Search results

The clasp just says "Japan" and appears to be base metal. I think someone combined imitation pearls with possibly freshwater pearls in that piece. See the pearls in the areas I marked? They have a different shape and tone than the others. The rest seem to be imitation; the ones I marked may be...

I actually saw a necklace very much like #2 yesterday, on the neck of the checkout clerk at BJ's. The necklace had belonged to her late aunt so it was very sentimental. For once there were few customers, so we had time for a nice chat about pearls, Pearl Guide and the Pearls As One course. I...

This is easy. All of them are cultured (not natural) Chinese freshwater pearls with no bead nucleus. The first 2 sets were cultured in Hyriopsis cumingii, the Trianglesail mussel shell. They were commonly sold in the '90s and first decade of 2000s. After that the Chinese began producing rounder...

Yes, soufflé pearls are very light. My husband and I have soufflé pendants and they are featherweight.

OK, so Chinese freshwaters. You ask are they worth anything? Yes, they are worth whatever a buyer will pay for them. But FWP sell for less than akoyas or South Sea pearls.

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.

Bingo! I think you found the very one. Clasp looks the same. https://thegemshop.ca/product/south-sea-tahitian-pearl-strand/

Sorry, math errror-- it would take nearly THREE 18" loose strands to make a 50" necklace (not 4). 18 x 3 = 54

Possibly imitation, but more likely cultured freshwater pearls from China. Please remeasure the diameter-- those cannot be 19mm. Was that a typo? Also, are there any other metal marks on the clasp? 925? 14K? 585?

At any given time one may not find an item exactly like what one owns, especially if it is unusual. I don't think the items you found are very similar to your strand. So let me just ask you outright: are you merely curious about the replacement value of your necklace, or are you actually trying...

Hi, The photos are out of focus and on backgrounds that are less than optimal for evaluating pearls. Pearls show up best on a white or pale neutral background. Try to get some close up shots on a paper towel, in natural light. Is there any kind of metal mark on the findings?

You too!

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...

Well, I have rambled long enough. ;)

Many famous ladies have worn imitation pearls! Jackie Kennedy's famous 3 strand necklace were fakes made by Kenneth Jay Lane. As were First Lady Barbara Bush's pearls. Coco Chanel wore fake pearls. Kate Middleton had some nice fake pearl earrings. I understand Diana also had some fakes.

If you would like to learn more about pearls, you may enjoy taking the "Pearls As One" course put out by the CPAA (Cultured Pearl Association). I will message you a code to take it for free. https://www.pearlsasone.org/

And then there is the overall impression of a strand. Too uniform = probably fake. A real pearl strand, even a very good one, will have some blemishes, no matter how small. Maybe a few pinpricks. But a fake strand may look perfect. If there are overtone colors, they will not all be the same...

Here are a few tests you can do: 1. Temperature test. Real pearls are cooler than fake ones. This test works for plastic and glass pearls; I have not yet tried it with imitation pearls that have a shell bead, as these are less common and I don't have any. I may buy some just to try the test on...

Lower quality fake pearls may have these (but not better fake pearls): • Swirls of excess pearlescent coating near the drill holes • Large drill holes (pearl are sold by weight so the holes tend to be drilled small to preserve weight.) If the knots seem too large it may be because they had to...

I have a little time now. :) First, these are not definite ways to tell if pearls are fake: You can't tell by the knotting. Either real or fake pearls may be knotted between every pearl or only knotted between the end few pearls. You can't tell by whether the strands are finished with...