First pearls, possibly from Ming's of Honolulu. Are these blue Akoya?

[Zuzu'sPetals]

Hi everyone, my husband recently gave me a matinee length double strand of 7mm pearls which he bought from an antiques seller in Texas. The clasp is marked 14k and says 'Ming's', and they came in a Ming's box. The seller just advertised them as light grey cultured pearls. They're beautiful and I love them, but I'm wondering what I have here! Are these blue Akoya?

They're very cold when I first put them on, and are slightly gritty when rubbed together. (And were really hard to take photos of!)

Thanks so much for any insight anyone can offer on these.

 

[MotherOfPearlTrumpet]

Based on your photos, I would say yes, these are on the blue spectrum. The seem to be more gray than blue, but I do see some blue tint on some that is more pronounced. There is also some pinkish tones on some of the pearls. Nice strand gray to blue. Excellent antique find.

 

[Zuzu'sPetals]

Based on your photos, I would say yes, these are on the blue spectrum. The seem to be more gray than blue, but I do see some blue tint on some that is more pronounced. There is also some pinkish tones on some of the pearls. Nice strand gray to blue. Excellent antique find.

Thanks for your response, that's great to know! I hoped they were Akoya, but honestly had no idea whether they might be freshwater or not. If they're really from Ming's (and it sounds like they might be) then I'm guessing from the clasp that they date from the 80s or 90s. Ming's closed in 1999 and was known for high-quality pearl and jade jewelry. I've wanted a piece from there for ages and my hubby surprised me with these.

For this double 24 inch strand, he paid about the same amount that a 16 inch strand of 7mm AA white Akoya from PP would have cost -- sounds like they might have been a good buy? Though I'm in love with them even if he overpaid. The subtle play of colour on them is just magical, like oil on water.

I have a terrible feeling that pearls might be my new obsession...!

 

[MotherOfPearlTrumpet]

Thanks for your response, that's great to know! I hoped they were Akoya, but honestly had no idea whether they might be freshwater or not. If they're really from Ming's (and it sounds like they might be) then I'm guessing from the clasp that they date from the 80s or 90s. Ming's closed in 1999 and was known for high-quality pearl and jade jewelry. I've wanted a piece from there for ages and my hubby surprised me with these.

For this double 24 inch strand, he paid about the same amount that a 16 inch strand of 7mm AA white Akoya from PP would have cost -- sounds like they might have been a good buy? Though I'm in love with them even if he overpaid. The subtle play of colour on them is just magical, like oil on water.

I have a terrible feeling that pearls might be my new obsession...!

There are some cool threads about blue Akoya pearls and that it is actually unwanted organic matter when they are "seeded" that causes the bluish color. Mikimoto rejected these pearls for years, and then, somehow, some designer saw them and there was a market for them. I too love the bluish color. I have several strands that are really blue with shades of purple. So amazing. Check out my thread on Show us Your Pearls, My Pearling Story and you can see many of my bluish strands. Congratulations, sounds like your husband got a good deal on them, but used pearls are typically cheaper than new...pearls don't hold their value as they age, except for perhaps Mikimoto.

 

[Zuzu'sPetals]

Thank you so much for your help, I really appreciate your insight. And oh my gosh, your pearls are drop dead gorgeous. It's funny how something that's technically a flaw can be so beautiful, isn't it? It reminds me of the wonderful Dalmatian I used to have who had one solid black ear. That's a fault in the breed, but she was so freaking cute! To me, the silver/blue pearls are even more beautiful than the classic white ones -- though I'm probably basing that idea on the faux or lower-grade pearls I grew up seeing, which didn't seem to have much lustre. Looking at videos of Mikimoto pearls, for instance, I can definitely see the appeal! (Spoiler, my bank account will NOT stretch to Mikimoto!)

Interestingly, Ming's seem to have used blue Akoyas from early on, particularly in their rings and brooches. If you're not familiar with them, do check them out; they're stunning.

Thanks again. I'm mesmerised by the variety of pearls I've been seeing on this site. (I shouldn't be thinking of acquiring more already, though somehow I seem to be...!)

 

[CortezPearls]

Thank you so much for your help, I really appreciate your insight. And oh my gosh, your pearls are drop dead gorgeous. It's funny how something that's technically a flaw can be so beautiful, isn't it? It reminds me of the wonderful Dalmatian I used to have who had one solid black ear. That's a fault in the breed, but she was so freaking cute! To me, the silver/blue pearls are even more beautiful than the classic white ones -- though I'm probably basing that idea on the faux or lower-grade pearls I grew up seeing, which didn't seem to have much lustre. Looking at videos of Mikimoto pearls, for instance, I can definitely see the appeal! (Spoiler, my bank account will NOT stretch to Mikimoto!)

Interestingly, Ming's seem to have used blue Akoyas from early on, particularly in their rings and brooches. If you're not familiar with them, do check them out; they're stunning.

Thanks again. I'm mesmerised by the variety of pearls I've been seeing on this site. (I shouldn't be thinking of acquiring more already, though somehow I seem to be...!)

Welcome to our forum @Zuzu'sPetals and happy to hear you are developing a taste for pearls: You will find that the inmense variety of shapes, colors, sizes will always offer you the best bang for your buck!
Once you are "pearl bitten" you will have to invest in new pieces. This is a beautiful fact of Life!

 

[Zuzu'sPetals]

Thanks for the welcome, @CortezPearls. I'm an avid jewelry collector, though my expertise (such as it is!) is in vintage and antique jewelry. Pearls are a whole new world! Looking forward to hanging out here and learning more.