eBay find - looking for opinions

[tiredmom24]

Hi Everyone,

I am a longtime lurker and this is my first time posting here. I’m looking for some expert opinions. I bought these pieces from an eBay antiques vendor. The vendor said that they are Japanese pearls with silver, circa 1950, and they made no other assertions about provenance or composition.

My caliper measures the largest pearls at 12.7 mm for both the necklace and the bracelet. These pieces are clearly unmatched since they have different hardware and the bracelet looks more cream colored than the necklace - still I couldn’t resist because pearl shrinkage syndrome is real.

There are no makers marks or hallmarks on any of the (allegedly) silver hardware. I know silver is appropriate for Japanese pieces but usually they are marked as such from what I have seen. Please let me know what kind of pearls you think these are, or if anyone has insight as to when or where these were made.

The first photos were taken outdoors, the last were taken indoors. Thanks a million!

 

[Pearl Dreams]

To me they look like Chinese freshewaters from the late 1990s/early 2000s. I have some that shape that are dyed to resemble Tahitians.
The shapes are fun!

They need restringing; the thread is quite grimy. If you do that yourself (saves $$), you could string the bracelet to be a necklace extender, if you use the same sort of clasp for both so that they could interconnect.
The button used for a clasp is likely not silver.
My guess: these were made by someone like me who makes jewelry for themselves. They bought two loose stands of these pearls and cherry picked the best for the necklace and used the rest for the bracelet. I did the same sort of thing myself, in the past.

I wrote a restringing tutorial-- have a look:

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: 391
• Forum: The Lowly Beaders' Club

• 

 

[tiredmom24]

To me they look like Chinese freshewaters from the late 1990s/early 2000s. I have some that shape that are dyed to resemble Tahitians.

They need restringing; the thread is quite grimy. If you do that yourself (saves $$), you could string the bracelet to be a necklace extender, if you use the same sort of clasp for both so that they could interconnect.
The clasp is likely not silver.

I I wrote a restringing tutorial:

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: 391
• Forum: The Lowly Beaders' Club

• 

I will check out the tutorial, and thank you for the insight. I’m planning to use a brooch as a focal for the necklace.

I didn’t realize that the Chinese fw in the pre-Edison era got that big. I have lots of fw pearls and have never seen them with the mushroom shape or flying saucer shapes that I see on the necklace. The bracelet is rather potato-y and from what I know that’s a pretty solid fw tipoff. I paid fw prices for these, and I like them, so it’s all good

 

[Pearl Dreams]

They are cool shapes! And I'm glad you paid FW prices.

One result of the Chinese improving their pearl culturing technology is that one doesn't find as many of these odd shaped pearls any more, which is unfortunate IMO.
Do post photos when you have remade them!

 

[tiredmom24]

They are cool shapes! And I'm glad you paid FW prices.

One result of the Chinese improving their pearl culturing technology is that one doesn't find as many of these odd shaped pearls any more, which is unfortunate IMO.
Do post photos when you have remade them!

Thank you, will do