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Many years ago in Elgin ,Illinois, yes home of Elgin watches at that time, customer of mine and store near factory. This gentleman made his own needles with watch hair spring. Insert middle of an 8" piece in drill Chuck ..grip lightly with a pliers and draw away from the Chuck. Vola great stiff...

We always go back through and I think this needle may cut the silk. I'm not sure how. convenient it would nbe with French wire. At present and for the last 20 years have used a solid needle made in Japan with a small hole admittedly but easily accommodates a leader. I have a large honey farm /...

I examined these natural pearls last fall.......current owner harvested mussels after church in the 1940's In several years cleaned a couple truck loads (tons) of shell looking for pearls. Eventually sold the shell to a still operating button company. some of the best I have seen lately Norm

I'm back.........I have been stringing and selling for 49+ years and have NO experience with this needle. Of my customers only 2-3 really know about stringing. I am a silk adherent although my associate has just tried super silk (name) and she likes it. So it goes. I was given 10,000...

Hello . My company has dealt with M.........valuation for 40 years. I feel its not the clasp just like it isn't the three pointed symbol on a Mercedes. Quality of the pearls that count. The same vendor who sells to M......... also sells to others, altho' on a different level. Some folks...

This is a great reintroduction and a bit of MODEST boasting. The publication of the Wisconsin Pearl Rush article of the late 1800's in the Wisconsin History Magazine has led me down several interesting roads. First of all let me mention harvesting of any mussels in Upper Mississippi River...

Guess what famous character this looks like ? Norm

Last summer I blundered into this necklace in a S. Minnesota rummage sale . I always like cameos. Norm

The vice president of holes says I should post a picture or two. This one is all Tahitian. Our designer made one in natural color fresh water also and we are thinking of one in natural pearls.

I have not seen pearls the exact shape of an any animal before this. I do have a pearlized cowrie shell from Vietnam. Rem: 40 years of traveling the upper Mississippi River Basin . Nearly every jeweler had a customer who brought in some pearls of one kind or another. Pearling wasn't the...

I have a few moments to comment publically. I and a natural pearl trader uncovered a journal in the wall of a house he was going to rebuild. Sounds like TV but it isn't. The journal described the early clamming on the Mississippi River and its tributaries. Read late 1800's and early 1900's...

Everyone is right freshwater can't be beat for price. Everyone here is knowledgeable and understands the difference. But at a party or and event of some kind when asked if they are Akoya or not. The answer gets tricky. Like what are you driving ? A toyota that doesn't need any repairs for...

Hi. Nice collection. In the 1870's to the 1920's clamming in the US for shell to be made into buttons resulted in Zillions of pearls of all shapes being found. The junk went to China to make some kind of herbal calcium med. The off round to smooth baroque usually went to India and lastly the...

VERY SALEABLE !!!!! one at a time. How much?

I have legitimate jeweler contacts around most of North America and can recommend someone which I hope is close by. pearl-man

I guess the head is set on onyx. I don't think the heads are cast. In Idar Oberstein the apprentices did mass work like this.

Hi Anyone with the courage to ask questions does not sound like an idiot. Fine cultured and cultured could be a rush to type thoughts error. Pearls look very nice and I do see what looks like two types of pearls. Not uncommon jewelers and dealers have mixed two ;types for years. Usually...

Bought this awhile back. Few pearls missing. Time and patience required to replace. Cameos are not carved. Interesting piece though and looks good on open neck.

Way up here in the northern flyover country the word about Mexico is it "is too dangerous " for Americans to travel to. I'd have visited when at Tucson but.........please comment. I'd love to see it.........

I am pretty sure these are fine Cultured Fresh Water. In one of the pictures there is a "round a circle" that is not indicative of Japanese Akoya cultured. I get identification questions weekly and in person it's not difficult. Photos are complicated because there are so many complications...