i found these

[pureflowstudios]

i found these in the trash with a bunch of other jewlry.iam into gold and pearls are new to me but iam learning fast already.
i tested these myself and they seem real and look really nice and i saw almost the same necklace on craigslist for 1300 and want to know if i have something like that?
i took it to the pawnshop yesterday and the lady said they dont buy pearls but she did say that the necklace is real and i asked her if she knew if it was fresh or saltwater and she said definitly saltwater and i asked how she know she said she just does.so now i know its real i want to sell it but for how much and to who?

so here is what i know about the necklace
it has a 14k gold clasp
the pearls all look different but are all about the same size and shape really round.and i can see all in it.i think i can see a neculus the pearls are white silvery with a hint of pink
and the pearls are 5mm each or alittle bigger.and there is 80 pearls total and it 41 inches long. here is a picture of it sorry its so blurry.i will try to get a better pic asap. iam sure they wont get 1300 for it but i just want to know how much to ask? lady at pawnshop wouldnt give me a price.thanks alot for any help

 

[pureflowstudios]

one more thing
there is a symbol right after the 14k on the clasp but i cant really tell what it is
it looks like a backwards 7 thats upsidedown with lines on the ends like a G
i guess that makes no sinse.

 

[KAC]

If they are real and they do appear to be on first glance, they are going to be Freshwater or Akoya. The pawn broken said they couldn't be freshwater because she has likely only see really low quality FWPs but they could be either type.

That is pretty strange/lucky to find a bunch of jewelry in the trash - I'd love to hear how that find came about?

If you can post a close up picture of better quality we can take a closer look and let you know what type of pearl you have.

 

[pureflowstudios]

lucky maybe.but these didnt bring me no cash from the pawn shop so i dont feel so lucky.but acouple of years ago i found a nice gold chain on the ground and i got 600 cash from the pawnshop thats luck.thats why i always keep my eyes open.the gold was what caught my attention .it was in a little black bag with some junk watches.
but the more i learn about pearls and the more i look at the necklace it seems to be real.maybe not worth nothing but i like the idea of pearls now it comes from the ocean it intreuges me alot now.
the pearls under sun light they dont look alike at all.but they are all the same abouti can almost see through em like a marble and the designs in some of em look like a marble.it looks really nice.if there real or not i think i will give it to my daughter.but i do want to know where they came from.it would be cool if i found some nautral pearls .iam going to take it to leoal hamel jewlers they are gemoligest there and should know more then the pawnshop.
and meantime thanks for the help and i will try to get a better pic asap.

 

[KAC]

without a closer picture I can't say if they are Freshwater or Akoya but they are 100% not natural pearls - they are cultured. As for value, probably not worth a heck of a lot and you'll find selling them will be a challenge. Ebay is an option but I'd look to an Jewelery store that handles estate items or consignment.

Nice find either way.

 

[Mary Montpezat]

Pureflow if you found them in the trash, isn't it possible (if not likely) that they are either dumped stolen goods, or someone has accidentally thrown away something they value?

Did you report your find to the police? Unless there were circumstances that made it certain they were yours to keep, I sure hope you tried to locate the rightful owner!

 

[pattye]

MM,
Points to consider, indeed. With the ease of selling on Ebay and Craigs List, even costume jewelry usually has a value and can be donated to charity.

Leo Hamel Jewelers is in San Diego.

 

[Caitlin]

With a 14k clasp, they will be nice quality cultured pearls, most likely akoya. Whether akoya or freshwater, they will be worth keeping! Maybe consider having them restrung as silk or the thread on which they come is likely pretty funky, if it was ever worn. Body oils and what all.

 

[Mary Montpezat]

Do the Police in the United States not take in found items and attempt to restore them to the rightful owners? Is it not worth handing them in? I'm a little confronted by this culture of "if I pick it up off the street, it's mine to sell" and apparent agreement from other members!

 

[Ramona]

Mary, these items are not worth the effort.

