Got these large pearls for my Mom with a Grand Clasp.

[Camelotshadow]

I fell in love with the clasp & decided to send them to my Mom.
The pearls are old & showing age & color is not best but they were big & I really bought it for the clasp!

I can't remember how big the pearls were but least about 9mm..

So what are they? Old beige akoya? They did have someoff size & irregularities but they were huge!

 

[Sanippy]

Very pretty! I love the clasp.

 

[BWeaves]

I love the clasp. I'm guessing old akoyas, too.

Is that loop for a dangle? Or for a safety chain?

I vote a dangle.

 

[Katbran]

Gorgeous clasp !

 

[MSC]

Clasp is perfection!

 

[Camelotshadow]

Its a safety chain & I never tested it. Think its white gold or platinum. Emeralds are not my favorite gem but the clasp is huge with diamonds & I figure I just paid for the clasp & the pearls were a bonus & they were huge maybe even 10mm for a piece that probably dated 50's...maybe even 40's from look of clasp

 

[cmd2014]

I have to admit that I'm not sure what these are. The imperfections don't necessarily look like Akoya pearls to me, and the size seems quite large as well. Akoya pearls larger than 9 - 9.5 mm tend to be very rare, and large Akoyas tend to be very expensive. Are you buying them off eBay, or from somewhere else? Is it possible that they might be faux? My grandmother had a number of faux strands with gorgeous workmanship on the clasps - no-one knew they weren't real until we got her jewelry appraised after she passed.

 

[Naan]

Beautiful clasp!

 

[Camelotshadow]

I bought them in a coin n jewelry shop in Studio City CA on Ventura Blvd( which is a very affluent area) about 10 plus years ago. They are real pearls n I'm pretty sure cultured. Really cant remember all the details as I have not seen them in over 10 years. I really dont remember how I shipped them to my mom who lives in Australia. Very chancy shipping jewelry by mail.
Dont think I realized how big they were at the time but I think they are akoya.

 

[amti]

Oh nice clasp! I love old clasps and would use them on all my pearls if I could only find some that were affordable.

 

[Camelotshadow]

I was a bit green then & had a $300 credit so I put it toward these. I was lucky to return a smaller white pearl strand that was sort of blah.
The strand cost I think $450 or $500 but I rather sink the extra $ into it as the clasp was worth a few hundred than waste it on the poor strand I bought that was worth nothing.

I told my mom I want it back when she passes. I figured it was fair but I hope she still has it & no one stole it or she lost it...Oh well...