What kind of pearls are these?

[Nickcas15]

Hi all,

I went to an appraiser who said this bracelet has real pearls and real gold on it. He said it’s about $10 worth of gold and the pearls aren’t worth anything which left me confused since he said they were real. I guess my question is, are you able to tell me if they’re real or not? Also, they are gritty when feeling them with a tooth.

Thank you in advance.

 

[BWeaves]

I agree with the appraiser. They are real pearls, but they are cultured (farmed) pearls as compared natural found pearls (found in the wild). They are Rice Krispie shaped pearls, which were typical of Chinese freshwater pearls from the 1980s and 90s. They also are not very good quality, and there aren't very many of them. One of them is drilled crooked. The bracelet is only worth what the gold is worth.