Grandmother's pearls

[Twitchin Kitten]

Hello, I found your forum looking for information on how to whiten discolored pearls and this looks like the best place to start.
I inherited some pearls from my grandmother and I honestly never thought they were real and I was right. I found a thread on this site titled Majorica Pearls are fake, aren't they? and that confirmed it for me.

I'm going to include a few images and I hope they're good enough. My camera keeps putting a yellow cast on the image and it's hard to get a good view considering I'm here to find out if I can get the discoloration out of them!

Gran put EVERYTHING she owned in Saran (cling) wrap! EVERYTHING. I remember these pearls from when I was a child and they were white. Not so much anymore. She treasured these though because they were given to her by people she worked for and they considered her family and treated her as such. They brought these back from Italy for her and instead of wearing them, she wrapped them up and kept them "safe".

Mom gave them to me last Christmas and I can see where they were repaired at some point (the area where I'm holding them for you was the repair) and that one pearl is "loose" on the string.

There is no clasp. They seem to be about 2 feet long if I hold them up. I really should measure.
Not all of them are round.
I probably need to get these restrung if you think it's worth it, but my main concern is that I would like them to be white again if that's possible.

I'm including the inside of the case's lid where the brand is and the outside as it is a unique image and might lend useful info for those here in the know.

Anything you can tell me would be helpful as I told you EVERYTHING I know about these.

 

[GemGeek]

Welcome to Pearl Guide!
I've never seen artificial pearls that are partly discolored like this. Darn saran wrap! Knowing that anything you try may damage the coating, I would start by putting them in a lukewarm soapy bath for a few minutes to see if any of the darker color lifts. Gently rub with fingertips, rinse and pat dry with a soft towel and lay out on the towel to let the string air-dry. That is just a wild guess. Hopefully, someone else will have a better suggestion.

 

[Twitchin Kitten]

Yeah, I already did the warm soapy water thing. I even used my expensive shampoo to make sure I was not using anything harsh! You're looking at them after a washing.

 

[Sea Urchin]

I have no idea but just a thought, is it possible they actually are real pearls? Perhaps the box isn't the one they came in. Also, I did an internet search of "Majiuorica" and nothing came up. It's seems reasonable that "Majiuorica" would be a variation on "Majorica," yet it is not the same name. ?

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Hi Twitchen Kitten,

I own a number of Majorica brand imitation pearls. I don't think yours are specifically Majorica brand (based on the box, the shape of the pearls, the name), but rather one of the other imitation pearl brands that have a similar name and are made on Majorca.

I do not think you will be able to lighten the pearls. If the pearls are very sentimental, you could use those pearls that are all the same color to make a station necklace or bracelet. But there probably is no point in doing that if you don't like their color.

If you do not care to wear them, you could do something else with them to remember your grandmother. For example, just last week some posted photos of pearls strung on their Christmas trees. You may find another craft use for them.

 

[Sea Urchin]

So, why are we thinking they're artificial? The box looks like it's most likely from a "Majorca-ish" brand of artificial pearls, and the holes look large compared to the string. I believe real pearls usually have a smaller diameter drill hole? And then perhaps it's a clue that the grandmother was an employee and akoya pearls would have been more expensive than expected for the typical employee gift.

The yellowing, apparently, can be with either artificial or real pearls.

That off-round shape is what makes me wonder.

In what year (or range of years) do you think she received them? What is the pearl millimeter size?

I always like to add to my ability to tell real from artificial. Maybe those with more pearly expertise will have something to add.

 

[pattye]

Twitchin Kitten, Welcome,

Thank you for sharing the story and pics of your interesting pearls. We've never seen a box like that, or that same spelling of the brand either. I agree with the others, a bath may improve the beauty of your pearls, but probably will not lighten then much if at all. If you have the pearls restrung you might find colored gemstones or gold beads a nice compliment to their color.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

I have imitation pearls that have both round and off-round shapes. This was done to make them look more real.

See this thread on imitation pearls in the Other Stuff forum (must be signed in to see this):

"Fake, Imitation, Faux, Glass, Majorica, Majorcan, Swarovski Pearl Photos, Stories":

https://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7110

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Another thing: decades ago, these imitation strands were mostly made in off-white/cream/"champagne" colors, as that was more fashionable then. They were probably not white-white to begin with.

 

[Sea Urchin]

Thanks, PD.

 

[Twitchin Kitten]

I have no idea but just a thought, is it possible they actually are real pearls? Perhaps the box isn't the one they came in. Also, I did an internet search of "Majiuorica" and nothing came up. It's seems reasonable that "Majiuorica" would be a variation on "Majorica," yet it is not the same name. ?

