tiffany pearls price evaluation please

J

jennifer

Guest
hi

what any thoughts and $$ on a tiffany pearl necklace 5.5 mm 30inches cultured white how thick is the nacre nobody wants to say? i seen it on ebay.
 
Jennifer-- I looked at the listing.

It bothers me that the seller has "new" for the condition of the pearl necklace, but later says in the description: "THEY ARE NOT BRAND NEW BUT ARE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION". New is new . Used is used. These terms are not interchangeable. The seller does the same with some of his other listed items that are used.

However the seller sells a lot of very high priced jewelry items and has good feedback.

Nacre thickness-- I guess the seller wouldn't know, as he got them used. (He states he buys used signed jewelry.) How old they are, how old the nacre is likely to have been generally in Tiffany pearls at the time these were harvested, I don't know.

The thing is, when you buy used Akoya pearls, there is always a chance the nacre is a bit worn. The photo is not a close up but I see several pearls that look a bit dull; could just be the way the photo was taken.

If you are thinking of buying them, ask for close-up photos of the pearls that seem a bit dull. There's one in the first row of the coils, another in the 2nd row, and also the 5th pearl from the clasp seems less lustrous.
 
That is the one I was looking at-- it seems to fit the description given by the OP.
 
jennifer,

I wouldn't buy it. They're asking good, hard-earned money for something which you WILL NEVER KNOW FOR SURE is a bona fide Tiffany creation.

The photographs are few and terrible, which makes me suspicious right away. I like sellers with many clear close-up photos, who deliberately highlight flaws in their items.

Try not to see only what you want to see. It's helpful, when buying on eBay, to *assume the worst*, if something isn't clear.

Faking an 18K clasp by putting "T&Co" on it can't be that difficult.

I don't know if Tiffany does this, but I bought a Cartier rolling ring years ago, and it came with a small, square plastic card with all kinds of marks and a serial number on it, in addition to the trademark packaging. It might be good to do some research and see whether Tiffany issues similar identifiers.

You may want to contact Tiffany's to see when and whether they marketed necklaces of that size, length, and with that clasp. Ask Tiffany's for descriptions of any certificates which may have accompanied similar necklaces. Then, ask the eBay seller if they have the relevant certificate, and see if it sounds similar to Tiffany's description.

If you are dead-set on Tiffany, I say save your money, go to a Tiffany's store, and buy the real thing. You will have no nagging doubts about whether or not you were "had" by an eBay seller. As you age, you will KNOW you have the real thing.

After the thrill of owning a real Tiffany wears out, I *guarantee* you will realize that *value* and not name brands are where it's at. There is no magic to name brands--only illusory magic fostered by our own insecurity.

There are several, *wonderful* online dealers who can sell you guaranteed quality items--magnificent items, for the same money you are thinking of spending on a used, potentially worn necklace!!!

Please please please think twice!!!
CarolK
 
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Tiffany marks metals with the English markings. They don't use 14KT or 18KT. So I think this would be marked 750.
 
I would just add my 2c--it is a very questionable listing--also if you check 5.5mm those are really small pearls!
 
The style is no longer made (part of the Elsa Pereti line)... hasn't been for a while. Strand can't be recently bought, if it wasn't worn, then it sit and dried in the bottom of a drawer somewhere. Akoya are akoya - 'thick' nacre is still paper-thin.

The hallmarks look sloppy, but on a narrow loop like that... Too bad I don't remember whether those clasps were marked at all (right now I am thinking the hallmark was on a small attached plate - but that was definitely on a multiple-strand version).

You get the feeling...
 
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That is a lot of money for what looks like a fairly standard style necklace. Can I make one for you for half the price?
:)
 
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