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Oh, yes, you totally scored!

Nice-- and the silver one is rhodium plated so it won't tarnish: https://www.bellafindings.com/29814/rhodium-sterling-silver-23x9mm-hook-and-eye-clasp.html

They are akoya pearls and the clasp is pretty, but I don't think they are Mikimoto brand, despite the box they are in. The clasp does not appear to be Mikimoto; it says 375 (10K gold) which I have never seen Mikimoto use (typically 18K, sometimes sterling silver), and it lacks the Mikimoto...

Sorry, I still think it could be either a lower-quality Tahitian or a dyed FWP. So go ahead and assume it's Tahitian -- it might very well be.

Pearl Paradise sells loose pearls: https://www.pearlparadise.com/collections/loose-pearls ...and I expect other online pearl sellers do as well.

I love the weave of that top, BWeaves!

True. Although I'm sure any Handamas sold by PP are actually Hanadama grade. This may or may not be true of other sellers. Read this, about what has happened with Pearl Science Lab certificates: https://www.pearl-guide.com/threads/gia-adds-hanadama-quality-indicator-to-certificates.461917/

My understanding is that Hanadama certification is only available for pairs and strands. But what is a Hanadama but a AAA that has met certain minimum standards? So just contact PP and ask for the best AAA akoya pearl for a pendant within your budget.

Renee Newman has just come out with her newest pearl book-- it's on Amazon. I find her books very good for beginners. (I'm still waiting for my copy -- due to arrive on Friday.) This is the book: https://reneenewman.com/Pearls.htm Her books are beautifully illustrated. You can see photos of...

Do you mean nacre thickness? While the nacre of white pearls is transparent, that of black pearls is not. Therefore, you would not see blinking. However, Tahitian nacre is typically thicker than that of akoyas. As to other aspects of quality, it seems to me with Tahitians that what you see is...

Tahitians, I would say.

I will give you one more test but it is destructive-- it won't harm real pearls but it will take the coating right off fake ones. Saturate a cotton ball with acetone or nail polish remover, and rub the pearl with it. Like I said, it will dissolve fake pearl coatings, ruining them, but won't...

When you get it back, do the tests I suggested on it.

Dramatic! They look nice on your ears.

Here are a few simple tests to tell whether pearls are real or fake, that may help the OP for the next time: 1. Rubbing test (also called "tooth test" but please don't rub pearls on your teeth. Teeth are harder than pearls and can scratch them. Rub 2 of the pearls together (don't rub hard)...

Do you see that coarse texture that is visible when the pearls are so enlarged? That is pretty much what you'd see looking at imitation pearls under a 10x loupe. Real pearl nacre looks smooth under 10x magnification. Also the combination of all these traits: • All the pearls look exactly the...

Also-- do you sell pearls often? Or do you just love pearls? Would you like to take a course to learn more about pearls? The CPAA has a fantastic course that you can take free with a code that I will message to you. Link to course: https://www.pearlsasone.org/

That is the same technique used to produce FW keshi. Sometimes though a form is placed in the pearl sac so that the 2nd harvest pearl forms over the shape. Stars, coins, etc. I have seen pieces of flexible plastic mesh used to produce a cornflake-like shape. (Gotta love those cereal...

Sorry, they are indeed glass. You may like to also see this thread, to learn more about what fake pearls can look like. Some are very good imitations. https://www.pearl-guide.com/threads/fake-imitation-laguna-faux-majorica-majorcan-swarovski-pearl-photos-stories.6776/

Vintage rice krispies (freshwater Chinese), rather than Biwas (freshwater Japanese from Lake Biwa). Different mussel.