These Pearls belonged to my Mom, are they of good quality?

[Carolyn]

I inherited this strand of Cultured Pearls from my Mom. The clasp is 18k gold. I notice that the pearls seem to have lots of imperfections on them, does this mean they are of low quality? The strand is 24 inches and the pearls are 7mm in size. Thanks in advance for any information you might have.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

They have lovely luster!

Blemishes commonly occur on pearls. Although your strand would be of higher quality if it had fewer blemishes, they are far from a low quality strand based on that one photo, in my opinion.

 

[pattye]

Carolyn,

Welcome! Most of us value luster more highly than any other pearl quality, so I'd put your pearls in the outstanding category! In person the blemishes are barely noticeable, I imagine. The clasp is so luxurious looking, no doubt from when gold was much less expensive. Do you know when your Mother purchased or received the pearls? Based on the size and age, if more than 20 years old, they would likely be cultured akoya pearls from Japan.

Twenty four inches is a wonderful length, too. You have a beautiful legacy from your Mother; do you remember her wearing them?

 

[Carolyn]

Thank you for the feedback! I do remember my Mom wearing them often. I have a couple more pictures of them. One is a close up of the clasp and the other is the little information sheet that came with them.

 

[pattye]

Definitely hang on to the card. I tried to google that brand, Tiara, but nothing came up. Possibly you've tried that already too.

 

[Carolyn]

Me too pattye! All I get are Tiara's with pearls! The first thing that struck me when I first held them was how heavy the strand was. I weighed it at 38 grams. The clasp is heavy too and it snaps really tight! Thanks again for the information!

 

[pattye]

Whoa! Those are heavy pearls! And the clasp substantial also! You'll notice the tongue on the clasp is made of white gold instead of yellow, as the alloys make it somewhat stronger. That's how it used to be done. Have you been able to figure out about what year your Mother might have purchased or received the pearls as a gift?

 

[GemGeek]

That is a seriously beautiful necklace. The pearls are outstanding in spite of the markings on them. I hope you enjoy wearing them as much as your Mother did.

 

[Carolyn]

If I recall correctly, I believe they were a 25th Anniversary gift from my Father. That would put the strand at about 43 years old. She never bought anything for herself and was the most generous person I ever knew. She loved this necklace and wore it to church every Sunday.

 

[GemGeek]

That makes the necklace even more dear.

 

[Marianne]

What beautiful treasures, both the pearls and the memories!

 

[pattye]

Carolyn, We love seeing your gorgeous pearls and hearing their story!

 

[Carolyn]

Awww, thank you so much for the warm welcome and information! You have been so helpful.

 

[CharmedOne]

What a lovely heirloom. Those pearls are gorgeous and the luster is incredible. You mom sounds like an amazing person. Those are some special pearls and your photography is excellent. Thank you for sharing. ~d

 

[LitGeek]

Thank you for sharing Carolyn! How wonderful to have such a lovely strand and the memories to go with them. Wear them often