered to personally return the items. Very soon afterwards my parents retrieved the heirlooms they could never have replaced.

I have no idea if my other reply went through sorry, but that is a lovely story. Alas the same simply can't happen here. The first thing my parents did was call the last owner of the piano (and house) and they said they had no idea that it even existed! Mum and dad asked where they got it from and they purchased it at an auction some 16 years ago after it was sent to Australia. They've tried everything they can to find the original owner however the trail has run cold.

We're asking their worth as obviously they must be some ones heirloom and as a result we are torn between two minds about what to do with them. We could hand the necklace to police, however given the fact that the piano tuner said he thought it hadn't been tuned or opened for that matter in 20 years, the original owners most likely lived in England. It's such a tough situation, we really don't know how to handle it!

 

[GemGeek]

Well, that is entirely different!

 

[BWeaves]

It sounds like you've done your due diligence and contacted the previous owners and tried to find the original owner. It almost sounds to me like the original owner hid their treasure, died, the children sold everything, and finally after sale after sale, you found it.

It looks like a beautiful necklace. Consider it found treasure and and treasure it. It also makes for a cool story.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Yes, that is an entirely different story! Your parents are certainly entitled to keep and enjoy the pearls-- or sell them, if they (and you) are disinclined to wear them, given their petite size, which is not so much in fashion nowadays.

Be aware that pre-owned pearls do not tend to sell for a lot of money unless they are a famous brand (like Mikimoto) or have historic value. You can get an idea of how much they might sell for by looking at sold prices for similar strands online. If you don't want to sell them yourselves, you could consign them with a local jeweler.

Pearls need to be seen against a white background to best judge their luster. If you care to rephotograph them against, say, a paper towel, we could have another look. Include close ups of any flaws you find (all pearl strands have some flaws). Do not use flash.

The findings look like gold in your photo. If you cannot make out the engraved marks even with a magnifier or jeweler's loupe, try placing a piece of paper over the marks and making a pencil rubbing.

 

[Pippa]

Hi
I've just joined forum and read your story.
The mn and wb stamp on your pearls is Mappin and Webb in the UK, top end jewellers and would make sense of your story. They would have been expensive when purchased.
Hope this helps and the information is not too late
Regards

 

[amti]

Welcome, PIppa, and what a wonderful contribution to this story! Thank you!