Anyone read Japanese?

[Whistler]

Back in the 70's we billeted a Japanese teenage girl in our home who was on a student exchange. Her and I kept in touch for a few years. She came out once or twice to stay with us and I met up with her in Japan in 1980 when I accompanied my parents there on a business trip. When I was in Japan she was looking at my imitation pearls I'd brought with me. She was quite distressed and very concerned whether or not I knew they weren't real. I told her I knew they were imitations. This must have been deeply disturbing for her because she called her mother and when her mother showed up she had a nice pearl necklace in a nice blue velvet box for me. I'm not much of a jewellery person. I've worn it a few times. I have no sentimental attachment to it but I'm not looking to sell it either. I'm just wondering who the seller of the pearls is - its in Japanese which I don't speak or read - and also what its value might be. There are 71 pearls on the string. The clasp has a smaller pearl on it. No maker's mark on the clasp but it does say "silver" on the back. Sorry, I couldn't get a close up shot of the clasp. Does anyone have any ideas what I have here? Thanks!

 

[jshepherd]

The shop is Tsunoda Tokei-ten. In English that would be Tsunoda's Watch Shop. At the top is says that the shop specializes in watches, jewelry and something else I can't make out. The city is Maebashi, the capital city Gunma prefecture.

The shop is still in business and is now called Jewelry Tsunoda if you would like to reach out to them. The still specialize in watches and according to the information online, they specialize in pearls too.

As for the value of the pearls, they are most likely akoya. I can't make out the quality or condition of them from those photos, unfortunately.

http://maebashi.info/tyuuou/tunoda/

 

[Whistler]

Thank you for your response Jeremy. And your expertise at reading Japanese! That link to the shop is all in Japanese. I remember just about every shop I went to in Tokyo was selling watches! One of my favorite watches I bought there was a Seiko with Mickey Mouse on it. I've taken some more photos with my iPhone to see if I could get a little closer to the pearls and have one close up shot with a few pearls in it. I'm not sure its any better because it picked up a glare even though I went outside and its a dull day. The pearls are about 5m and the small one on the clasp is perhaps a quarter to a third of the size of the other pearls. The necklace itself is in very good shape. Rarely leaves that box. Last time I wore it may have been in 2010.

 

[jshepherd]

You're very welcome. The photo doesn't reveal much about the strand, except that it's clear the pearls aren't knotted. That isn't terribly atypical for a small strand. If you are correct in the size, the strand isn't very valuable today, apart from sentimental, of course.

PS
You can use Google Translate to see the page in English. This link should work:

http://translate.google.com/transla.../search?q=http://maebashi.info/tyuuou/tunoda/

 

[KarinK]

I think it's a lovely story - but the pearls will look even better if you wear them more Pearls thrive on being worn, if not on perfume and hair spray.

- Karin