Just curious: what are these?

[ninab]

I have two strands of pearls that originally belonged to my grandmother. Her jewelry box was full of lovely real items as well as costume pieces, usually side by side. She had some very nice pearls, most of which went to another relative but I have a pair of small Mikimoto studs that were hers, too. I don't think these strands are anywhere near as nice as the studs (the quality is obvious even to my untrained eye) but I'm curious to at least identify the type of pearl.

Both have 14K markings on the clasp. Both are cold to the touch and warm up after a few minutes. The smaller of the two was re-knotted very poorly in fishing wire (my grandfather's handiwork, I'm guessing). The larger, non-fishing wire strand seem to have more damage or imperfections.

I'd like to learn how to knot and re-string these strands. It'd be fun to know what I'm working with and how creative I could get with them. (Mix and match the sizes? Bright, colored thread?) Very appreciative of any help!

 

[CortezPearls]

These seem to be low quality Akoya pearl strands to me.
I see many skin imperfections and places where the nacre seems thin. Low luster too.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

By all means wash and restring them. That will give you the chance to remove any pearls that do not match the rest in quality.

Wash them in a bowl with some distilled water (to avoid chlorine and hard water minerals) with a bit of mild soap swished in. Soak about 15 minutes, wiping grime off with a soft cloth. Rinse in more distilled water and lay them on a towel to dry for 24 hours. Then they are ready for restringinng.

I have written a tutorial, here:

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

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[ennui]

Wash them in a bowl with some distilled water (to avoid chlorine and hard water minerals) with a bit of mild soap swished in.

I have washed pearls in Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap Baby Unscented; I think it was recommended here or maybe on Pricescope?

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Yes, that is what I use too. BUT-- beware-- if you use Bronners' you really must use distilled water for the wash and the rinse, if you want to play it safe. Here is why:

Dr. Bronner's is an actual soap. Most liquid "soaps" (so called) /shower gels/ baby wash/ shampoos are actually detergents, chemically speaking. There is a difference, chemically, between a soap and a detergent. See Wikipedia for more information on this if you are curious.

So why does this matter? Because soaps combine with the minerals in hard water to form a scum that is sticky, gummy, and takes some scrubbing to remove. Ask me how I know-- our water comes from our well, and is moderately hard. We have not been able to use soaps since we moved here 3 decades ago--only detergents (like Softsoap). They do not form that scum. If we use soap-- we have to use a melamine sponge to scrub the sink afterwards. No, thanks. Too much work!

If you get that scum on your pearls-- well, good luck getting it off. I made the mistake of using Dr. Bronners and my tap water to wash some mother of pearl beads. I never did get the scum completely off them despite rubbing hard. That kind of rubbing would not be good for pearls!

So now I tell everyone to just use distilled water to wash and rinse pearls and avoid the potential problem entirely.

 

[ninab]

Thank you all so much!