Super interesting & tragic Mikimoto

[JMichaels]

Just thinking about this and wondering...... How would I tell if 70 years in a bank vault box had ruined these??? Would there be cracks or what???

Dried out akoyas will have slight cracks, and as you handle them, the nacre will flake off.

80s and 90s were the worst years for Akoyas, some of them spending as little as 6 months in the water after nucleation. Some of those would actually flake off in the drying lights of a display cabinet

I do have a 3.5 momme strand that has worn down to river mussel bead, but that took a lot of 60s hairspray and abuse.

 

[A Breaker]

Dried out akoyas will have slight cracks, and as you handle them, the nacre will flake off.

80s and 90s were the worst years for Akoyas, some of them spending as little as 6 months in the water after nucleation. Some of those would actually flake off in the drying lights of a display cabinet

I do have a 3.5 momme strand that has worn down to river mussel bead, but that took a lot of 60s hairspray and abuse.

Thank you!!! these are from '59. But I haven't seen them yet.. I doubt he will sell them...so no hurry there.