Found pearls that were given to me 25/30 years ago need help identifying value

[Nicky123]

Hi I have found some pearls that were given to me a long time ago for various reasons I’m unable to wear them and would not be appropriate to give to another family member so will be looking to sell, I believe they were bought for £400 originally but totally not sure. They feel a little rough, the smallest Pearl is 2mm and the largest 6mm. Any advice would be appreciated on what I have and if they have any value, thank you in advance

 

[Pearl Dreams]

So, a 9 karat (375) gold clasp and gritty graduated pearls...I'd say you have cultured akoya pearls.

Graduated strands were popular during WWII/Korean War era. Pearls are sold by weight, and as graduated strands weigh less than uniform sized strands, they were more affordable. Many men working in war zones bought these strands for their wives and sweethearts.

These are popular again and can be quite pricey when they are in good condition, as uniform strands are customary now. It is time consuming to put together matched graduated strands and one has to have many sizes of matched pearls on hand to do it right, so generally speaking it is no longer done.

People sell their pre-owned jewelry on sites such as Loupe Troop and Diamond Bistro, or you can use any other venue that works for you. You could consign them with a jeweler who has a case of estate jewelry, for example.

 

[Isis Pearls]

Beautiful luster on your pearls. They look like very nice Akoyas. I have looked at the hallmark and it is 9 carat gold as Pearl Dreams said, and the clasp was hallmarked in the UK (the crown), at the Birmingham assay office (the anchor), in 1993 (date letter T). There is still a market for graduated strands, especially when The Crown is on.

 

[Nicky123]

Thank you so much for responding

 

[Nicky123]

Thank you ,the date you've said the pearls are hall marked makes total sense to my slightly muddled memory. Thank you also for additional info ��

 

[Nicky123]

Sorry just thought do you have any suggestions on uk resale sites and a ball park figure on price either new or second hand. It's a shame I could never wear them but I do have some nice Mikimoto pearls from my husband, Think there the same type but I'm definitely not an expert...

 

[Katbran]

We don't do valuations but if you go online and search for graduated Akoya pearl necklace, 9kt clasp, and give the size I'm sure you will find lots to base you price on, I'm not aware of any UK resale sites but I'm sure you could easily search them .

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Sorry just thought do you have any suggestions on uk resale sites and a ball park figure on price either new or second hand. It's a shame I could never wear them but I do have some nice Mikimoto pearls from my husband, Think there the same type but I'm definitely not an expert...

People pay more for the Mikimoto name; you cannot expect to get as much for generic akoyas as you would for Miki akoyas.

Do as Katbran suggests; go online and see what graduated akoya pearls items have sold for recently. I'm not saying you should list on eBay but you could easily search eBay sold listings to see what similar items have actually sold for.