Comments on My Recent Purchase?

Happy Huku

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 28, 2012
Messages
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I bought these pearls a few months ago, was very happy with my purchase and really enjoy wearing them.
However, I never liked the clasp, always planned to change it but the one I have in mind is rather special and I don't know if these pearls are of good enough quality for the clasp?!
I bought them online as akoyas, second hand, perhaps 'estate jewellery' although I think they are newish rather than oldish.
They are about 6mm, length of necklace about 44cm.
Some of the pearls have some small pockmarks on them.
Could they be freshwater?
Despite all the wonderful information available on Pearl-Guide, I don't really know what I should be looking out for and would appreciate some comments...
Many thanks
 

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Hmm, not sure those photos are very good, will attempt something a little larger...
P1000305.jpgLight 072
Hope that's better.
 
Hi,

I'm thinking: do the pearls need to be of any special quality to match a clasp? If you like the clasp and you have some pearls - they match :) You can always upgrade the pearls later if you want, but then at least you have the clasp already. I have a pretty expensive strand of Kamoka Tahiti pearls that have to live with a vermeil toggle until such a time as I can afford the 22K clasp they deserve.

- Karin
 
Hi,

I'm thinking: do the pearls need to be of any special quality to match a clasp? If you like the clasp and you have some pearls - they match :) You can always upgrade the pearls later if you want, but then at least you have the clasp already. I have a pretty expensive strand of Kamoka Tahiti pearls that have to live with a vermeil toggle until such a time as I can afford the 22K clasp they deserve.

- Karin

Yes, I was thinking of that too but I have to send them off to be restrung, spend a bit of money etc etc, when really they are fine as they are and I enjoy wearing them except for the fiddly little clasp which I only have to put up with taking them on and off. If they are not of very good quality, then perhaps I'd be better off putting the time and money into finding another string of better quality and getting them strung with my special clasp!! And, when the time comes to restring these ones, I can look for a ready made clasp that is more user friendly for me. As they say in French, why make it simple when you can make it complicated? It can be tricky living with pearls sometimes!
 
Ah, now I see what you mean. And it seems like one strand is just never enough anyway! :)
 
We've just put up a great tutorial about to restring your pearls yourself :) It will save you a lot of money in the long run if you like pearls - both because you don't need to buy perfectly finished strands with the right clasp and because pearls always need regular restringing if they are strung on silk. If you look at my album you can see some of the possibilities of being able to do your own stringing.

- Karin
 
Thank you, I have seen the excellent tutorial and have always admired the pearl creations on this site but my life is too cluttered at the moment to take up restringing. One day, one day!
Meanwhile, I'll rethink my clasp situation, and look forward to any of your comments on my pearls.

PS I also couldn't resist doing some 'internet pearl window shopping', it's dangerous to say the least!
 
I hear you - back to talking about your pearls :)

Looking at the photos they look a little 'sleepy', not the mirror-like luster you think of with akoyas. My vintage strand has the same look and are sometimes confused with SSP's. Some of the shapes look slightly off-round. Is that the case or is it just a trick of the light? If they are slightly potato shaped they're not akoyas. Finally - have you looked at the holes? If they are akoyas and well used there could be peeling of the nacre, reducing their value.

Okay, now finally, what value should they have for you to spend the clasp on them? Maybe you should look at how you feel about them instead. Perhaps you have already been window shopping enough to know the answer.

- Karin
 
The camera can distort but some of them look a little egg shaped in the right hand photo in post #3, and if they are, then they are freshwaters.
If you photographed in natural light, that could account for the luster being a bit lower-- if you photograph under a single light source, the luster will appear greater.

6 mm is on the small side, unless you are petite. It does sound like you may be ready to upgrade to a new strand in a larger size.
 
Thank you for all your various comments and patience!
I have made up my mind re clasp so that is one good thing out of the way. I'll be saving up for a good quality strand for my special clasp, perhaps a larger size as suggested, much appreciated, Pearl Dreams!
With regards the quality, it is not very good as I probably sensed all along and thus needed comments. I also feel they probably are freshwater. Or not very good quality baroque akoyas? Either way, I was after some akoyas. Never mind, they feel good around my neck, I still enjoy wearing them and have learnt a good lesson re internet shopping...
Thank you again!
 
The funny thing about pearls is that they are a pleasure to wear even when they are not top quality. And sometimes even when they are poor quality.

I made up a strand of decidedly flawed metallic multicolor 6mm pearls about 5 years ago, and strung them on beading wire, just so I would have a strand to take on vacation while visiting family in Florida. My idea was that I'd wear them all day and not worry about them, over sunscreen, while swimming, etc-- and just wash them off with soap and water each night. But the funny thing was that they turned out to looked good anyway-- the flaws that were so obvious when scrutinized up close were not obvious at all when the strand was on my neck. Maybe because they were so metallic, I don't know.

Wear them anyway! This can be the strand you don't worry about.
 
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