Black Pearls

[daisybluetick]

Hi all, I have a question about black pearls. Just purchased a necklace that has black pearls and gold beads. The necklace is from an Egyptian jeweler. By my measurement, the pearls are about 6 mm. Some appear very round, others less so. They vary in color, several have a very strong reddish/copper luster, some green and some blue. A couple of them have chipped where they were drilled and there is layer upon layer of thick nacre. They were represented as being from the 1930s/1940s. I think they are more modern. I would appreciate any information because what I know about pearls is next to nothing. Thanks so much!!

 

[Caitlin]

Those look like Chinese Cultured Freshwater Pearls, dyed black. When the freshwaters are dyed black, they still keep a lot of overtones and colors. The style is 30's-40's but they are probably from the last 10 years, because there were no pearls like this in the 30'-40s!

They look great, don't they! Very sophisticated, yet versatile! I love the clasp!

 

[Pearl Dreams]

I had the same impression as Caitlin, that they are dyed freshwater pearls of recent origin.

The dye is permanent and they are nacre all the way through (no bead inside) so they should be quite durable. I like the black and gold combination.

 

[daisybluetick]

Hi, thanks everyone. These were represented as saltwater pearls. On one of the chipped pearls underneath all the layers I can see what looks like a big round bead. It probably doesn't matter, but the clasp and beads are definitely not new. In fact I believe the beads to be handmade. I'm going to take this to my jeweler tomorrow and let him take a look.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

We'll be interested to know what you learn! There is nothing like a close-up inspection.

 

[Caitlin]

Hi, thanks everyone. These were represented as saltwater pearls. On one of the chipped pearls underneath all the layers I can see what looks like a big round bead. It probably doesn't matter, but the clasp and beads are definitely not new. In fact I believe the beads to be handmade. I'm going to take this to my jeweler tomorrow and let him take a look.

Well that chipped pearl would have been a nice clue to include a picture of when you present a guessing game to us! I'd like to see it. Is that possible? the first time you mention ed it you said it had layers and layers of nacre, which an akoya would not have.

I have been known to be wrong on occasion, and I don't mind. I am taking a chance of being wrong in front of everyone to guess at all. Below is a picture of black akoyas from Pearl Paradise, same size as yours for less than $200.00

I have no doubt the beads and clasp are from the 40's. My guess is the original pearls from the 40's were white and got stained or chipped or peeled and the old pearls were replaced with new black pearls. the white pearl in the clasp gives me that idea. If the pearls were akoya and started out black, the pearl in the clasp would have been black too. In the 50's or 60's akoyas might have been black, but the pearl on the clasp would have matched.

Ok Forum guys, am I wrong about that? I still have some dead crow roadkill from the last time I was wrong, it has really rotted up nice. Should I eat it?

 

[jshepherd]

They could be dyed akoya, but it is very difficult to tell from the picture. A clear macro-lens shot would be definitive. From what I see in the photo, the pearls that aren't round are a bit elongated with slight points; not ringed or potato. That would be consistent with akoya. The color looks like dye and not cobalt treatment. I can't imagine that it would be a dyed uniform strand from the 30's though. It would be much more recent than that.

 

[Ramona]

I used to travel a lot in Egypt off the beaten tourist paths and the story of the old pearls reminds me a bit of the business spirit I encountered. I once bought a nice sculpture that the buyer assured was not a fake. He did the selling well over a couple of days. This included a nice secretive meeting (antiques get you in a lot of troubles in Egypt) in an old cellar in a grave diggers village late at night. The statue was very well made and I bought it assuming it was a fake. Until I got arrested at Cairo airport at 1am in the morning when trying to get to the gate for my plane home. I was exposed in a glass box with two police men for all the boarding tourists to see what happens when. Airport police then got the curator of the Egyptian museum out of bed. He arrived at 3am. Fortunately, he just laughed when he saw the statue. Even I had some lingering thoughts by then, so I was quite relieved. Just saying, these may be pearls or they may be something else. As long as you did not pay too much and like them.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Goodness Ramona, what a story! I hope they apologized for making you miss your plane, at least!!!

 

[daisybluetick]

jeweler's opinion

jeweler's opinion

Hi all, I took the black pearls to the jeweler. After examining them he said he believes they are Akoyas and have not been dyed. He said the clasp and beads are correct to the period (30s-40s). He acid tested them and said they are more than 14k but not quite 18k, which is he said is fairly common, especially with middle eastern jewelery.
The pearls and beads are strung without knots and several of the pearls have significant chipping near the drill holes. I'm thinking I'm not going to keep them.

 

[pattye]

Well, black is not a natural color for Akoya pearls, so if they are Akoya they are dyed. If they are naturally black, they are not akoya. It's nice that you know what karat the gold is, tho.

 

[jshepherd]

If the jeweler doesn't think that they are dyed, you need to be wary of any opinion coming from him.

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

Well, black is not a natural color for Akoya pearls, so if they are Akoya they are dyed. If they are naturally black, they are not akoya.

If the jeweler doesn't think that they are dyed, you need to be wary of any opinion coming from him.

Sage advice from learned experts.

Unknotted strands, and chipped around the holes raise red flags, even without addressing the dye issue.

Does the string appear black (ie) dyed while strung? Does the bead appear black?

 

[daisybluetick]

The string is white and very clean. The internal beads are black. I really appreciate everyone's comments. Thanks so much!

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

The string is white and very clean. The internal beads are black. I really appreciate everyone's comments. Thanks so much!

Likely restrung subsequent to dyeing. Bead nuclei almost always come from freshwater mussels and are normally white. Drill holes provide a pathway for dye to penetrate the inner layers and nucleus. I find it quite telling, they didn't bother to knot between pieces.

 

[Caitlin]

Strack mentions silver nitrate dyes used as early as the 30's in Japan. The pearls had to soak in these silver salts for months to turn black. The photo in her book (p.651) show really dead looking black beads, no luster no overtones- they look like what they are- tarnish soaked pearls! Daisybt's pearls are much prettier, so most likely from the last 20 years.

Strack is really deficit in her accounts of dying and processing. That is a subject for a book of its own. Has anyone written one? How can we make decent guesses if we don't know when the new dyes came into being and their history?

.....If there is one, it's probably written in Chinese........

 

[GemGeek]

When akoya pearls are irradiated, it turns only the bead black, but the resulting color would never be this dark. Surely they are dyed. You might not be seeing a bead at all, but possibly peeling nacre. Jeremy is right. Most jewelers have very little practical experience with anything other than standard white pearls.