Newbie here. What kind of peacock/baroque pearls do I have here?

[aljameela]

Wow I can't believe this resource exists! Would you help a newbie out and give me your expert opinions on what I have here?

These have a VERY cold and heavy feel. Definite pearl grit on the tooth test. They are very asymmetrical and many have sharpish ridges

 

[Marianne]

Welcome to PearlGuide. These appear to be Chinese Freshwater bead nucleated pearls which have been either dyed or treated with silver nitrate to create these colors.

 

[pearlescence]

Yup, Marianne is right. Big dyed Chinese freshwaters. They look lustrous and have some variety of colour, mid quality for this sort of pearl (you mentioned that they have sharpish ridges).

 

[aljameela]

I suppose I am disappointed to hear this news. But they really are lovely. My purist mind will need to think about this new information. I paid about $150 for them on looks alone. Only later did I start to wonder......................after seeing "peacock pearls" listed on auction sites like EBay for $50 and less.

Thank you for your quick and studied responses-