Recent content by A Breaker

I have a strand that looks very much like these...I am so on the fence between bigger Akoyas and freshwater. I might try the LED light trick...Akoyas always get a blue spot with LED..often freshwater doesn't. Mine has no clasp...so I think a gold clasp was clipped off by the owner to sell it.

I am so sorry that no one replied! Yes, those are real Japanese Saltwater Akoyas. Tasaki is very high end..like Mikimoto and those are very pretty!!! You can tell by the shape of the end one, some natural pitting too

Not yet.

Bweaves!!! That is a great idea! I might just figure out how to add something to the back. If not...I'll just use it on a 2 strand.

Ideas of thoughts on how to keep clasps from flipping "face down" on a single strand? (Besides using a lighter more balanced clasp?) It is heavy enough that it chokes me in back.... and flips if put at the front. (I'll try to get photos soon.) Adding more pearls to reduce choking?

Pearl Dreams has pointed out that the surface of real and fake pearls looks very different. Use you phone or loupe 10X and you will see what looks like spray paint on faux...real show minor blemish variations. The drill holes also show paint build up of loss on faux, while real have layers and...

I will bet that the stone in the white gold clasp is a diamond...may jewelers have diamond testers. The necklace looks recently restrung...but a little too tight. If it is not hanging right and If that is polyester thread (Usually used now) or cotton (matte).... Yours looks polyester to...

Those Faux...would be perfect if you want to try restringing!!! They have bead cups and you knot on the outside of the bead cup..then into the pearl and keep going..finish at the beadcup with a knot. Attach the bead cups to the clasp. Pattye has restringing kits. (You can even switch tthe...

Things happen. In the store...people rearranging things...set a necklace in an empty box temporarily. People forget to minor set aside. Close outs happen. I posted a story of someone buying a MIkimoto necklace in the 50's...but lost the clasp (They had to be kept out of the box) and now the...

I am sorry for your friend...but I agree with the others. Faux. Mikimoto would never do this!

I second Ennui...you can often find faux graduated pearls with a gold clasp. Just look at Solds (on the left side near the bottom) to find out what they actually go for. AND use picclick.com as the search engine. EBay is so frustrating for jewelry...picclick is sooo much easier...it will...

It may be more widespread...but it is Now something EBay is going to fall prey to Lots! EBay believes USPS Tracking and there lies the problem! So sellers who have shipped pearls from China to the US in bulk to sell on eBay...now can ship via USPS using tracking & empty package scam. I don't...

Laughing...I agree with BWeaves. I prefer "Girl Dragon" who wears her pearls to show them off.

Often there is the word "Japan" on the hook. Look at Ebay or Etsy and you will see Mikimoto's M inside a shell on all Mikimoto jewelry. The box is newer than the necklace.

AI and google lens are helpful for some pearl things...it can spot Faux pearls in a photo about 30% of the time. But that means it is wrong 70% of the time. It is hopeless with freshwater vs Saltwater because AI & Google lens use information from dealers, sellers and influencers. Enough of...