Found pearls that belonged to great grandmother do they look real Ty in advance

I might have one more question about pearls from a investment perspective Ive been looking at assets to invest in for appreciation in value over time I'm 30 now I plan on holding till I retire is it a sound choice to maybe accuire some pearls from your experience have they appreciated over time Ty kindly
Sorry if that question seems personal I'm just bouncing an 💡 that popped off not wanting financial advice just experience in the field from someone else's perspective ty
 
Pearls are not good investments. They should only be bought for one's own enjoyment.
In general, pearls do not hold their value on resale. A famous brand like Mikimoto may hold its value better than generic pearls but even so, from what I see on eBay, people are buying them used because they cost so much less than new.

Historic pearls-- that would be a different story. I imagine Marie Antoinette's pearls have appreciated quite a lot.
 
Pearls are not good investments. They should only be bought for one's own enjoyment.
In general, pearls do not hold their value on resale. A famous brand like Mikimoto may hold its value better than generic pearls but even so, from what I see on eBay, people are buying them used because they cost so much less than new.

Historic pearls-- that would be a different story. I imagine Marie Antoinette's pearls have appreciated quite a lot.
Sums it up perfectly thank you so much.ill stay away from that option lol unless I come across a historical piece in my dreams lol great chat thank you have a great Christmas and New year 🙂
 
Historic pearls-- that would be a different story. I imagine Marie Antoinette's pearls have appreciated quite a lot.
Yes, but I suspect part of that is because they were hers and not necessarily the pearls themselves.
The only other famous pearl I can think of that has appreciated is La Peregrina, formerly owned by Elizabeth Taylor. Part of its value is also historical significance.
The secret to appreciating jewelry is to become very famous. :cool:
 
Yes, but I suspect part of that is because they were hers and not necessarily the pearls themselves.
The only other famous pearl I can think of that has appreciated is La Peregrina, formerly owned by Elizabeth Taylor. Part of its value is also historical significance.
The secret to appreciating jewelry is to become very famous. :cool:
For sure! However, they were natural pearls, which could appreciate for that reason alone.

Even Jackie Kennedy's fake pearls sold for a lot of money. The Franklin Mint bought them at auction, and made replicas to sell.
 
Even Jackie Kennedy's fake pearls sold for a lot of money. The Franklin Mint bought them at auction, and made replicas to sell.
Kenneth Jay Lane also sold the Jackie necklace on QVC. I have that one, box, romance card, etc.
 
Wow they are sneaky they do the same with gold and silver aswell
Actually it isn't sneaky...it is the history of Japan and trade. Japan was rather closed to trade until post WWII...then they sold pearls to certain groups only (a peace agreement). So pre-WWII and even some post...the easiest way to get a pearl necklace was to use man made pearls...but the USA had gold! So faux pearls & gold were typical. In Japan they had master silversmiths & akoya pearls...so real pearls with silver clasps were the norm. It just makes it super confusing for Americans. Also, I'll bet they went with the box...which says "hand polished culteva" not "cultured." I would expect the word "cultured" for real pearls. Also: I have usually seen 2 smaller pearls next to the clasp on faux pearls...never real...might have been a good tell for jewelry clerks who maybe worked with both?
 
I might have one more question about pearls from a investment perspective Ive been looking at assets to invest in for appreciation in value over time I'm 30 now I plan on holding till I retire is it a sound choice to maybe accuire some pearls from your experience have they appreciated over time Ty kindly
The big problem is that fashions come & go. 10 years ago, a pearl restringing company talked about that they could not sell graduated vintage akoyas...that people did Not want to restring them even...but in the last 2 years...they are getting lots of restringing orders & any estate ones fly off the shelf. So hitting the right time to sell your pearls would be a challenge. You might have just the right pearls as you retire or you might NOT. But Gold also goes up & down in value too. Great pearls will always be valuable...but finding a buyer & price you want at the time you want to sell them??????
 
The big problem is that fashions come & go. 10 years ago, a pearl restringing company talked about that they could not sell graduated vintage akoyas...that people did Not want to restring them even...but in the last 2 years...they are getting lots of restringing orders & any estate ones fly off the shelf. So hitting the right time to sell your pearls would be a challenge. You might have just the right pearls as you retire or you might NOT. But Gold also goes up & down in value too. Great pearls will always be valuable...but finding a buyer & price you want at the time you want to sell them??????

Also, the skyrocketing price of new akoyas may be leading some buyers to seek estate pieces.
If one can't afford new, buy used....
 
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