Long strand of pearls with 14k hallmark on clasp

[Jnp709]

I have just found this beautiful strand of pearls at a thrift shop and I would like to know if they are worth taking to be appraised. I am fairly certain they are actual pearls, perhaps freshwater based on irregular shape. They are gritty, and cold to the touch. The strand is 48 inches, about 150 pearls or more. It weighs about 85 grams. Each pearl is approximately 7mm. The aren’t knots between each pearl. There is no flaking or peeling, the holes are very small. I do not have 10x magnification, but I am very good at attention to detail through sight and touch. They seem smooth. There is a hallmark on the clasp, 14k and perhaps a diamond. My location is Eastern Canada.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

I'm a bit conflicted. The fact that the clasp is gold and that the shapes are varied makes me lean toward their being cultured freshwater pearls from China.

But the appearance of the surface and the uniformity of the color and luster make them look like imitations. I'm wondering about the black spot on one of the pearls in the 2nd photo. What is that? A bit of grime, or is there some coating missing?
Even though the clasp is gold, any clasp can be (re)strung on any pearls. And they do look like they were restrung at some point.

Either way, they do not have a high value, so no, don't get them appraised. The appraisal would cost more than the pearls. Just wear them and enjoy them!

Here are a few simple tests you can do to determine if they are real or imitations:
1. Rubbing test. Rub two of the pearls together gently. Real pearls feel gritty; fake pearls glide smoothly.
2. Temperature test. You will need additional pearls to compare with. Use pearls that you know are real, or that you know are fake. Real pearls feel cooler than fake ones made of glass or plastic when touched briefly to the lips.
3. Loupe test. Look at the surface. At 10x magnification, real pearls appear very smooth while fake pearls have a slightly rougher texture.
Edit: see my next post with photo.

Whatever they are, you can enjoy wearing them! Wipe them clean with a damp microfiber cloth. If you want to restring them I have a tutorial on how to do that, stickied on the Lowly Beaders Club forum.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Here's a photo of Renee Newman's that shows fake (top) vs. real (bottom) pearl surface at 10x magnification:

 

[Jnp709]

I'm a bit conflicted. The fact that the clasp is gold and that the shapes are varied makes me lean toward their being cultured freshwater pearls from China.

But the appearance of the surface and the uniformity of the color and luster make them look like imitations. I'm wondering about the black spot on one of the pearls in the 2nd photo. What is that? A bit of grime, or is there some coating missing?
Even though the clasp is gold, any clasp can be (re)strung on any pearls. And they do look like they were restrung at some point.

Either way, they do not have a high value, so no, don't get them appraised. The appraisal would cost more than the pearls. Just wear them and enjoy them!

Here are a few simple tests you can do to determine if they are real or imitations:
1. Rubbing test. Rub two of the pearls together gently. Real pearls feel gritty; fake pearls glide smoothly.
2. Temperature test. You will need additional pearls to compare with. Use pearls that you know are real, or that you know are fake. Real pearls feel cooler than fake ones made of glass or plastic when touched briefly to the lips.
3. Loupe test. Look at the surface. At 10x magnification, real pearls appear very smooth while fake pearls have a slightly rougher texture.

Whatever they are, you can enjoy wearing them! Wipe them clean with a damp microfiber cloth. If you want to restring them I have a tutorial on how to do that, stickied on the Lowly Beaders Club forum.

They are gritty, cold, and heavy. I have fake pearls, and cheap freshwater craft quality pearls. They are more like the real freshwater pearls. The black spot is just a bit of dirt. There is no flaking, or peeling, as if there was a coating. They weigh about 85 grams. I agree it’s not worth spending 100 dollars on an appraisal (average rate for my area, and items are sent away).

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Then congratulations, you have a long strand of freshwater pearls! (But just so you know, glass pearls are as heavy as real ones-- sometimes heavier, depending on the type of glass. Swarovski uses lead glass.)

I would restring them. It's up to you if you want to knot between all of them-- that will make the necklace even longer though! Knots are about 0.3mm wide each.
You could just back-knot between the final 4 pearls on either side of the clasp and leave the others unknotted.
Or you could use clamshell type bead tips and not do any back-knotting. Some bead tips have open loops (easier to connect to the clasp but less secure if the necklace is heavy) and some have closed loops (which means you would need a jump ring or a split ring to connect it to the clasp.)

How to Use a Closed-Loop Bead Tip

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