Natural Pearls, yes? Are they SW or FW

[Bodecia]

Hi All,

This is a link to the natural pearls below. Are they Naturals. I think they are but would like it confirmed. I also think they are SW but not positive. If they are FW would they be from the USA do you think. I have seen a few Tennessee pearls listed on eBay. But as you have a lot of rivers and creeks I suppose FW Mussel pearls could be from many places in the US. I am not planning on buying them but just find it interesting to see photos of possible naturals and discuss their merits or lack thereof. Not sure I have attached the link properly.

Same seller had these up when I asked about the big 12 mm and over CFWPs as she had them listed too. Still listed but the price on both has dropped. Still I can't afford them They are only 3 to 6 mm so most are very small.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320087281552&fromMakeTrack=true

Caitlen, when you do searches on eBay it is not really a good idea to try to limit your searches by listing things that you don't want to see. Many sellers put in "not imitation", not faux" and so on so by limiting your searches you end up not getting what you actually are looking for. You do get loads of rubbish but there is just no way around that from what I have found.

Bo

 

[Ashley]

Hi Bo,

I hate to say it, but those look like chinese freshwater pearls to me, probably from the early to mid-1980's. I read up on the item, and the clasp is sterling silver and the enhancer on the piece is a synthetic green stone (read manufactured after 1950, when G&E Company invented the process to lab create cubic zirconia... it would follow that unless the green stone is just glass, it is a lab-created synth of some kind using a modern technology) set with Rhinestones. Somehow I doubt that a very valuable "natural" necklace would be decorated in this manner. Are you and the seller using the term natural to mean, non-nucleated/non-cultivated?

I think what you're seeing is what you're going to get here, unfortunately- cultivated chinese freshwater pearls in a potatoey shape with nice luster. That's wonderful, as long as you know what you're buying.

 

[Valeria101]

Whether natural or early (non-nucleated) cultured, IHMO these are what they look like, essentially, and the looks might make them a harder sell than the seller thinks.

Their looks alone could explain the clasp whether it was original to the strand or added later in an attempt to enhance the looks of the piece.

Just an opinion.

For my own use, I would rather guess that these are salt water and hence likely natural... but IMO, the looks trumps origin. Those guys might be harder to sell than the seller thinks although natural pearls fly away from FleaBay auctions without trouble. Old naturals are definitely cheaper than new, round SS keshi of the same minute size (shocker, those - just try to find 3mm round SS keshi!).

 

[Bodecia]

Hi Ashely,

The seller is saying that they are totally natural pearls. I believed it Good thing I didn't want to buy them or hadn't bought them. It is good to know though as I will keep the photo for comparison for the future. I wonder if I should tell her. I don't think they will sell for that price but it would be a pity if someone paid it for non naturals. I did wonder myself about the synthetic stone in the clasp. I thought maybe she meant it was glass and was trying to glam it up a bit. Also wondered if someone had just used the clasp to string them up. But if you say they are FW then so be it. Did you click on the listing? I don't know the seller personally but did originally email her about another necklace of pearls she had.

Was surfing ebay and spotted them up for sale again so thought I would put the photo up here for identification. Glad I did now as it is great for clarification and help in spotting future non naturals listed as naturals. It sounds to me like she really believes they are natural. I don't think it is wonderful if they sell for $750 and some poor sod gets cultivated potato pearls. In her email to me she seemed honest enough but then maybe I am just gulliable.

Bo

 

[Ashley]

Hi there Bo,

All I'm saying is that is just what those pearls look like to me... Do you know where she got the whole "Eduardian" period classification from? Just the style of the clasp? If the clasp is that old, then the stone is most likely glass... Did she mention to you where she obtained these pearls, and from who?

It is always possible to find natural pearls on e-bay (one never knows... ) but I tend to err on the side of caution when it comes to internet auction shopping.

 

[pattye]

Hi all,
I inquired about these pearls when they were listed before. She didn't know the history of them. Without the proper paperwork from GIA lab or like, it is foolish to assume they are naturals, and still high priced IMO for such poorly matched pearls. For a lower price someone might take a chance.
The large FW look like the ones offered on lots of the Chinese sites for a few hundred dollars.
Pattye

 

[Bodecia]

Hi Valeria101 & Ashley,

For my own use, I would rather guess that these are salt water and hence likely natural... but IMO, the looks trumps origin. Those guys might be harder to sell than the seller thinks although natural pearls fly away from FleaBay auctions without trouble. Old naturals are definitely cheaper than new, round SS keshi of the same minute size (shocker, those - just try to find 3mm round SS keshi!).

