Hi, Newbie here with a Pearl Question

[Bron357]

Hi, I inherited a large pair of white pearls (12mm approx) from my grandma a number of years ago. I've never worn them because they are huge and too heavy for my small ear lobes. They are what you call "heavily spotted" and though set in 18ct gold I figured they were worth like $50.
Anyway, trying to find out more information I came across this site. Yay!
I tried candling them and low and behold I can see many many circles inside the pearls and no "solid centre". Maybe this means they are natural, from the sea, pearls? Maybe this is why they were worth setting in 18ct gold ?
Anyway, my question is, is it worth the time, effort and expense to have them x rayed and certified? I'm guessing that if they are real, natural, found in the sea pearls they are special even if they are rather imperfect.
Thoughts anyone, please.
Many thanks.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Hi and welcome to Pearl-Guide!

Can you post a photo of the earrings, taken against a white background, in focus, without flash?

I don't think you can make inferences about the pearls being naturals by the settings. My grandmother had 18K gold earrings that turned out to be glass instead of aquamarines, as she had been led to believe. I'm not saying your pearls are imitations-- they could be cultured SSP.

If there is any way to catch a photo of what you see when candling, that would also be great.

 

[Katbran]

Most likely they are South Sea ( without benefit of photos it's obviously a guess ) what with the age and size and the 18kt settings. Post a photos on a white background..non reflective..like a paper towel that will give us a better idea.

 

[Bron357]

Hi, thanks. Just trying to work out how to attach photos. BTW I just used my phone in the kitchen so they are pretty ordinary and don't quite capture what I can see with my own eyes but you get the idea I think.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

I believe that is a cultured pearl-- please read this thread and look at the photos, which are rather like yours (especially post 11):

Will I or won't I ?

After reading the forum about pearl candling I decided to do some of mine, and this pearl has me wondering to the extent that I am considering whether to have it X ray tested. It is a white 13mm off round. It shows many concentric circular lines through the light (not all are showing in the...

www.pearl-guide.com

 

[Camelotshadow]

Cool...horizontal lines/ banding like that are from the shell nucleus they used to culture the pearl.

In older times even 18K was set with synthetic stones & just because its 18K does not in itself guarantee anything.

If you can positively say they are from before 1956 then they are not ssp's as they were not cultured yet.

We all have different aged grandma's. Mine was around in the early 1900's but many can still be grandmas & born in the 60's.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Right...my grandmother was born in 1902 but didn't die until 1990...she could easily have bought cultured SSP.

 

[Bron357]

Thanks for that. I wasn't expecting them to be real natural ones. I'm going to sell them on eBay because I can't wear them and enjoy them but someone else can! I know I can call them cultured pearls. Cheers

 

[Camelotshadow]

Not sure when my grandmother on my mothers side was born but thought 1900 ...& she almost made it to 98.

She could have had natural pearls from her mother but only pearls I remember her having were a nice large long strand of mikimoto
she got in the early 70's when my uncle came back from Okinawa.

They were stolen or lost & she replaced them in the 90's so those were modern pearls & not sure if they were mikimoto.

My grandmother had 10 children & I guess 8 were still alibe when she died.
I think the only jewelry my mom got was a gold locket with pictures in it.

The rest was taken by my aunt or uncle who took care of the will.

Luckily the real estate could not be dealt like that & my Mom got her share of the sold value.

My grandma basically wore her wedding ring which was a nice old diamond & sapphires & her diamond earrings which she bought herself & returned a nice pair of large oecs back to my mom that she gave her in the 50's.

I'm hoping to inherit those if they are not lost or stolen.

My mom has a few pieces of jewlery but nothing really interests me but the earrings she gave to my grandmother that were gifted back to her.