Recent content by ennui

It's one of the best AI responses I've seen. :giggle: I think your faux pearls are a very cool find -- even if you only wanted the clasp.

CoPilot says: Glass Beads Filled with Essence d’Orient Glass beads filled with essence d’orient were a type of wax-filled imitation pearl developed in 17th‑century France as a safer, mercury‑free alternative to earlier methods of creating pearl‑like beads journals.uoregon.edu+1. Historical...

You can buy diamond testers on Amazon; they are surprisingly inexpensive.

The first image reminds me of Murano glass. I hope cleaning didn't harm them too much?

I found this elephant at a street faire today. She's about 3 1/2", Tahitian shell, and I believe her eye is a Tahitian pearl. I have no idea what to do with her, but she was only $4. Did I pay too much? (No, I did not.) ;)

The price in the link is a little startling until I realized it was not my currency. :pat:

Is there a university near you with a Geology department? Perhaps they'd take a look at it for you. But I think we all agree, it's not a pearl.

My first thought was freshwater pearl, as well.

It may seem counter intuitive, but in my experience, wealthy people tend to be frugal regarding jewelry. They spend money on real estate and other investments.

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

Most fine jewelers will service their jewelry; clean, check prongs, etc. I never really thought of it as a come-on. There was recently a news story about a woman who took her ring to Tiffany for cleaning; it wasn't a Tiffany ring and they declined to touch it, simply out of liability.

I think "Time on a string" is brilliant. The photo of Scarlett Johansson is AI. There is no new live action Flintstones film.

I don't get out much. :sneaky: The lapis beads are pretty.

I'm not aware of interchangeable clasps ... maybe the auctioneer means you can restring the pearls and change the clasp?

I believe the designer is Walter Van Beirendonck. "The outfit shown features oversized bows, voluminous sleeves, and a sash made of large pearl-like spheres, which is consistent with Van Beirendonck’s penchant for playful yet thought-provoking designs. His work often blurs the line between...