The box is most definitely the one they came in. It's just how Gran was - everything preserved in it's original packaging and wrapped in Saran wrap.

So, why are we thinking they're artificial? The box looks like it's most likely from a "Majorca-ish" brand of artificial pearls, and the holes look large compared to the string. I believe real pearls usually have a smaller diameter drill hole? And then perhaps it's a clue that the grandmother was an employee and akoya pearls would have been more expensive than expected for the typical employee gift.

The yellowing, apparently, can be with either artificial or real pearls.

That off-round shape is what makes me wonder.

In what year (or range of years) do you think she received them? What is the pearl millimeter size?

I always like to add to my ability to tell real from artificial. Maybe those with more pearly expertise will have something to add.

I have no clue what millimeter the pearls are. I should probably purchase a ruler for this as I've had a need on more than one occasion for millimeter measuring of things.

As for when they were given, I'll have to poke mom and see if she knows, but my guess is in the '50's or early '60's because I remember these from when I was very young, around 4 or 5.

There is the possibility they could be real because this was not a typical employee - employer relationship. This is more like family. They also were millionaires and a string of real pearls would not be a hardship to them.

I still think they're imitation though. If you look at the image just below the box cover you can see one that looks chipped. I don't think real pearls chip like that.

Twitchin Kitten, Welcome,

Thank you for sharing the story and pics of your interesting pearls. We've never seen a box like that, or that same spelling of the brand either. I agree with the others, a bath may improve the beauty of your pearls, but probably will not lighten then much if at all. If you have the pearls restrung you might find colored gemstones or gold beads a nice compliment to their color.

I have a few other strands of imitation pearls that have discolored over time too. I should take photos of them but they really are not worthy of the site since this is about real pearls. Gran's is the mystery string and I wish I knew more about them.

Another thing: decades ago, these imitation strands were mostly made in off-white/cream/"champagne" colors, as that was more fashionable then. They were probably not white-white to begin with.

You may be right. I have really crappy, fake pearls (not even worthy of the name 'imitation'!) and they are white where my good imitations are a champagne color. These too are discolored but nothing like Gran's string. I'm going to poke mom some more and see if she will have any clue about these other than, "Her bosses brought them back from Italy."

 

[Twitchin Kitten]

I have no idea but just a thought, is it possible they actually are real pearls? Perhaps the box isn't the one they came in. Also, I did an internet search of "Majiuorica" and nothing came up. It's seems reasonable that "Majiuorica" would be a variation on "Majorica," yet it is not the same name. ?

The box is most definitely the one they came in. It's just how Gran was - everything preserved in it's original packaging and wrapped in Saran wrap.

So, why are we thinking they're artificial? The box looks like it's most likely from a "Majorca-ish" brand of artificial pearls, and the holes look large compared to the string. I believe real pearls usually have a smaller diameter drill hole? And then perhaps it's a clue that the grandmother was an employee and akoya pearls would have been more expensive than expected for the typical employee gift.

The yellowing, apparently, can be with either artificial or real pearls.

That off-round shape is what makes me wonder.

In what year (or range of years) do you think she received them? What is the pearl millimeter size?

I always like to add to my ability to tell real from artificial. Maybe those with more pearly expertise will have something to add.

I have no clue what millimeter the pearls are. I should probably purchase a ruler for this as I've had a need on more than one occasion for millimeter measuring of things.

As for when they were given, I'll have to poke mom and see if she knows, but my guess is in the '50's or early '60's because I remember these from when I was very young, around 4 or 5.

There is the possibility they could be real because this was not a typical employee - employer relationship. This is more like family. They also were millionaires and a string of real pearls would not be a hardship to them.

I still think they're imitation though. If you look at the image just below the box cover you can see one that looks chipped. I don't think real pearls chip like that.

Twitchin Kitten, Welcome,

Thank you for sharing the story and pics of your interesting pearls. We've never seen a box like that, or that same spelling of the brand either. I agree with the others, a bath may improve the beauty of your pearls, but probably will not lighten then much if at all. If you have the pearls restrung you might find colored gemstones or gold beads a nice compliment to their color.

I have a few other strands of imitation pearls that have discolored over time too. I should take photos of them but they really are not worthy of the site since this is about real pearls. Gran's is the mystery string and I wish I knew more about them.

Another thing: decades ago, these imitation strands were mostly made in off-white/cream/"champagne" colors, as that was more fashionable then. They were probably not white-white to begin with.

