My Natural Pearl Collection

[MSC]

Yes mad……. please do give us the details. You will have to virtually start again but it will be worth it for all of us.

Glad my neck won't be chopped off But your last necklace (big pearls) is the focus of all. Don't let it slip out of your fingers unless it is in my direction. Hah. Seriously do keep them safe.

You got it, Dawn!

I can't imagine my dad paid that much for the necklace since he's retired, but I'll try to get those details from him and maybe even the receipt. He's given me receipts before, but he usually makes me wait a few years and ask a few dozen times before giving in and turning it over. I will say this, for a man, my dad has always had a good eye and knows when he's got a deal. Probably the most important thing he's ever taught me

 

[Caitlin]

Thanks. Everyone who finger knots does it a bit differently. I want to do another video with the clasp attachments too. I will do the same thing by knotting over and over and over and try to get it all closeup.

I am hoping this video will inspire other to make videos with their knotting methods or maybe how they wirewrap earrings and what all. Won't that be wonderful?

So, I have to be good enough to teach something until something better comes along, but bad enough that others think they could do better videos and or knotting, and do so, LOL!

 

[MSC]

First item: Art deco lavalier - purchased on ebay from a dealer in the UK for a reasonable price a few years ago.
3 larger pearls: 4.5mmx4mmx3.5mm
18 smaller pearls: approx 2.5mmx3mm (4 small pearls are missing, so there should have been 22 smaller pearls)
10 0.5inch guilloche enameled bars, some enamel loss
1 marquis mystery stone 24mmx10mmx8mm
Sterling silver (535 hallmark on the clasp, clasp looks original); two hallmarks on back of bezeled mystery stone, both illegible
Necklace length 15.5 inches
Pendant length 3.5 inches
Early art deco design style

 

[Bodecia]

Hi mad……………… thought you would start with your original pieces so we can get the new and better photos and sizes etc.

Nice piece though. Good natural pearls and you should be able to find small replacement pearls for the missing ones. Mystery stone - not Malachite but similar. Think Chrysocalla or something like that. Too tired to check right now.

Dawn - Bodecia
http://www.ebay.com/sch/dawncee333/m.html
eBay Seller ID dawncee333 Natural pearl collector & seller. And all round pearl lover.

 

[MSC]

I was thinking along the same lines for the stone as well. There is a small clear area in a corner of the stone, which made me think chrysocolla as well.
Well, I started with this one because I was wearing it today, lol. Talk about lazy, huh?
I'll try to do one post per day, otherwise I'm not likely to stick with it.

 

[KarinK]

You do have an amazing collection! Makes me want to go shopping for antiques as did the remark about buying a piece of vintage jewelry as souvenir. Sigh.... I've just been to Rome but with the family, only had time to look at boots in one single shop and couldn't even afford to. The joys of being a mom

- Karin

 

[MSC]

Next item!
Silver and pearl ring, Arts and Crafts (not sure about that one, need to reference books)
Hallmarked sterling on the back. Shank looks to have been resized a while ago.
Mystery Pearl is 8mmx6mm (River Tay pearl? Likely not as suggested by Dawn.)
Ring face is 23mmx12mm
I got this on ebay for practically nothing!

 

[MSC]

Zircon and Seed Pearl Victorian Necklace
Seed pearls are 1mm (itty bitty!)
Smaller zircon is 6mm and the larger zircon is 10mm
Pendant is 34mm x 17mm
Necklace is 15 inches long and has a really pretty fancy chain.
Hallmarked 14kt on the clasp which looks to be original and I believe this item is American.
Consistent patina all over and appears to be in original condition (no modifications from what I can tell)

 

[MSC]

Art Nouveau (perhaps early 1900s when Art Nouveau and Edwardian started blending stylistically) Pearl Necklace
7 wing pearls, all cream color, likely river pearls (but from where?) - 2 at ~14mmx5mm; 2 at ~17mmx7mm; 2 at ~10mmx4mm; 1 at ~13mmx12mm
2 round pearls (drilled), both cream color with a rainbow orient, likely river pearls - both ~7mmx8mm
2 roundish-buttonish pearls, both cream colored with a rainbow orient, cultured? - top pearl: 14mmx13mmx9mm; bottom pearl: 10mmx14mmx8mm, has a blemish on the south end of the pearl.
The bottom large pearl can be detached from the necklace by a shepards hook on the back of the top large pearl.
There are no hallmarks anywhere on the necklace, but it was sold as 14kt and the clasp is original. It doesn't look like any modifications were made to the necklace from what I can tell, but who knows. There is some tarnishing to the back of the pearl cups, but otherwise looks to be in good condition. The necklace is 15 inches long and the pendant is a little over 1.75 inches in length and 1.25 inches wide.
I don't know where my dad got this, but I don't think he would have paid more than a couple hundred bucks for it.

