Are These Real?

[CoffeeCat]

Hi! I inherited this pearl necklace from my grandmother when she passed in 2008, at the time I did take it to a jewelers to get it authenticated, but the woman who was there admitted that pearls were not her area of expertise and told me more than likely they were not real. Looking back now, I think she might have made a general assumption looking at me and my parents, and the state where I live, that my grandmother more than likely would not have been able to afford real pearls. But, oh well, whatever. So I have always thought these were fake, which it doesn't really matter to me if they are real or not, they were willed to me by my beloved grandmother who I didn't get enough time with, so they have immense sentimental value to me and I would never get rid of them regardless. I'm mostly interested in knowing more about them, if they are real, what kind are they? Where would she have bought them? How old are they? Was it a popular strand at some point? I have no information on them, as my grandmother never talked to me about them, I didn't even know she had them, or that she had placed them in her will for me until after her passing. I have come to suspect that they are indeed real pearls, I'm thinking most likely FWP, as they are more affordable. If they are fake then someone did their darnedest to make them as real looking as possible. They are cool to the touch, felt gritty when I gently rubbed them against my teeth, and they have slight imperfections on their surface. There are tiny pinprick indents and a couple of bumps and I can just make out some striations on the surface. The strand is knotted in-between each pearl and the clasp is 14 KG, I'm assuming, white gold. It is 16 inches in length with graduating pearls, I have included pictures of them next to a ruler as I don't have anything better to measure them with. I can see myself reflected in them and some of the pearls, when I turn them in the light, reflect in a way that looks like they are glowing from the inside, reminding me a bit of opals. Their color I would say is cream with some being a bit more pink and others more peach when I look at them under a light. I can't find any flaking on them like they were lacquered or painted, they are at least over 20 yr old at this point, so I would think they would have started peeling or something by now if they were fake. Anything you can tell me about them would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

 

[jshepherd]

From your story, I wish I could say they were real, but it does appear to be a strand of faux pearls. The surface does appears to be manufactured. It's beautiful though, and graduated nicely. I would recommend wearing it proudly

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Great photos!

I have to agree that the surface of the pearls looks like imitation pearl coating in those photos. That being said, some of that appearance may be due to a patina of grime (skin cells, lotions, air pollution etc.) that has built up over the years of wear. May I suggest you try giving them a good wipe down with a damp microfiber cloth and then try your tests again.

• Rub two of them together gently against each other (not against your teeth, which can scratch pearls.) What you perceived as grittiness previously could have just been grime. Now, do they still feel gritty after having been cleaned? Or do they glide fairly smoothly against each other? Imitation pearls glide smoothly. Even the best ones--my Majorica imitation pearls glide smoothly and are not gritty.

• You said they feel cool. But have you compared them with any other pearls, whether pearls that you know to be real or that you know to be fake? Real pearls feel cooler than fake pearls. Having other pearls to compare with is important. Put your grandmother's pearls in the same room as the other pearls to compare with, so they are in the same room temperature for a little while-- I suggest 30 minutes or so. Then touch them to your lips briefly (lips are very sensitive to temperature), and repeat with the other pearls. What do you feel when you compare them?

• Do you have a jeweler's loupe (a 10x magnifier) or can you visit your jeweler again and ask to use theirs? Use it to examine the surface of the pearls at a spot where there is no blemish. Compare with the other pearls-- perhaps with genuine pearls the jeweler has in their case. Real pearl nacre is very smooth looking at that magnification. Imitation pearls have a slightly coarser looking surface. Even my best imitation pearls are not as smooth looking as real ones.

Now, regarding a few points you brought up that lead you to think they are real:
• Good imitation pearls may have a gold clasp, though it is unusual-- the clasp is small and does not weigh a lot, and gold used to be a lot more affordable. I have a necklace and a bracelet of imitation pearls with 18K gold clasps.
• Good imitations that were well cared for can last decades and not flake or peel. Mine are 3+ decades old and have not peeled.
• Most imitation pearl necklaces are knotted between the pearls (and some real ones are not, except at the clasp ends.)
• Many imitations pearls may have small defects. (But I admit that one blemished pearl in the 11th photo looks like it might be real).
• My high end imitation Majorica pearls have an iridescence to them caused by the final layer of imitation pearl coating.

Perhaps from this you will determine that they are indeed imitation. But they are still sentimental treasures!

The older generations loved their imitation pearls and were proud of them. Sometimes they didn't even realize they were fake! My mother received a strand of Majorica imitation pearls from my grandmother in the early 1970s, and she wore them and treasured them until her death. She thought they were real. My MIL received a gift of pearls from my FIL years ago-- the entire family thought they were real. I'm sure she and her husband had no clue they were imitations, but that is what I discovered after they both passed away. The brand was Prestige.

