Identifying mom's pearls

[dducey]

Hello, all! Like so many of you, I too have inherited pearls from my mother. I am querying my father about their provenance— purchased on a trip to Hong Kong from a Mikimoto store around 1970? I figure why not post some photos and see if anyone has any ideas. I have not been able to find a clasp similar to this one online. The pearls are heavy, the strands are about 24" long. A jeweler suspects there was a third strand based on the clasp "hooks," of which there are three.

I like them and they are quite lovely, but it'd be nice to know what I have.
Thanks for any help!
D

 

[GemGeek]

She probably fell in love with that clasp and had her pearls redone with it.

 

[Camhatch]

It looks like maybe the pearls from the third strand were added to the other two strands to make a longer piece? Hence the mis-matched colours throughout? The clasp is beautiful.
Hope some of the experts can chime in here!

 

[BeadersSecret]

Hello dducey, they look like salt water Akoya pearls. But the pearls are not top quality, that you would expect of a Mikimoto strand, I can see lots of inconsistencies in the pearls colour and nacre.

As for ascribing Mikimoto, with no provenance they will be just an Akoya pearl necklace with a lovely clasp. The clasp is gorgeous. Could be an Amethyst with visible inclusions, hard to tell though.

Good chance they were a triple strand to begin with, fashion trends come and go while the pearls themselves are still very much in vogue.

 

[Marianne]

My goodness, that is a beautiful clasp! Thanks for sharing with us.

 

[Pearlie Sue]

I love that clasp!

 

[pattye]

Gorgeous clasp and 14K, too! I'd be tempted to add a 3rd strand of multicolor tourmaline or spinel beads.

 

[GemGeek]

Gorgeous clasp and 14K, too! I'd be tempted to add a 3rd strand of multicolor tourmaline or spinel beads.

Wow, what a great idea!

 

[dducey]

Thank you all!

Thank you all!

What a delightful community! Thanks for all your thoughts. My father (age 88) reports he and my mother were brought to a store in Tokyo by a Japanese friend in 1969 or '70, and he thought the pearls were Mikimoto but since there is no stamp, I think Bernadette has it right, they are Akoya, perhaps sold in a Mikimoto store. The gemstone remains a mystery—even the local jeweler can't figure it out! It's not amethyst or rose quartz, but it does have the appearance somewhat similar to some images of sunstone I've seen online. The fact that the setting is 14K gold adds to the mystery... Thanks again!

 

[BeadersSecret]

If you ever find out what the gemstone stone in the clasp, we would love to know, tis a treasure for sure.

You have pearls given to you by your Mum which is a treasure in itself, with some strategic grading (which may or may not involve removing a couple of pearls) you could arrive at a very presentable and wearable necklace.