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Just the appearance of the surface when I blow up the photo, mostly. But if you have other pearls that you know are real (or fake) you can test these pearls using the temperature test. Real pearls are cooler than glass or plastic pearls. If they have been in the same temperature environment as...

They look like imitation pearls to me.

@PearlyLibrarian, Happy Anniversary! Lovely photo and lovely pearls!

Sure, let the clasp soak too. Just 10 or 15 minutes is enough. If they are currently strung on silk, you want to make sure the thread is dry before wearing them again as silk stretches when wet. That's why I suggest waiting 24 hours. It will certainly be dry by then. Polyester thread is more...

So freshwaters, then. Well, as I like to say, sunscreen isn't good for pearls-- but cancer isn't good for skin! So wear the sunscreen-- and clean the pearls every time when you take them off. Use a damp soft microfiber cloth, and wash the cloth often. And if they need a good cleaning, give them...

Freshadama is a brand name of gem grade freshwater pearls sold by Pearl Paradise, specifically. Do you mean you think they are gem freshwaters (no particular brand)? Maybe! Some gem grade freshwaters are sold in that size range. Do you see a bit of off-roundness that I am not seeing? These...

An imitation strand would not typically have a .5mm size range like that, while a real pearl strand would. Given that the clasp is gold (imitation strands usually don't have karat gold clasps) and given that it is finished with gimp (that little coil of French wire that protects the thread...

Can you attach a photo with the clasp as well? With a close up of the clasp front and back. Are there any metal marks indicating the kind of metal? 14k, 585, 925 etc. Also, the pearls near the center appear to be oval rather than round, but that could be distortion from the camera. We sometimes...

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!