Jackie Kennedy's famous 3 strand pearl necklace was imitation, made by Kenneth Jay Lane, as were Barbara Bush's pearls.
Coco Chanel's pearls were imitations.
After the death of Gilded Age social leader Caroline Astor, it was discovered that 90 of the pearls in her 5 strand necklace were fake! Quite the scandal it was, at the time.

All this to say that imitation pearls have been worn with pride by famous ladies for ages. Whether real or fake, you may certainly enjoy wearing her necklace.
But I would absolutely clean and restring them. Silk gets weak with age and grime, and can break. Many of us restring our own necklaces, so if you think you'd like to do that, have a look at my tutorial:

By the way, if you determine that they are actually real, they would be akoyas, not freshwaters. But that is all we could tell you about them.

Thread 'Stringing Tutorial with photos: Stringing on Serafil, Beaders Secret & Power Pro'

Dec 2, 2012

How to string (or restring) your pearls on doubled Pattye's Serafil, Beaders Secret, and Power Pro​

This is not hard-- really! It is harder to describe it than to do it. Anyone can learn to string their own pearls!
If after reading through this, it sounds too daunting, I suggest making a mini-strand for practice first. Make one 12-15 pearls long just so you can practice how to knot the end 3 pearls on each side and attach the clasps; the middle pearls are easy to knot.

To just practice knotting (without bothering with clasps), make an overhand knot, string on a pearl (or...

• Pearl Dreams
• Replies: 379
• Forum: The Lowly Beaders' Club

• 

 

[CoffeeCat]

Great photos!

I have to agree that the surface of the pearls looks like imitation pearl coating in those photos. That being said, some of that appearance may be due to a patina of grime (skin cells, lotions, air pollution etc.) that has built up over the years of wear. May I suggest you try giving them a good wipe down with a damp microfiber cloth and then try your tests again.

• Rub two of them together gently against each other (not against your teeth, which can scratch pearls.) What you perceived as grittiness previously could have just been grime. Now, do they still feel gritty after having been cleaned? Or do they glide fairly smoothly against each other? Imitation pearls glide smoothly. Even the best ones--my Majorica imitation pearls glide smoothly and are not gritty.

• You said they feel cool. But have you compared them with any other pearls, whether pearls that you know to be real or that you know to be fake? Real pearls feel cooler than fake pearls. Having other pearls to compare with is important. Put your grandmother's pearls in the same room as the other pearls to compare with, so they are in the same room temperature for a little while-- I suggest 30 minutes or so. Then touch them to your lips briefly (lips are very sensitive to temperature), and repeat with the other pearls. What do you feel when you compare them?

• Do you have a jeweler's loupe (a 10x magnifier) or can you visit your jeweler again and ask to use theirs? Use it to examine the surface of the pearls at a spot where there is no blemish. Compare with the other pearls-- perhaps with genuine pearls the jeweler has in their case. Real pearl nacre is very smooth looking at that magnification. Imitation pearls have a slightly coarser looking surface. Even my best imitation pearls are not as smooth looking as real ones.

Now, regarding a few points you brought up that lead you to think they are real:
• Good imitation pearls may have a gold clasp, though it is unusual-- the clasp is small and does not weigh a lot, and gold used to be a lot more affordable. I have a necklace and a bracelet of imitation pearls with 18K gold clasps.
• Good imitations that were well cared for can last decades and not flake or peel. Mine are 3+ decades old and have not peeled.
• Most imitation pearl necklaces are knotted between the pearls (and some real ones are not, except at the clasp ends.)
• Many imitations pearls may have small defects. (But I admit that one blemished pearl in the 11th photo looks like it might be real).
• My high end imitation Majorica pearls have an iridescence to them caused by the final layer of imitation pearl coating.

Perhaps from this you will determine that they are indeed imitation. But they are still sentimental treasures!

The older generations loved their imitation pearls and were proud of them. Sometimes they didn't even realize they were fake! My mother received a strand of Majorica imitation pearls from my grandmother in the early 1970s, and she wore them and treasured them until her death. She thought they were real. My MIL received a gift of pearls from my FIL years ago-- the entire family thought they were real. I'm sure she and her husband had no clue they were imitations, but that is what I discovered after they both passed away. The brand was Prestige.

Jackie Kennedy's famous 3 strand pearl necklace was imitation, made by Kenneth Jay Lane, as were Barbara Bush's pearls.
Coco Chanel's pearls were imitations.
After the death of Gilded Age social leader Caroline Astor, it was discovered that 90 of the pearls in her 5 strand necklace were fake! Quite the scandal it was, at the time.

