Help identifying/evaluating inherited pearls - 2

[Nora1234]

Hi,

I previously made a post a while back asking for help identifying pearls that turned out to be faux. Thank you everyone for your help BTW..

I think this time I may have found some real ones.

Appreciate any help identifying and evaluating these items:

 

[Pearl Dreams]

The 1st strand are real baroque cultured Chinese freshwater pearls.

The 2nd necklace in the box-- I can't tell from the photos if they are real or fake. Do the same tests we suggested in your previous thread.
a. Rub 2 pearls together gently-- smooth or gritty? Gritty = real, smooth = fake.
b. Try the temperature test I suggested on your last thread. If all the pearls have been in the same room together for at least half an hour or so, hold each to your lip briefly and compare. If the FW pearls are cooler than the round ones, the round ones are fake.
Remember any pearls can be placed in any box. I have seen really cheap fake plastic pearls in a cultured pearls box at an antiques collective shop.

Test the pearl ring the same way (temperature test.)

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Also is there any metal mark on the ring to indicate what kind of metal it is?

 

[Nora1234]

Thank you for the reply.

I got home late.

I will try these things and reply to this post hopefully tomorrow.

 

[Nora1234]

Also is there any metal mark on the ring to indicate what kind of metal it is?

Yes it has the mark 750 for 18kt white gold.

I remembered you mentioning that it feels gritty against a tooth. I rubbed it against a tooth lightly and it felt gritty/ stone like. But it also left a visible light scratch on its surface . I can’t believe it did that. I felt like it was very light rub.

 

[Nora1234]

The 1st strand are real baroque cultured Chinese freshwater pearls.

The 2nd necklace in the box-- I can't tell from the photos if they are real or fake. Do the same tests we suggested in your previous thread.
a. Rub 2 pearls together gently-- smooth or gritty? Gritty = real, smooth = fake.
b. Try the temperature test I suggested on your last thread. If all the pearls have been in the same room together for at least half an hour or so, hold each to your lip briefly and compare. If the FW pearls are cooler than the round ones, the round ones are fake.
Remember any pearls can be placed in any box. I have seen really cheap fake plastic pearls in a cultured pearls box at an antiques collective shop.

Test the pearl ring the same way (temperature test.)

Yeah, they are real pearls. I guess they are Japanese Akoya pearls?

Also when you look with a magnifying glass you can see the swirly irregularities in there. And 14kt clasp.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

With a 10x loupe (magnifier) the surface of genuine pearls would look very smooth. Were you using a loupe? I'm not sure what you mean by swirly irregularities.

If your tests showed they were cool like the FWP and a bit gritty when rubbed together, then yes, they'd be akoyas based on round shape and higher luster than most FWP. The photos make them look a bit peachy/rosy (akoyas are not peach colored but FWP can be) but that may be the lighting.

I no longer recommend rubbing pearls against teeth (didn't in your last thread either) but rather against each other. This is because teeth are harder than pearls and can scratch them. So sorry this happened with the ring.

 

[Nora1234]

With a 10x loupe (magnifier) the surface of genuine pearls would look very smooth. Were you using a loupe? I'm not sure what you mean by swirly irregularities.

If your tests showed they were cool like the FWP and a bit gritty when rubbed together, then yes, they'd be akoyas based on round shape and higher luster than most FWP. The photos make them look a bit peachy/rosy (akoyas are not peach colored but FWP can be) but that may be the lighting.

I no longer recommend rubbing pearls against teeth (didn't in your last thread either) but rather against each other. This is because teeth are harder than pearls and can scratch them. So sorry this happened with the ring.

Yes they are the same coolness as the FWP. I also compared them to the faux pearls to see what you mean by its coolness.

By “swirliness” I mean the swirly patterns you can see in Mother of Pearl and in the FWP as though something liquid solidified - not uniform - not sure how to explain. If you zoom into the photo on the second ring you can see what I’m talking about. It’s not a perfectly smooth light reflection like on a shiny steel ball for example. Also on the pearl on the ring, it is mostly uniform but you can see in one spot an obvious non-uniform area - example: like if you look at a thick liquid cake batter you just poured, the last place you poured leaves a pattern on its surface.

So they are indeed pink-ish / peach-ish colored. What would that make them? What would you say they are worth if I were to EBay them?

I also just noticed the scratch in my original photo of the ring before I tested it, so looks like it was already there. I thought I did that .. lol

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Based on color, they would be freshwater pearls, but they seem to be really nice ones. The best way to estimate what their resale value might be on eBay is to go do a search on eBay for SOLD necklaces like that one. Don't worry if you can't find the same brand; look for necklaces that are like yours in quality, size of pearls, length, gold clasp and color. You want to look for sold, as opposed to current listings. That will tell you what people are currently willing to pay for such an item.

I'm glad you test didn't cause the mark on the ring! Rings are vulnerable jewelry, as are bracelets, so I think one has to become philosophical about scratches.

