I'd like to see more photos because most of the pearls could pass for akoya in their roundness, but there are shapes in there that look natural. Also my guess is that the luster looks natural, even on black, not like an akoya at all. The clasp is not something that natural pearls wear, EVER but only akoyas. I think the second necklace has more off rounds, but that clasp! Even a thin old style barrel clasp would be more appropriate. That clasp means she could wear it around the world and no one would look twice. I think the second necklace is more off round, but it is not knotted between so if worn a lot can get off round, even barrel shaped.
Any chance that GIA certificate is still extant?
I look forward to photos on white. Also, put your best strand of cultured pearls next to them in at least one photo.
I have a strand of natural pearls, but they are much more variable in off round sizes than yours, which would make yours worth a fortune and a chase from Christies, though it must have been one person who did that, because the staff is generally very decorous and doesn't look for pearls that have not been offered to them.
Your story is very cohesive and sophisticated compared to most of the Grandmother pearls we see. It influenced my perception. It is just the right story for naturals and if they are from the 1850's the young man you GTGTGT grandmother almost married must have been VERY wealthy, for naturals that round would have been priced for far more than the usual off round necklace. If he could find a dealer, because the people who owned that quality rarely sold them except the Russians after the revolution and only through a very upscale dealer. It would have probably been the treasure of his family, their foremost pearls, because a round strand and perfectly matched in the color and gradation.like that are very herd to find.
When I cleaned my grandmother's pearls, the drill holes revealed many layers of nacre, slightly worn down. Easier to see when dirty. There is no trace of a bead, which would show if the pearls were cultured. The one with the orange hole is unique, but note that there is a bit of variation in the colors. To perfectly match for color AND graduation is astronomical. The young man must have been of the high nobility.
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