Some additional photos:

 

[MSC]

Art Nouveau Pearl and Sapphire Pendant
The back of the pendant has 2 stamped hallmarks: a triangle within a circle and 14kt
3 wing pearls, all cream colored: 9mmx4mm, 10mmx4.5mm, 9.5mmx5mm
Bezel set sapphire 2mm
Pendant width is 1 inch and length is 1.5 inches
I purchased this over 10 years ago, and I can't remember what I paid for it but I believe it was a few hundred.

 

[juliebeth]

oh andrea, i LOVE the art nouveau pendant! the lines/design are just gorgeous and LOOK AT THE PEARLS!

 

[MSC]

Thanks, Julie!
Next we have the Edwardian diamond and pearl ring:
1 large Mine cut diamond: 5mmx5mmx3.5mm; H, VVSI
6 smaller mine cut diamonds: 2.4mm
4 tiny diamonds in the band: 1.5mm
1 pearl, button shaped, grey with bluish hue, 5.75mm
Marked with 585 on the band.

 

[GemGeek]

Cool stuff. Now that I see more shots, those big pearls in the necklace look like they belong. Beautiful pieces, all.

 

[hbyrne]

Oh WOW...that is my kind of ring!! What an adventurous shape.....how did you come by this one? I'd say it was European, quite possibly German, as I've seen rings of the same period with identical marks for 14ct gold. I've got a little 'diamond calculator' for estimating weights on antique-cuts at work which I'll have a look at tomorrow if you like?

The sapphire and wing pearls is superb too, maybe continental too? The design looks French to me, but those marks aren't French, so maybe it started life in one of the other grand European cities under the thrall of Art Nouveau style?

 

[MSC]

Helen, thank you for the potential ring id! I was a bit stumped on the where for that one, definitely European but where? Good to have a starting point! I would very much appreciate it if you would do a little diamond ct calculating That one was my grandmother's but I'm not sure where she got it. I don't think she ever went to Germany, but my dad was stationed there. Hmmmm....

I thought the art nouveau pendant looked French as well, but the 14kt indicates American and it doesn't look like it was added later, seems to have the same amount of wear as the other hallmark. I have not seen American art nouveau that looked so very French before. Confusing! Looks like I'll need to break some books out of storage.

Ah well, more to come!

 

[Isi]

Actually, I would say that the ring looks more french than the pendant, except for the 14 kt gold.
The type of pearl on the pendant wasn't very much used in our traditional french jewelry.

 

[MSC]

Art Nouveau Pearl Ring
No hallmarks. Sold as 10kt.
Pearl looks like a river pearl, cream colored, ~15mmx6mmx4.5mm
Ring face is 34mmx17mm.
The shank looks to have been resized and perhaps the hallmarks were lost in the resizing.
This one I purchased from Ruby Lane a couple of years ago.

 

[pattye]

Andrea,
Your treasured collection, descriptions and photos are simply wonderful! And many thanks to everyone for the enjoyable eavesdropping on your discussions!

Wow, and more to come! LOVE this ring, oh heck, all the pieces are fabulous!

 

[MSC]

Yes, more eavesdropping! I love all the discussion, it's very very helpful since all of my books are locked away in storage and not easily get-to-able.
Thanks, Pattye

Isi: River pearls don't necessarily mean American, right? River pearls could come from any river or do European rivers not produce pearls like the ones in that pendant? Does anyone know about that? The pendant is very confusing with it appearance seemingly French but it's 14kt hallmark indicating American. I'm trying to find out about the triangle within the circle hallmark, I think that would clarify everything.

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

River pearls can mean anywhere in the world, however the Mississippi and Tennessee Rivers are among the largest freshwater mussel producers.

Most of the natural pearls are incidental to the shell gathering industry. The USA is by far, the largest producer of shells for nuclei. Washboard and Pigtoe mussels are highly desirable for their thickness and structural qualities.