"Mystery Pearls"?

[mausketeer]

Hi everybody! I haven't posted on here in ages but I have found another strand I may buy, depending on opinions so....... could I get a bit of help identifying these please?

Just for fun I won't say what these were presented to me as, I want to see if the story rings true. The stand is 30" long and the pearls were (supposedly) restrung about ten years ago......

Any and all opinions are welcomed! Thanks so much!

Jodie

 

[Marianne]

They look like baroque akoyas to me. And quite well worn. (not an expert, just my first impression)

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

They look like baroque akoyas to me.

To me too.

 

[KarinK]

If that's true I am really getting it It was my guess too.

- Karin

 

[pearlescence]

I'm no akoya expert so I will pass on what sort they are - but if they were restrung ten years ago they've not been worn much since as the silk looks pretty white..big knots or small pearls too.

 

[pattye]

My vote goes to baroque akoya also. Either looks like some wear and chipping at some of the drill holes, plus not highest quality to start with. That said, the luster is great, and removing the damaged pearls would still leave enough for a really nice necklace.

Jodie, if you are able to see them in person before you buy, roll the strand back and forth on a white cloth to check for thin nacre. Good luck on negotiating a great price!

 

[Caitlin]

Pattye
You mean check for "blinking"?

 

[pattye]

Thanks Caitlin, yes, couldn't think of the terminology.

 

[jshepherd]

Definitely a baroque akoya strand!

 

[mausketeer]

Thanks so much everybody! (and I was hoping Jeremy or another Tahitian expert would chime in as well - thank you!). Hmmmm, well....... I bought them. Mainly because I really liked the mix of colours and the price was cheap (under $100) but also because somewhere in the back of my mind I WAS hoping they might be light coloured Tahitians/South Seas (they were bought in Hawaii in the late 60's as Tahitians. I sort of wondered about that because of the pale colours - and the price of course - but you never know when you might stumble across that bargain!) I knew enought to know that they weren't freshwater but I'm embarassed to say that I had never heard of baroque Akoyas until you all said it (makes sense they wouldn't ALL end up as round I guess - duh). Well hey, I have some pretty vintage Akoyas now - that's nothing to sneeze at. My Tahitians will have to wait for another day........ sigh.......

When I restring them I'll have to dissect one of the damaged pearls just for fun! Thanks again to everybody!!!

Jodie

 

[jshepherd]

Hi Jodie,

The nacre looks thick on them, and for under $100 they were a steal! They definitely aren't Tahitians, but they still look beautiful.

 

[GemGeek]

Surely they are baroque akoyas and have sublimely thick nacre, so please don't destroy any of them. Tahitians were first marketed around 1973 and were not an immediate success, but it could be they were sold as such in the late 70s in Hawaii. Who knows?

I know you're going to love them.

 

[mausketeer]

Okay, I will leave them be and re-string them all - no "surgery" on the broken ones! Thank you "GemGeek"! The lady I bought them off said she got them there in 1968. She seems to be reputable from what I could tell. I didn't see any reason to doubt her story, but as we all know, perhaps she was misled when she bought them? In any case, I'm just glad to hear I got a good deal and I didn't waste my money! (which is a silly thing to worry about if I end up loving them, which judging from the photos I think I will. I just love the varied colours. I see mainly blues and golds with touches of pink and lavender). That's a rather odd colour mix for Akoya's, no? I know pearls can yellow as they age, maybe they were ALL blue/silver and only some of them yellowed......

Shall I post close-ups when I receive them? Are these interesting enough to continue with the thread? Please let me know.......

- Jodie -

 

[KarinK]

Hi Jodie,

I think you did great! Having done my homework here on PG I would suggest that these could be untreated Akoyas pearls. Almost all Akoya pearls are bleached white and dyed to show a pink hue. I find the original version much more interesting. Due to their age they should also have a thicker layer of nacre than you find in Akoyas today, making them last longer and look more beautiful. In fact I have just bought an unused, non-bleached vintage strand of Akoyas for those very reasons but at just over three times your cost

- Karin

 

[Nerida]

Hi Mausketeer - check the colours in these freshly harvested pearls in the series of photos https://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/pearling-industry-news/4745-pearling-industry-breakthrough.html - golds, blues, lavenders and pinks. They are all there naturally...

Your strand is gorgeous - enjoy it!

 

[Bodecia]

I think they are quite lovely and you got a bargain. On eBay they would sell for at least $300 but more likely for a lot more if the seller knew what they had and put up decent photos, descriptions and so on. I would not be surprised to see them reach $500 on auction and more if sold in an eBay shop.

Although the silk shows very clean the French gimp is showing tarnish so obviously not just threaded up.

Dawn
http://shop.ebay.com/dawncee333/m.html
Pearl lover and Natural Pearl collector

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

I didn't waste my money! (which is a silly thing to worry about if I end up loving them...)

One hundred dollars for untreated vintage pearls is a tremendous bargain.

Shall I post close-ups when I receive them? Are these interesting enough to continue with the thread? Please let me know.......

What Blaire said about nacre and condition.

I'd like to see good shots of those.

 

[pattye]

Jodie, Congratulations on a very good buy, and of course, we will want to see photos! Perhaps a lighter background will bring out the colors of the pearls even more. What size are the pearls?

 

[mausketeer]

Oh wow! I had no idea they were such a unique find! My initial reaction afterwards was "sigh, they're not Tahitians...... oh well". LOL. The seller seems to run a "mom and pop" type of shop where they sell what looks like thrift store type items (on-line), I think they may be older. Gosh, I feel kind of bad paying so little for them if they're worth so much. I mean, they are literally selling items for two dollars!

Maybe I'll be a good Samaritan and when I get them (and have them appraised - I have to take in some rings anyways) I'll shoot her a bit more money. I just wouldn't want to feel like I'm ripping anybody off.

Oh, and I'm not sure what size they are Pattye - I know the length is 30 inches. Was trying to guess the size of each pearl based on how big they are next to the clasp...... not good at visualizing stuff like that. I bought an opal recently and it looked HUGE in the photos (of course). Even though I KNEW it was 14mm it was still smaller than I imagined in my mind when I got it! lol

 

[pattye]

It's difficult judging size of items, that's for sure. Although I've bought on line since 2004, I still refer to my little brass gauge which sits here by the computer (when sizes are listed) and sometimes I am still surprised.