Help identifying, evaluating and makers mark please...

[Peggy]

Hi all,
I just acquired these beautiful pearls and the paperwork said, Japanese Pearls, 10mm, gold clasp with diamonds. They were purchased from Hong Kong in1990. I was looking around trying to find more info on quality and value and found this website. After reading about authenticity I started questioning these. They are gritty when rubbed together and cold to touch but they are very symmetrical and consistent to my eye.
So what do you guys think???
1. Are they real Akoya pearls
2. What's your guess on quality
3. Any ideal what the makers mark

Any help would be appreciated!
Thank you, Peggy

 

[Katbran]

I'd guess that the clasp is a pretty standard manufactured clasp. 585 is 14k gold. It's a ball clasp that you can still buy. The are decent quality but certainly not a gem grade. I can't help with valuation as Akoya aren't my thing . But I'm sure Jeremy can tell you all about them.

 

[StarryPearl]

I believe the necklace is true to description, and the quality is pretty high considering the pearls are probably >35 years old. K585 means the metal of the clasp contains 58.5% gold, i.e. 14k.

A strand of 10mm akoya of this quality is amazing. Must be extremely rare back in 1990. What a lovely strand.

 

[CortezPearls]

Drill holes and other nacre imperfections tell me these are actual cultured pearls.
They do look like Akoya.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Pretty akoya necklace!

 

[BWeaves]

Nice akoya pearls. I had that clasp on my first strand of akoyas. It's a generic clasp my Mom bought at a jewelry show. Any makers marks are for the manufacturer of the clasp, not the company that strung the pearls.