My Natural Pearl Collection

[SunSeeker]

MSC, love your design and those shells!

 

[MSC]

Thanks, Sunseeker!

 

[MSC]

I'm headed to Antiques Roadshow in May and I'll be bringing my entire antique pearl jewelry collection with me! I'll keep y'all posted on the appraisal

 

[Katbran]

MSC - How exciting !!! Can't wait to hear the stories !!

 

[Marianne]

A new star for PBS!!!

 

[BWeaves]

I can't wait to hear the results.

Keep in mind that the Antiques Roadshow people inflate the prices a bit. What the antique is worth vs. what someone will pay for it if you tried to sell it, can vary widely.

 

[MSC]

I can't wait to hear the results.

Keep in mind that the Antiques Roadshow people inflate the prices a bit. What the antique is worth vs. what someone will pay for it if you tried to sell it, can vary widely.

Thanks, Kat, Marianne, and BWeaves!

I'm really only interested in insurance appraisal for the collection which I believe will be very different than individual piece replacement value appraisal. I do think that looking at current auction sale results is the best method for determining worth of individual antique pieces, but rarely do you see large collections for pearl pieces up for auction, making it pretty difficult to gauge value of my own collection in its totality (though I have seen stick pin and brooch or cufflink collections sold as a lot, or hodge podge of not great quality antique pieces sold as a lot simply because they could not be sold individually, value-wise). The natural pearl collection lots I have seen are usually small, perhaps a strand plus a pin and something else minor or of low value. Anyways, results will be purely reference information for me for comparison against the auction market; surely, somewhere between the two lies the actual value. Plus, attending the Antiques Roadshow is a bucket list item for me! PS: I'm looking for someone to attend with me, none of my friends can go since the event is inconveniently during the middle of the week and everyone already has their summer vacation plans set/vacation time off utilized. PM if interested!

 

[BWeaves]

It sounds like you have good expectations of what AR will be able to do.

 

[MSC]

Thought y'all would like to see the collection I'll be bringing with me. Of course, I realize I left one necklace in the bank box. Oh well, it's too much of a pain in the booty to go digging back in there now!

ETA: you'll note that I included a strand which I suspect are early akoya, but have been told by an expert may be a mixed strand. This is my stumper entry.

 

[Marianne]

Thank you so much for sharing your marvelous collection!!!

 

[pattye]

Those AR peeps will be dazzled! A truly wonderful collection!

 

[BWeaves]

"Early akoya." I know what you meant. Early cultured possibly mixed with some naturals. That strand is gorgeous.

Keep us posted on your results and if you are going to be on the show itself.

 

[MSC]

Thank you, marianne and pattye! I decided not to include other pieces where pearls feature as minor to other stones.
But since I can bring two items and the collection is one "item," the other thing I'm bringing are these earrings which I know nothing about:

 

[la_corsetiere]

A beautiful collection! I love the two large art nouveau rings.

 

[CathyKeshi]

This is so exciting ... hope you get lots of great info on your lovely, unique pieces, MSC!

 

[MSC]

Thank you, BWeaves, Cathy and Sherri! I'll certainly post results once it's all said and done. Gosh, I better figure out a stylish outfit just in case...

Of course, I've shortened the strand and I'll have to dig out the leftover pearls to bring along. I have a feeling I'll just have to send the thing to GIA to figure out which pearls could be natural and which could be cultured since I cannot tell with just my eye.

 

[amti]

That's certainly a drool worthy collection. Good luck!!!

 

[MSC]

That's certainly a drool worthy collection. Good luck!!!

Thanks, amti!

Put together a layout for a bracelet - going to use rose gold wire and white gold jump rings, edwardian inspired:

 

[BWeaves]

OOOOO, cool.

 

[Pareltje]

Looking forward to the end result. And please post a wrist shot.