Thanks for the input Valeria101, is it great to agree to disagree. That is what is one of the great this about the PF. I agree that the looks are not great and they have been drilled the wrong way too. I do think if they were beautiful on naturals and drilled correctly they might be worth the price she is asking although they are small. Maybe they are really dirty instead of just being ugly.

I have some tiny seed pearls which are round. How many do you need? and would seed pearls work instead of tiny keishi. Nah, better forget that, only have a few that size and most are not great. Most of the really nice ones are about 1 mm. Talk about tiny. I am sure they will come in handy one day though and I have plenty of them. Getting keishi round is HARD, especially in any quanity.

All I'm saying is that is just what those pearls look like to me... Do you know where she got the whole "Eduardian" period classification from? Just the style of the clasp? If the clasp is that old, then the stone is most likely glass... Did she mention to you where she obtained these pearls, and from who?

Ashley, I didn't really ask much about the naturals, only the size because when she had them listed before she didn't put in a size. I didn't ask where she got them from as I wasn't that interested in them. I think she just said that they were really old and probably Edwardian or Eduardian

Naturals are a hard thing to search for on eBay because so many pearls are listed as having natural colour or just called natural which I think sellers put in just meaning they are not fake pearls. It is very misleading but that is ebay and a search for naturals brings up thousands of Chinese sellers calling everything "natural". I only spotted them in a search for Antique pearls to bring up older pearls. That search still brings up all kinds of junk too but occasionally some nice pearls but then they generally sell for way too much.

I just looked at the clasp again but it is too dark and the photo not good enough to see the chip she mentioned so can't see if it looks like glass or not.

Bodecia

 

[jshepherd]

I am going to go with naturals on that one as well. They most certainly look like good contenders. If they are fw they are almost certainly Mississippi, more than a hundred years old. If salt, they are not of the highest grade, but still not bad (depending on the price).

 

[Bodecia]

I am going to go with naturals on that one as well. They most certainly look like good contenders. If they are fw they are almost certainly Mississippi, more than a hundred years old. If salt, they are not of the highest grade, but still not bad (depending on the price).

Hi Jeremy,

Price is $750 or an offer, if I remember correctly. I think before they were listed at about $1200 or close to it. I think she would come down to $500 or $600. I didn't ask though. Didn't want to get her hopes of a sale up as I don't have the $$ anyway.

I just thought it would be interesting to get the opinions of the PF on them so listed the photo. This is the way to learn IMO.

Bodecia

 

[jshepherd]

Well, they are small and graduated (which lends credence to the natural theory). But a price of $500 would be very good for a natural strand such as that.

 

[Ashley]

Hi Jeremy,

Seeing as how you're the reining expert and you have the most experience with pearls, I will definitely defer to your opinion on this. I unfortunately haven't seen a ton of natural pearls in person, so I was going with what I know based upon my experience with freshwater pearls, gemstones (and their synthetic counterparts), and of course, e-bay. I suppose I'll just have to learn the hard way and start taking some chances on the goods out there...

The whole strand being graduated like that bothered me when I was looking at it though, even while I was giving my answer. But to be honest it was the clasp that sold me on the freshwater option.

 

[Valeria101]

Naturals are a hard thing to search for on eBay because so many pearls are listed as having natural colour or just called natural ...

I don't spend all that much time on FleaBay (and definitely not allot of cash), but natural pearls I have only found in Ebay auctions from otherwise well established and respected real-world auctioneers. And I am thinking of very typical small pearls: 2/3 - 5/7mm graduated, mostly single strands, some doubles, some hanks of seed pearls... that sort of things. Of course I like looking for these small pearls on Ebay, but the pickings are way too rare and realistically priced to call them 'lucky'. frustrating at best. It could always be that I don't know where to look, though.

Keeping that note, take a look at THIS ONE Do you think they are trying out a 'vintage' look there or what's up with that? I am trying to figure out who (else) would want a farmed copy of they great-grandmother's pearls.


PS. Re clasp... it looks so mismatched with the pearls, that I'd bet someone attempted to 'help' the old pearls by matching them with a recycled clasp (are those largism marcasite chips rather then the rhinestones described? Whichever way, it still reminds me more of early 70s color horror rather than Edwardian anything, but there is so little to go on... this guess is as good as based on air and a hunch.

 

[pattye]

Hi All--
Just wanted to let you know that I got these "natural pearls" for a bid of $350. I will send them to Sharon Wakefield at NW Gemological Laboratory to verify that they are naturals or what. I was surprised there weren't more bids. I had inquired about them when they were listed previously also, but thought price too high.
I will keep you informed. It would be great to have them in my collection if they are actually naturals.
Pattye

 

[Satine De La Courcel]

Hi Pattye,

I for one would love to hear the results of you find. I do hope thye turn oiut to be naturals that would be fantastic!

Cheers
Ash