Help with these pearls?

[JillM]

Hello all,

These were my mother-in-law's pearls that have been sitting in her jewelry box forever. She passed away last year and the family asked me to go through her jewelry.

My gut says these are not real, but I wanted to run them by you all. I think my father-in-law probably bought them in the 1960s or 70s. No box or paperwork, and my MIL is the type who would have saved that sort of thing if these had a lot of value.

Double strand, knotted. Clasp is marked "Japan."





Another double strand, not knotted. Clasp also marked "Japan." There is what looks like peeling shown in the last photo.





Any help you can give would be great!

 

[Pearl Dreams]

That peeling pearl removed all doubt for me; that is what a peeling imitation pearl looks like.

That doesn't mean they can't have sentimental value anyway!

My late MIL had a strand of pearls she treasured, a gift from my FIL. After his death I examined them. They were imitation but they both believed them to be real.

 

[JerseyPearl]

These are wonderful because they were obviously well loved, regardless of their origins...I think they could be given a boost with a gentle cleaning and a restring. That's something you can do yourself, as there are wonderful instructions by PD on the Lowly Beaders Thread.

 

[BWeaves]

They look like imitation pearls to me, too. But I wear my grandmother's imitation pearls, and love them.

 

[SunSeeker]

I agree, they look like an imitation. The pearls are too identical, plus the peeling indicates imitation. But they can be freshened up and loved again. I enjoy wearing my mother's imitation pearls.

 

[KAC]

That peeling pearl removed all doubt for me; that is what a peeling imitation pearl looks like.

That doesn't mean they can't have sentimental value anyway!

My late MIL had a strand of pearls she treasured, a gift from my FIL. After his death I examined them. They were imitation but they both believed them to be real.

This... I think they're imitations.

 

[pearlescence]

The thing about imitations is that way back when that was all that was affordable. A father was supposed to buy his daughter pearls for her 21st. It was also a husband present thing. But the only cultured pearls were very expensive akoya. or fakes. I can remember going to the Majorca pearl factory for a visit back in my early 20s. They were the affordable option. But still quite expensive.
So lots of treasured family pearls from the early C20 will be fakes.

 

[amti]

Pearlescence, you are so right. I recently found this receipt for a strand of pearls. How much would $261 from the 60s be worth today?

 

[SunSeeker]

That is really cool! ..maybe there is a financial expert on this forum, but I would think if inflation is 3-4% per year, that would be a significant amount today! However, pearls would not keep pace with inflation, due to improved technology, quality, and availability. At that price, in 1960, I bet someone got a nice Christmas present that year!

 

[Pearl Dreams]

What kind of pearls was the receipt for? (Akoyas, I hope, not imitation.)
Size in mm, length of strand, any info about the clasp??

 

[raggdoll]

Looks like the receipt says "general pearl choker" so it was probably a very short strand. I own a pearl necklace from 1933, it is made of akoyas and has a 18k clasp. I'm sure it was quite expensive back then, even though the pearls are small and graduated.

 

[BWeaves]

I googled an inflation calculator:

http://www.saving.org/inflation/inflation.php?amount=261&year=1960


Inflation Results
$261 in 1960 equals $2,143.32 in 2017.

 

[raggdoll]

Inflation Results
$261 in 1960 equals $2,143.32 in 2017.

Oh wow! That is quite a bit of money

 

[JillM]

Thank you everyone. They are definitely fakes -- I was cleaning them and one peeled entirely, only the plastic (?) bead left!

Wow, that receipt is great! Based on what you've all said, my FIL definitely did not have the money at that point in their married life to afford real ones of this size (8-9mm)! My MIL would have been too nervous to wear anything very valuable anyway.

I'm cleaning up the fancier clasp, parts of which were coated in a thick layer of what I think was hairspray. I'm going to either restring these with the existing fake pearls, duplicate the design with real ones, or redesign it around the clasp, depending on what my sister-in-law wants. Same with the other clasp.

Thanks again, you all are a treasure!

 

[JerseyPearl]

I love the idea of using the original clasps with new pearls!

 

[Pearl Dreams]

JillM,
The bead inside is probably glass. Usually only the very cheapest imitation pearls have plastic beads, and you can tell because they are much too light to be real pearls.

 

[amti]

What kind of pearls was the receipt for? (Akoyas, I hope, not imitation.)
Size in mm, length of strand, any info about the clasp??

I don't know for sure except that they were akoyas, since this was in Japan (although US territory at the time, but has since been returned to Japan). It was sold on a military base and a GS 13 was not a poor soldier.

 

[raggdoll]

I love the idea of using the original clasps with new pearls!

I second this!

 

[SunSeeker]

Looks like the receipt says "general pearl choker" so it was probably a very short strand. I own a pearl necklace from 1933, it is made of akoyas and has a 18k clasp. I'm sure it was quite expensive back then, even though the pearls are small and graduated.

I would love to see a picture of your 1933 strand!

 

[SunSeeker]

Oh wow! That is quite a bit of money

That is a lot of moola!