Thrifted pearl studs

[A.pearl.girl]

Hello everyone!
It’s my first post here after spending some time reading through posts and educational material.

I’ve recently started collecting second hand pearls as a hobby.

I found these beauties today at a local church second hand shop.

They all pass the grit test.
Most of them are around 8-8.5mm.
The pink ones have amazing lustre, the posts are a gold colour and have no markings.
The white ones also have lovely lustre and are on very tarnished (blackened) 925 posts.
Unsure of how old any of them are.
The chocolate brown ones are also on unmarked silver coloured posts.

I hoped they may be akoya but was doubtful due to the off round shape. After cleaning them up and seeing the lustre I am not so sure!

Would love to hear anyone’s thoughts.

 

[Amoreperla]

The shapes look like freshwater from the side. With very nice luster . They are very nice !

 

[Pearl Dreams]

I agree, freshwater pearls.

I bought some like those at an Intergem show when my daughter was in 5th grade...2007.

 

[A Breaker]

Pearl dreams...my parents went to China about that timeframe and brought me back those button pearls in a long hand tied strand...I love the look!

 

[A Breaker]

Hello everyone!
It’s my first post here after spending some time reading through posts and educational material.

I’ve recently started collecting second hand pearls as a hobby.

I found these beauties today at a local church second hand shop.

They all pass the grit test.
Most of them are around 8-8.5mm.
The pink ones have amazing lustre, the posts are a gold colour and have no markings.
The white ones also have lovely lustre and are on very tarnished (blackened) 925 posts.
Unsure of how old any of them are.
The chocolate brown ones are also on unmarked silver coloured posts.

I hoped they may be akoya but was doubtful due to the off round shape. After cleaning them up and seeing the lustre I am not so sure!

Would love to hear anyone’s thoughts.

When you look at the side of the earrings...you can see a button pearl shape. Akoyas are round. Buttons are freshwater. Still FW buttons are one of my favorites! They make pearl earrings super affordable & lots of colors.

 

[ennui]

Button pearls sit nicely on the ear. You can clean the sterling posts with a polishing cloth. Congratulations on a nice find!

 

[pattye]

Plearls with few to no flaws and excellent luster are the ones picked for earring pairs, whether freshwater or akoya.

 

[A.pearl.girl]

Thanks for all the replies!


I do not doubt anyone’s opinions here as I am so new to this and have a lot to learn!
There is something I would love to understand
a little better.

I was reading on Purepearls.com that 20-30% of Akoya harvests can be button shaped… how does anyone account for this when trying to determine pearl type? Is this when you need to look more closely and rely on colour and lustre?

I’m off to search the forums to see what is the best online course to learn about pearls!!

 

[JMichaels]

Thanks for all the replies!


I do not doubt anyone’s opinions here as I am so new to this and have a lot to learn!
There is something I would love to understand
a little better.

I was reading on Purepearls.com that 20-30% of Akoya harvests can be button shaped… how does anyone account for this when trying to determine pearl type? Is this when you need to look more closely and rely on colour and lustre?

I’m off to search the forums to see what is the best online course to learn about pearls!!

Akoyas are cultured with a bead nucleus. You may find baroque Akoyas, where the nacre doesn’t build up evenly. You may find akoya keshi, when the bead is rejected but the oyster grows a pearl anyways, and those may be odd shaped. You may find blister pearls that grow on the shell and are cut and backed. But “Button Akoyas” are … well, I hesitate to call it a scam, but let’s just say it’s a creative advertising term. I’ve never been to that site, but after their “button akoyas,” I’d take what you read there with a shaker of salt.

As for classes, how much do you want to pay?

Pearls as One is one of the best ones out there, offered by CPAA, and created by our own Jeremy Shepard. And many people have codes to make it free.

If you want something with very similar (if occasionally less accurate) information that is a little more respected, GIA offers a pearl specialist degree. It’s going to run to the 5 figures, but useful if you want to work as an appraiser

 

[Pella]

Akoyas are cultured with a bead nucleus. You may find baroque Akoyas, where the nacre doesn’t build up evenly. You may find akoya keshi, when the bead is rejected but the oyster grows a pearl anyways, and those may be odd shaped. You may find blister pearls that grow on the shell and are cut and backed. But “Button Akoyas” are … well, I hesitate to call it a scam, but let’s just say it’s a creative advertising term. I’ve never been to that site, but after their “button akoyas,” I’d take what you read there with a shaker of salt.

As for classes, how much do you want to pay?

Pearls as One is one of the best ones out there, offered by CPAA, and created by our own Jeremy Shepard. And many people have codes to make it free.

If you want something with very similar (if occasionally less accurate) information that is a little more respected, GIA offers a pearl specialist degree. It’s going to run to the 5 figures, but useful if you want to work as an appraiser

I would be greatly surprised if there is any "creative advertising terms" used by the owner of that site as she is a very well respected member of the Pearl community. I have been to that site and have not been able to substantiate the comment that "20-30% of Akoya harvests can be button shaped". Indeed the owner keeps stressing on that site about the roundness of Akoya. Perhaps it is a misremembered detail. I am not in any way connected to that site or with its owner but having been a member of Pearl-Guide for quite some time, I have done a lot of reading.

 

[ennui]

I would be greatly surprised if there is any "creative advertising terms" used by the owner of that site as she is a very well respected member of the Pearl community. I have been to that site and have not been able to substantiate the comment that "20-30% of Akoya harvests can be button shaped". Indeed the owner keeps stressing on that site about the roundness of Akoya. Perhaps it is a misremembered detail. I am not in any way connected to that site or with its owner but having been a member of Pearl-Guide for quite some time, I have done a lot of reading.

I agree, I've always heard good things about Ashley.
When I search the quote, "20-30% of Akoya harvests can be button shaped", my search engine points to Seven Seas Pearls, but I don't see that quote anywhere on their site, either. They have a blog about rounds and baroques.
I'd encourage the original poster to read more carefully.

 

[JMichaels]

I would be greatly surprised if there is any "creative advertising terms" used by the owner of that site as she is a very well respected member of the Pearl community. I have been to that site and have not been able to substantiate the comment that "20-30% of Akoya harvests can be button shaped". Indeed the owner keeps stressing on that site about the roundness of Akoya. Perhaps it is a misremembered detail. I am not in any way connected to that site or with its owner but having been a member of Pearl-Guide for quite some time, I have done a lot of reading.

That’s good to know.

I haven’t actually read her site, but I’ve read a whole lot of descriptions where people randomly combine pearl terms out of a lack of understanding or to make their items seem more precious.

 

[A Breaker]

Freshwater buttons are very distinct...flat on bottom & rounded on top...I have seen them in all sizes and some even weirdly rough...but they all have the same basic look. I have also seen very low quality akoyas that have a more button shape if you mean flatter on top & bottom as apposed to round....but they don't look like button freshwater. I would be interested it an example photo, if she has one.