You may be right. I have really crappy, fake pearls (not even worthy of the name 'imitation'!) and they are white where my good imitations are a champagne color. These too are discolored but nothing like Gran's string. I'm going to poke mom some more and see if she will have any clue about these other than, "Her bosses brought them back from Italy."

 

[Twitchin Kitten]

I just sent a letter to Majorica in Spain asking if these were manufactured by them. Let's see what they say!

 

[Pearl Dreams]

I don't know why we all forgot to ask you to do the simplest test: rub two of the pearls together gently.

Genuine pearl nacre will offer a bit of resistance while imitation pearls will slide easily against one another (provided they are clean.)

My grandmother brought my mother a strand of Majorica pearls in the late 1960s on her return from a trip to Italy. These nice quality imitation pearls were popular tourist gifts. My mother thought they were real pearls. Majorica is not the only company that sells these tourist pearls (e.g. Perlas de Mallorca, and Majorca.) Majorica is the best known and probably the oldest (the company dates back to the late 1800s) so they are the imitations to imitate, so to speak. Other companies ride on their coattails.

Also, some companies here in the States gave Majorica brand pearls as retirement gifts. I have one Majorica box with a GE logo attached.

It would be interesting to be able to examine the chip close up. Do you have a setting on your camera that enables you to get an in-focus close up shot? If imitation I would expect the bead inside to be glass-- possibly opaline glass (milky colored). Majorica uses opaline glass.

Finally, real pearls don't have a descriptor other than type (Akoya, South Sea, Tahitian etc.) . The fact that Majorica / Mallorca / Majorca / Majuiorca pearls do is, to me, an indication that they are imitation.

Now having said all that, this does not mean they lack value! Yours certainly have sentimental value. And the box is beautiful!

 

[Twitchin Kitten]

OK mom was useless. She has no clue when they were given to Gran but she did say they were champagne in color from the start.
She said that it wouldn't surprise her if they were real as well because these people were always treating my gran well.

I tried rubbing them together and compared the feel to the crap ones I have and the other good imitation ones I have. They feel "sticky" but not exactly rough. Can you describe the feeling? Should it be a sticky feel of resistance or a gritty kind of feeling?

If I rub them on the wide side it's kind of smooth, but if I rub up and down as if I'm rubbing along the string line (parallel to the string & holes), there is a good bit of resistance.

I'll try to get a photo of the chipped piece in the morning with the bright daylight to help.

I should bring it to a jewelry store but around here where I live they want to charge me $100 just to look at them. I can't see paying that if they are not worth that at least!

 

[Twitchin Kitten]

Ha ha ha wouldn't it be funny if these turned out to be dime store crap?

 

[pattye]

All of us would love to reach through the computer screen and hold these pearls; it would be so much easier to be sure exactly what they are and point the clues out to you! The large holes without a crisply drilled edge showing and the similarity of the reflections on each pearl are some indicators of imitation pearls to me. That said, imitation pearls were not inexpensive at all. They were often special gifts marking an anniversary or other special occasion. The "essence of nacre" was usually applied in multiple layers, the pearls weighted to feel similar to cultured pearls, and the shorter strands were knotted individually with a karat gold clasp. So there is no reason to think these are "dime store crap."

Ridiculous that a store wouldn't look at these without a high fee.

My Mom was a classy lady who had a long strand similar to this from the 50's and wore them knotted. How I wish I still had them.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

I would not pay him $100 to look at the pearls! Frankly I'm rather shocked that he would not do you the courtesy of a quick look. The difference in the appearance of genuine nacre and imitation is easy to see with a loupe (10x magnifier). Loupes are not expensive and you might just want to own one.

What about visiting the store (or any jewelry store, even a mall store) and asking to use their loupe to look at a strand of pearls they themselves are selling? You will see very smooth looking nacre.

Then pull out your strand and look at them with the loupe. Imitation pearl coating looks more textured than real nacre does-- a bit coarser. Look also at the chipped pearl.

Sticky doesn't sound like nacre; a bit gritty is more like it, but we are not talking about sandpaper-gritty. But pollution, skin oils, lotion build-up etc. could affect how the surface feels. Since you already gave them a bath, that is not it.

An imitation coating could also produce that feel-- a strand of imitation SSP I bought felt that way. I've never heard of any sort of pearl, real or imitation, that feels different when rubbed in different directions so that puzzles me.

The uniformity of the color of the pearls makes them look imitation. The strand shows no overtones as genuine pearls do.

Also, pattye is right that imitation pearls can be pricey! My FIL paid enough for the imitation Prestige strand he bought for my MIL that he, and she, thought he had bought genuine pearls.