Please help ID my pearls!!

[Sanippy]

Hi guys!

I've obviously been very vocal about my new found love for pearls because my friend gave me some loose pearls today which she inherited a number of years ago! She is very sweet!

I don't think they are valuable but it would be fun to try and work out what they are! Some information:

- They were given as a gift maybe 10 years ago from a relative in Australia
- they have not been drilled
- they are not perfectly round and have some bumps and blemishes
- they aren't as lustrous as my akoyas or Metallics
- they are approx 9mm - see second pic - 7.5mm akoyas, 3 mystery pearls, 9-10mm metallics
- two look white, one is yellowish

I'm guessing they are freshwater pearls but would love to hear your thoughts!

And now some photos!






I've tried to capture one of the bumps in this photo:

 

[Sanippy]

Some additional photos - the first few with my akoyas and metallics in the background for reference.

 

[kelluvpearls]

I have a guess in mind but don't want to give you the wrong information, so I'll let the expert answer your question!

 

[Sanippy]

Haha thanks kelluvpearls!

On a side note I stupidly decided to wash them under the tap today. I turned the tap on too high and the pressure forced one of the pearls down the drain! Luckily my boyfriend managed to retrieve it for me and the pearl was fine. Lesson learnt!

 

[Pearl Dreams]

I'm guessing earlier earring-grade freshwaters, hence their not having been drilled.

They're on the small end for SSP, but maybe that's possible too?

 

[GemGeek]

This may sound picky after all the effort you put in, but none of the photos is sharply focussed. If you are using a camera, it is focusing on your hand, etc. Try putting the pearls dead-center and backing away a bit. It could be that you are just outside of your camera's close up distance. If you are using a cell phone, tap on a pearl to get it to focus on it. Remember that you can take a sharper shot from a father distance and then crop it to a close up. So far, they look like they could be SS pearls or freshwaters. The surface can tell you a lot, but is not a guarantee. How nice to get a gift of pearls!

 

[Sanippy]

Thanks Pearl Dreams and GemGeek! Okay I tried to take some better photos - thanks for the photography tips! I'm not sure if they are much better though...

 

[Sanippy]

And a couple more.

 

[Sanippy]

A few close ups.

 

[pattye]

I'm included to think these are South Sea, though at the smaller end of their size range. The satiny luster, which seems to be consistent over the whole pearl and age as indicated also make me lean toward SS over freshwater. (I'm no expert on SS pearls, however.)

 

[GemGeek]

There was one really good shot. I agree with Pattye that they are probably SS pearls. So now you should be planning to make something out of them!

 

[Sanippy]

Thanks pattye and GemGeek! I'll take them to my jeweller in the next few weeks - he works with pearls a lot so may be able to confirm what they are and discuss setting options of course!