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InheritedPearl, it won't be done the same day and you won't get a copy of the x-ray. The results will be communicated by phone or email and you'll get a number which can be used to order a certificate. I suggest you call first, ask for instructions and pricing, etc. But I think it is a good...

For a full evaluation with x-ray, it could not be done on the spot. As for the eBay link you cited -- that listing and supposed sale was a complete and total fraud. I know, because I queried the seller (long story!). The necklace shown is possibly cultured pearls, but more likely imitation...

Everything considered, the greatest likelihood (i.e., 99.9%) is that they are cultured pearls. If the clasp is original, it is consonant with good cultured pearls of the period. A triple strand of natural pearls, something beyond rare, would rank large diamonds and probably a significant...

Thanks for bumping this one up! I've read through tons of old posts but never encountered these. Caitlin, it's a fascinating family history, and so glad to know that you still have at least some of your grandfather's pearls.

Hi Jodie, Just now saw this thread. I deal in antique/vintage jewelry. Your necklace is beautiful, and the price was excellent! It definitely appears to be solid 14K gold. I believe it is American, made around 1890-1900, and from the photos the pearls appear to be natural freshwater, almost...

Hi Paula, The colored stones in your clasp appear to be pinkish rubies. Please note that unmarked gold is extremely common, depending on country of origin and time period. For example, gold marks were not legally required in the U.S. until about 1908. The clasp looks well-made, so you could...

From your photos, the clasp appears to be platinum on top, rose gold underneath. Extremely unlikely that it is a costume piece, or that the stone(s) are anything other than diamonds. The style, materials, and lack of any mark would fit perfectly with South American work (especially, say...

Thanks, Alex! I have been off doing more treasure hunting, and hope to have results to show soon. I have several items at EGL, and a couple more to send shortly. I have always had a passion for antique jewelry, but when I discovered what natural pearls were ... that changed the whole game.

No -- to my knowledge the labs here will not provide x-rays them with the certificates. I would love to see that practice change, though.

I've sent diamonds to EGL in NYC and thought they were VERY tough in grading them. I know there was a problem in their Tel Aviv office at one point. But let us not forget that GIA had its own diamond grading scandal, and more recently. I hope to have more pearls to post soon -- am assembling...

EGL is in NYC -- same building as GIA. They do diamonds, colored stones, and pearls, and are well known. In fact I think that the only two working pearl machines in the US at the moment are in that building (correct me if wrong -- I don't know where the AGTA one went when they closed). Years...

A Victorian Double Natural Pearl & Diamond Ring A Victorian Double Natural Pearl & Diamond Ring I simply love this ring! It dates to around 1890. From the photos, you may think these are half pearls, but they are not -- they are complete, not even drilled, and only slightly off-round. The...

Natural pearl necklace Natural pearl necklace Well, 2011 has been a slow year for natural pearl necklace finds. I've only found two this year -- three if you count a mixed necklace -- whereas in 2010 I found eight! The photos below show my latest, with cert. The pearls are not large (up to...

A Natural Pearl Ring A Natural Pearl Ring I've always found it more difficult to make a visual judgment about a pearl ring than a necklace. When I sent this ring for testing, I was sure it was going to come back as cultured! Just goes to show that you can be wrong in both directions. These...

Hi Vanessa, Can you post pictures of your inheritance? Would love to see the necklaces!

Here's another natural pearl necklace -- smaller and not as valuable as the first, of course, but still lovely (as are almost all natural pearls!). The pearls are off-round to oval, and the 18K clasp is set with a sharp light yellow diamond (looks darker than it is in the second photo) and...

Hi Lisa, Yes, all of the above and more. But for the moment, my search-and-rescue methods/routine are proprietary!

Thanks! They are indeed beautiful. But I will feel much luckier when the day comes in which I get to keep my finds, if you know what I mean.

The forum moderators kindly suggested that I start a thread to show my finds in antique natural pearls. I've finally had the time to take them up on the idea! Natural pearls are my passion, and every strand represents a successful treasure hunt. This is one of my current ones -- probably #3...

They are saltwater (no manganese), not freshwater. The question remains, how produced? There's nothing in the gold work to indicate a later date -- in the 1940s and 1950s this necklace would have been considered laughably old-fashioned. The spring ring clasp is of an older type, not the...