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Some of the X-rays are actually very good. As others have said there is no doubt the pearls are beadless/non-bead cultured pearls of likely freshwater origin. Everything points to that so your mother will definitely be upset with the news. Looks like the lab has the X-ray equipment to reach...

lemanmls - It may just be me but I do not see any X-ray images? Please try adding them again. Thank you.

Dentist X-ray units and medical ones in general are not really good for pearl work (only some obvious bead cultured ones). You need something more semi-conductor related or designed for the specific job at hand. Externally I would say that the jeweller who stated your pearls were cultured is the...

Some extra details would be nice like: 1) Size? 2) Did the pearl come from the shell shown? 3) Any story about its discovery? etc..., etc... Looks a nice pearl though! What do you plan to do with it? Make it into a pendant?

Well only going by pictures and not the real thing, so risky to say the least, I would say they could well be natural Pteria pearls (not sure anyone can prove sterna as so many species other than penguin too, but then from the look of the replies... "What do I know?" Perhaps someone should...

Believe GIA no longer state polished on their reports as many pearls are automatically polished these days & most (all?) other labs don't mention it. Best to contact the Bangkok branch and speak directly if you want further information, but the replies received so far look very helpful and...

The growth features on the "base" area look like they are quite characteristic of pearls that were attached to a shell at one time, so this may well be a true blister pearl as opposed to a blister which it certainly does NOT look to be from the images. My guess is saltwater.

Doubt anyone can answer your question accurately. All you will receive are opinions. Whether they are correct or not is another matter. Better images (macro) and some history/provenance may help but failing that just guesses until some actual data is collected on them by a lab and then you MAY...

Having some experience with having pearls tested and asking similar questions to labs I can clarify this point a bit more accurately. GIA will test ALL the pearls by real-time X-ray and decide on the ID of pearls based on the resulting structures obtained. Drilling is always an issue in pearls...

Hi Sophie aka FrenchPearl - The images are not as clear as needed to be able to make a call on the ID of the pearls from them, but there are some things in favour of natural over bead cultured from what can be seen. They don't look like obvious NBC. The variation in shape (look to be a few...

Looks like a blister rather than a blister pearl, but you are bound to get different opinions on that one! As for the mollusk it would be worth checking out whether it is of saltwater or freshwater origin before trying to narrow down the choices. Could be freshwater from the images as they can...

Agree with Dave that the pearls in the 1st post are all bead cultured pearls (old experimental culturing for some due to the curving link between the double nuclei). The smaller pearls in the sieve are more likely natural IMO, there may be some Keshi mixed in, and agree with Dave again on the...

Any pearls I have seen that have been recovered from shipwrecks are never as nice as the ones under discussion here lisa c. Being under water, often in metal boxes where they were stored, does the surfaces of "treasure" pearls no good at all. They come out quite "chalky" and white, but if these...

Fluorescence caused by which type of source Conny? UV, X-rays, Cathode rays? Might help to be more specific ;-)

Given the size and more nacreous looking area on one side perhaps it originated from an Atrina vexillum or at least Atrina species rather than Pinna? Would be interesting to see the shell that produced it. Doubt that is possible though.

Any images of the shell it came from or any idea on its history/provenance? Although interesting it is rather hard to decide whether it is a "blister pearl", "blister" or a piece of large worked and polished Tridacna gigas shell?

Doesn't that include all pearl dealers selling and buying Pteriidae (Gray, 1847) produced pearls? Rather difficult to know with certainty that pearls are natural unless they are historically "antique" and have provenance (documentation/history) accompanying them. Most of the auction houses would...

An interesting point there Dave! So, sorry to take the thread off course slightly but you started it (:o), how would anyone be able to separate such "cultured pearls"? I presume that is what you are implying they are with the section of your post I hope I managed to make bold? It also leads to...

Very interesting stories from your grandpa and lovely variety of pearls. This thread from another PG forum looks rather apt to share here: https://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9359

Very interesting piece. Looks like Adamas need an X-ray machine to help out, not that Tridacna pearls usually show much via X-rays. If it is another type of pearl X-rays may well help!