 

[Nora1234]

Based on color, they would be freshwater pearls, but they seem to be really nice ones. The best way to estimate what their resale value might be on eBay is to go do a search on eBay for SOLD necklaces like that one. Don't worry if you can't find the same brand; look for necklaces that are like yours in quality, size of pearls, length, gold clasp and color. You want to look for sold, as opposed to current listings. That will tell you what people are currently willing to pay for such an item.

I'm glad you test didn't cause the mark on the ring! Rings are vulnerable jewelry, as are bracelets, so I think one has become philosophical about scratches.

I looked at the FW pink pearls being sold online and they are much more pink.

I also found this:

White-Silver-Pink Japanese Akoya Pearl Necklace, 8-8.5mm AAA | Pearls.jp

In this iconic pearl necklace one can immediately see the perfection of the Japanese Akoya pearl. These wonders of nature are elegant, round, lustrous and have a very thick nacre that brings out breathtaking white silver pink overtones. A must in any collection as they are superbly matched by...

www.pearls.jp

They claim to be Akoya pearls with a light pink hue.

This poster on Quora also mentions Akoya pearls can be pink:

And AI reply on same post mentions:

These are probably in the original box and is a Japanese company. I looked up company and they were registered in Japan. I’m not sure how old they are but prob 80’s or older.

You still don’t think it’s possible they are Akoya pearls?

Also are FW pearls general cheaper in price than Akoya?

 

[CortezPearls]

Gulf/Bay of Panamá. Wow. There aren't any cultured pearls being actively produced there nor any natural pearl fisheries.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Yes, generally FW pearls cost less than akoyas.

Akoyas are typically bleached to remove undesirable off-colors, then soaked in a large bottle of pink dye to add a pink overtone, because generally speaking it is flattering to most women and the market desires it.
But against skin they look white.

Freshwater pearls that are pink or peach may be a lighter or darker pink/peach. But that is their body color, not just an overtone color, and against skin they look pink/peach.

Do this:
Take a photo of them on your wrist or neck.
Take a photo of them against a white paper towel.
What color are they? What do you see?

This photo shows 3 white strands-- the left are white SSP, the middle are baroque akoyas that have been pinked, and the right are metallic white FWP. The akoyas were pinked but they look white on my skin.

These are the same 3 in a white box lid. This time the akoyas are at the top. On a white background the pink is visible, but it is pale.

In this photo, same akoya strand, the pink isn't so visible.

This is a FW strand with lots of pink/peach pearls.

And here they are on my neck

You are the one with the pearls in front of you and you can look at them on different backgrounds and different light. I think you will probably be able to figure out what you have.

 

[Nora1234]

I lifted up the paper in the box for the first time and there’s a little instruction booklet:

I guess this solves the mystery of whether they are FW or salt water. Does this make them Akoya or another species pearls?

That’s a guys wrist btw..

That’s on a white sheet of paper.

The pictures were taken in the evening. They appear more pink to my eye.

I would say the first pictures I posted are more accurate as to how you would perceive them.

Anyway they are for sale if anyone is interested. Apologies if I’m not allowed to say that.

 

[Nora1234]

Here are the same pearls in the daylight on an off-white cloth. I would say this picture has the most accurate color as to how they are perceived.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

So yes, they are akoyas.

There is no advertising or selling allowed on Pearl-Guide, but you can list them on Loupe Troop if you like. The site was down for a while but is up and running again. There's always eBay, or you could consign them locally.

 

[Nora1234]

So yes, they are akoyas.

There is no advertising or selling allowed on Pearl-Guide, but you can list them on Loupe Troop if you like. The site was down for a while but is up and running again. There's always eBay, or you could consign them locally.

OK, thanks again for your help.

 

[Nora1234]

I was looking around at prices of used Akoya necklaces. The range is so big - as low as $200 to $5000 or more.

How do you determine the value?

I notice many of the lower priced ones are not as smooth.

I also thought Mikimoto were the more expensive ones but many weren’t too expensive and other brands catching the highest prices.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

The most important factor (with the exception of brand loyalty) is luster.
Smooth pearls with just average luster are not as good as high luster pearls that have a few small blemishes.

Beyond that, these can affect sales:
• where is the seller located and where is the buyer? Some people prefer to buy from sellers in their own country.
• what is the seller's feedback like? An item may not achieve a good sale price if the seller has a history of negative feedback or of nasty replies to buyers. Buyers may be reluctant to buy from them and may bid lower.
• Do the pearls need restringing? This will bring a lower price.
• What size are the pearls, and what length? Some sizes and lengths may be deemed more desirable than others.
• I usually avoid sellers who don't take returns. Not that I am in the habit of returning things-- I'm not, at all. But I want the option. I always wonder why a seller won't accept a return: is there something wrong with the item?
• The clasp. Gold is worth more than silver, but a cheap fish hook type gold clasp may not be as appealing as a really nice silver one. Some people buy old jewelry for the clasp!
• any number of other random factors.

My advice is to decide what the lowest price is that you would be happy to sell them for, and start the auction there. The market will decide the final sale price.
Take lots of good photos.

 

[Nora1234]

Great, thank you for all the advice.