Georgian Blown-Glass "Pearls"

[juliebeth]

we need one of these. i find stuff all the time that i am curious about, but don't feel they deserve an entire thread.

to start off...

these Georgian seed pearl project pearls. the description says they're blown glass pearls. really? don't they look real? as in, natural? the shapes vary, i don't see any paint peeling off....what's y'all's opinion? great deal for a mess of natural pearls? fair price for a beautiful clasp and a bunch of crap beads?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ANTIQUE-GEO...027?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43c59919eb

and some pics for later reference:

 

[MSC]

Oh, I've been watching this item for a while. I hadn't bothered to read the description but they looked natural to me. Also, the seller originally had these listed at $225.

 

[pattye]

The clasp is wonderful. I'd definitely want to see a close up of the "pearls" with all the black spots. Can't tell if that is paint peeling or not.

 

[juliebeth]

i've asked. we'll see if they post photos!

in other news, i want this (so i'll save it here for perpetuity instead):

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ANTIQUE-FRE...382?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item460ceec92e

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

we need one of these. i find stuff all the time that i am curious about, but don't feel they deserve an entire thread.

I vote no.

My reasons are stated in this thread. The Importance of Provenance and Terminology

Sorry to be a wet blanket, but P-G should never, ever be party to arbitrarily enabling the rebranding of otherwise cheap pearls as natural. The experts who provide their opinions here do so voluntarily at not cost and in the best interest of the industry. A thread like that will undoubtedly put undue pressure on that service, undermine their reputations and generate mostly negative responses.

to start off...

these Georgian seed pearl project pearls. the description says they're blown glass pearls. really? don't they look real? as in, natural? the shapes vary, i don't see any paint peeling off....what's y'all's opinion? great deal for a mess of natural pearls? fair price for a beautiful clasp and a bunch of crap beads?

The seller appears knowledgeable and concise in the descriptions of other items. They have a 99.9% rating with only one unfavorable remark in over two thousand sales. Likewise the seller makes no far-fetched overtures of origin, quality or condition of this piece.

 

[kiwipaul]

Hey Juliebeth, I would not try and second-guess Nalfie (seller of the Georgian glass pearls).

I've bought from them before, and if they says they're blown glass, then they are most certainly blown glass.

CJ Antiques (Nalfie) handles a huge volume, over 50,000 trades on eBay. Heaven knows where they get it all, but they put through a lot of Georgian pieces.

 

[juliebeth]

Dave, that makes sense, i hadn't thought about it like that. if a moderator wishes to delete this thread or at least rename it (because now i see it is completely bait for exactly what you're concerned about!), please do!

and i shall go research glass pearl technology in the Georgian era, as i've never seen anything like the above!

thanks also paul, for giving more background on the seller.

 

[juliebeth]

thanks, dave. i will update once i learn more about these imitations.

 

[GemGeek]

I changed the title, but I will leave the thread. Pearl-Guide is a place to learn and share, but it does get bogged down with people asking if eBay pearls not specified as natural, are natural. If the pearls aren't mounted in pieces that predate pearl-culturing, there is a very slim chance that they are natural. Most antique jewelry only survives because it has been repaired - and pearls may have been replaced as part of those repairs, so there are no guarantees.

Asking for opinions based on photos is engaging in speculation. If your goal is to buy natural pearls -- buy from a trusted natural pearl dealer, or send the pearls to a laboratory with a reputation for pearl testing. My aim is not to discourage eBay buying and sharing, but to point out how rare it is to find naturals that are undiscovered by the seller. Possible, but rare.

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

Dave, that makes sense, i hadn't thought about it like that. if a moderator wishes to delete this thread or at least rename it (because now i see it is completely bait for exactly what you're concerned about!), please do!

and i shall go research glass pearl technology in the Georgian era, as i've never seen anything like the above!

thanks also paul, for giving more background on the seller.

No need to remove the thread and I apologize sincerely if I came across harshly. Although an occasional deal may be found on eBay, they are few and far between. As kiwipaul mentioned in the other thread about a recent find, it took hours and hours of diligent work to find something remotely suitable. Otherwise, eBay is a cesspool of corrupted misinformation and is predatory on motivated buyers.

I suppose I'm somewhat biased in my opinion, but I'm not sure why anyone would even want a natural pearl when they don't know it's origin, if not to speculate or take advantage of a naive seller. Something poached or unsustainably harvested is bad juju as opposed to something taken in a humane manner or gifted in good faith.

Please don't let my being a stickler detract you from your quest. I'm only suggesting an abundance of caution. I started a few threads here, like Candled Natural Pearls so others may learn for themselves and make sound judgments when considering purchases. I don't enjoy telling folks their pearls are not what they expected to be, but it's better than losing money on something by being misled.

Even the sharpest eye by the most experienced natural pearl expert cannot possibly address every issue or concern and there will always remain an element of doubt unless you are absolutely certain of a pearl's origin.

 

[Amanda]

As an aside, is it common outside the UK to use English / British monarchical terms for periods of time? Elizabethan, Queen Anne, Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian?

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

As an aside, is it common outside the UK to use English / British monarchical terms for periods of time? Elizabethan, Queen Anne, Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian?

It certainly is in the Commonwealth, especially when it's a product or design of it.

 

[juliebeth]

i've heard those terms used in the US, but mostly for reference with regards to architecture, art, dress, etc.

also, last little bit - my intent wasn't to purchase those pearls, or any pearls that i was considering for this thread. the intent was just to be a place to look at and talk about items found on such enormous marketplaces as ebay or rubylane. there's so much out there that is so wonderful! so i was posting not necessarily even for advice, just to say, for example as i did above, wow, look how beautiful this amethyst pearl pin is, wish i had it. I just thought one thread for items like that would be handy, but my extremely poor choice in thread title was, in retrospect, an extremely poor choice.