 

[pearlescence]

Maybe not in pure commercial terms, but they could be some precious gift.
Good job in raising the point, Mary. Making no attempt to reunite owner and pearls is wrong, (In the UK it's theft to keep such items, while handing them in, then if unclaimed they legally become yours after six months)

 

[Bacca]

Pureflow if you found them in the trash, isn't it possible (if not likely) that they are either dumped stolen goods, or someone has accidentally thrown away something they value?

Or they could be associated with such painful memories that the original owner feels worlds better after throwing them out and never wants to see them again. We just don't know the story behind these pearls and any one scenario is as likely as any other. I'd say it's fine for the OP not to base her actions on speculation about the original owner's motives and for forum members to give her advice.

(In the UK it's theft to keep such items, while handing them in, then if unclaimed they legally become yours after six months)

That's if the property is lost, though. For whatever reason, these pearls were in the trash. That makes them abandoned property and they now belong to the finder. If I'd accidentally thrown away my pearls, I'd feel terrible, but I wouldn't think the finder had a moral obligation to save me from my own mistake.

 

[pearlescence]

In English law there is no such thing as abandoned property. Now of course that may be a perfectly valid proposition for American law, I'm curious to know what the accurate legal position is, and in other countries.

 

[pattye]

Did a quick Google search-appears legality in the US can vary from state to state, municipality to municipality. Also communal garbage dumpsters such as might serve an apartment complex are treated differently from "personal" trash cans.

Sometimes the question is ethical, AND not just what is legal.

 

[pearlescence]

In England and Wales ownership transfers from the owner of the property to the owner of the bin or other receptacle. Items found lost on the street remain the property of the owner. Items found in a property become the property of the owner of the property after six months

 

[Bacca]

In English law there is no such thing as abandoned property. Now of course that may be a perfectly valid proposition for American law, I'm curious to know what the accurate legal position is, and in other countries.

Turns out there's a big difference between the way abandoned property is handled in the UK and the US. Here are articles about each:

(UK) Adviceguide: Keeping lost, found and uncollected goods
(US) Wikipedia: Lost, mislaid, and abandoned property

It looks like the differing reactions to the situation were mostly the result of differing cultural experiences.

 

[Mary Montpezat]

Cultural difference? What cultural difference? Theft is wrong; restoration of property is right! Bacca, in your earlier post you assumed that the item had been "thrown away" ("perhaps due to painful memories"). I'd say it is far, far more likely that these were the remnants of a larger haul of stolen goods. The only morally right response would be to attempt to establish the facts. Taking "possibly stolen" goods to a pawn shop without inquiry is plain wrong! The original poster also referred to picking up a gold chain from the ground and selling it for hundreds of dollars rather than handing it in to the authorities. And here I have been all this time, living with the assumption that normal folk anywhere in the world wouldn't opportunistically take property that isn't theirs. Lesson learned!

 

[Caitlin]

Why would anyone throw away stolen goods? How can you assume "far more likely"? How likely is it that thieves throw away their goods?

If the poster says they were in the trash, that's what we go by, and do not try to assume anything beyond that. Here, anyone can come pick through the trash. There are many stories of good stuff found in the trash. Or on the sidewalk next to the trash. One woman found a disputed Rembrandt.

Last week someone found a pearl bracelet in the ocean.......

I totally disagree with you that someone who picks something out of the trash should stop his life and ascertain whether they were actually thrown out. Why not assume they were thrown out?

 

[pearlescence]

If you check the law, both there in the US and here, picking through the trash and taking stuff is theft. Sorry Caitlin et al. I can think of lots of reasons why stolen goods could be dumped.
'i found these in the trash with a bunch of other jewlry'.
Why not hand in the hoard and it will be the finder's legally and with good title in six months
Sorry, but there is something odd in there.

 

[Marianne]

This "found in the trash" has bothered me from the first also. Thank you Wendy.