All this to say that imitation pearls have been worn with pride by famous ladies for ages. Whether real or fake, you may certainly enjoy wearing her necklace.
But I would absolutely clean and restring them. Silk gets weak with age and grime, and can break. Many of us restring our own necklaces, so if you think you'd like to do that, have a look at my tutorial:

By the way, if you determine that they are actually real, they would be akoyas, not freshwaters. But that is all we could tell you about them.

Thread 'Stringing Tutorial with photos: Stringing on Serafil, Beaders Secret & Power Pro'

Dec 2, 2012

How to string (or restring) your pearls on doubled Pattye's Serafil, Beaders Secret, and Power Pro​

This is not hard-- really! It is harder to describe it than to do it. Anyone can learn to string their own pearls!
If after reading through this, it sounds too daunting, I suggest making a mini-strand for practice first. Make one 12-15 pearls long just so you can practice how to knot the end 3 pearls on each side and attach the clasps; the middle pearls are easy to knot.

To just practice knotting (without bothering with clasps), make an overhand knot, string on a pearl (or...

• Pearl Dreams
• Replies: 379
• Forum: The Lowly Beaders' Club

• 

Thanks! I tried to be through . I wiped them down with a damp microfiber cloth and gently rubbed them together and I can still feel a bit of texture, it didn't feel like it glided smoothly, there was a bit of friction. And it left little white marks that I could wipe away with my finger, so I didn't want to do it too much, I'm afraid of scratching them, fake or not. I have another necklace of my grandmothers that has fake pearl beads on it and they definitely feel different to those. They have been at room temperature for several days already and they would feel cool when I picked them up and then they would warm in my hands as I held them, but if I put them down for a bit and pick them back up they feel cool again. I've let them sit a bit and they felt cold when I touched them to my lips (my internal air is set to 77 degrees btw if that matters). I also forgot to mention that they do have a slight weight to them, they aren't super heavy, but they don't feel like a plastic bead, they have a dense feel to them. Unfortunately I don't have any other pearls, real or imitation, to compare them to. I also don't have any jewelers loupe or anything to look at them through, the best I have is the magnifier on my phone and the zoom function on the camera. Under those they look smooth, but the image is also grainy since its a bit too close for those things to focus like how I need them to, so I wouldn't count that. A few of the others also have bumps like Image 11 and I tried rubbing my fingernail over them, because I thought they might be a bubble caused by the paint lifting, but they are hard under my fingernail. And looking at the strand again I noticed a couple of the smaller pearls are not perfectly round, one of the smallest ones is more of an oval shape and one, one size up looks like one end is flattened or pushed in slightly, not quite making it an oval, but not perfectly round either and a few of the others the same size look similar. Anyway, I don't know if that changes anything, but thank you for the tips and all the information, it's very interesting, perhaps this necklace is similar where some are real and others are imitation, it would certainly make the necklace more affordable and more likely to be mistaken as real by the purchaser. Either way, I'm not much of a pearl wearing myself, or jewelry in general (metal allergy, so I never wore jewelry growing up), but they are definitely something I will treasure from my grandmother, real or not.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Okay, let's talk about all that.

Light rubbing should not cause white marks to appear on real pearls that aren't damaged. Hard rubbing could scratch the nacre but that is not what you did. I suppose the coating of old imitations could be damaged by even light rubbing but I personally have not experienced that. So that isn't helping us figure this out..

Only the cheapest fake pearls are plastic. Most are glass, which feels heavy, like real pearls. So the weight is not proof.

Any pearls, real or fake, would feel cool when you pick them up, and would warm up in your hands, so that also does not prove anything. You really need to compare with some other pearls. But you said you have another necklace of your grandmother's that has fake pearl beads in it. You could use those beads for comparison of temperature (touching the pearls to your lips to detect small differences in temperature). Both plastic and glass pearl are warmer than real pearls when compared side by side. If the pearls in your inherited pearl necklace are cooler than the fake pearl beads in your grandmother's other necklace, I think you have your answer.

I have owned and seen imitation strands whose pearls are not all round. But that is also true of akoya strands, so shape variation in itself is not proof either way.

I have never heard of a modern (as opposed to antique) strand of pearls that is composed of a combination of cultured and imitation pearls. (In the case of Caroline Astor, the pearls in her necklace that weren't imitation were natural, not cultured. Natural = wild pearls created in nature without human intervention; cultured = farmed pearls. The pearl market has been a cultured pearl market for about a century.) So I expect that your pearls are all either fake or all real.

And that may be as far as we can get in figuring out what you have, barring further testing on your part. Why not go ahead and compare the temperature of the fake pearl beads in the other necklace to these pearls? It's an easy test. Just hold them briefly to your lips.

In any case, if you plan to wear them, do restring them. It's worth the effort, to avoid possibly losing them if the thread breaks. If you won't wear them, then that doesn't matter. I know you will treasure them either way. I would.