New Here and Opinion Wanted

[lulabela]

Hi All,

I have spent a little time looking around the forum today and your pearls are beautiful. I know zero about these little gems and what I see here makes me want to obtain a few. They are truly beautiful.

In clearing out an estate, I found an envelope of what I think are very tiny pearls. The largest is about 1/4 inch in diameter and they go down from there. I thought that perhaps this was the remnants from beading a garment. I don't have a loope, but I believe all are drilled. I started to string them just to get an idea of what I have, but most of the holes are smaller than my needle. It's too late for natural light, but I think the attached picture gives a pretty good image of what I have. Can anyone let me know if these would be of value to anyone. In the photo, toward the middle, there is one that has been "cut" lengthwise and you are seeing that cut side.

Thanks,
Lula

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

They look almost identical to many of my pearls, which are naturals from Mytilus californianus. Where are you located? Do you know the history of the estate?

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

Here's a few pictures of unsorted pearls from my collection to compare.

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

I ran a color palette analysis from a section of one of the submitted photographs. I've also posted my color palette, side by side.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Post 4 with the color palette is very cool!

 

[Bodecia]

Hello lulabela,

Your pearls do look very much like Dave's and very much like naturals. Really stunning find, lucky you. If you want to thread them first divide into sizes and maybe colour, roughly, and then use a fine fishing line. That way you won't need a needle. You could buy a couple of sizes of fishing line so you can thread them all.

Fantastic estate find for you. Do you get to keep them ?

Dave, love your pearls too.


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

 

[Bodecia]

They would certainly be of some value. Dave would be the one who could tell you how much. Although I love natural pearls, collect and sell them I don't know that value of this species. But do look after them, love them and if selling them sell to someone here on the forum. Just wish I knew more about them and what to offer you.

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

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

first divide into sizes and maybe colour, roughly, and then use a fine fishing line.

Yes. Keeping in mind value added for matched sets.

 

[lulabela]

Dave, your pearls are lovely and I especially like the variety of color. I have to say, your collection is way more beautiful than these. Dawn, I looked through your ebay listings and you have some really very lovely pieces too. (I wish.....)

I am in Midwest USA (Illinois). The estate was of a Japanese woman; however, I am sure these could have come from anywhere. I have an appreciation for all things old and especially like sewing memorabilia. These were in the drawer of an old sewing machine. When I found these "stones", I had an inkling they may be pearls and started researching. Some of these really are tiny, almost like large grains of sand. I spent some time at PearlParadise yesterday and saw some very lovely jewelry. But I must say, looking at these makes me have a real appreciation for "imperfection".

I will sort and string these together on fishing line, just to get an idea of what they would look like. And, also, try to get a photo with better light. There is a wide range of colors, but Dave, yours seem to cover a much broader spectrum. In the photo I took, there is a coppery colored remnant of a clasp toward the top of one of the pictures. That may sway the sample. Thanks again. I'll be back with another photo.

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

When I observe your pearls on the whole, I see what I see when I look at mine.

Most other naturals that come to us for identification are singles or small sets.

These are unquestionably natural pearls of salt water origin.

They are drilled which affects the value on a piece by piece basis, but the pool is big enough to add some value from matched sets.

Looking forward to new photos.

 

[GemGeek]

I'd love to see new photos, too!

 

[Nerida]

Interesting thread! Thankyou lulubela for posting your 'find' - amazing to see Dave's input. They are indeed an identical batch! They are beautiful, lovely to see them.

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

I always try to put myself in the place of the collector. If these are indeed mussel pearls, what occasion would they have to make this possible?

Blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) are highly desirable for the table. They don't normally grow too big, rarely more than 4 inches. Most often the pearls are blue. California mussels (Mytilus californianus) grow much bigger, but are less desirable as food unless immature and even then, the pearls are tiny. As I discussed in another thread recently, some of these pearls appear over mature.

California mussels range from Baja to Alaska, often in huge numbers in some of the most extreme locations on the planet. The outer shores of the Pacific Ocean. Whoever collected these did not do so in one sitting or without perils. This would have ultimately involved unfettered exposure to the creatures over a long period of time, likely years.

The OP mentioned the estate was owned by Japanese lady. This presents the likelihood of living in a coastal village during the pre-war era or the operation of some type of shellfish processor (food, pearls or other) somewhere in the world. I have heard of collections from lab technicians that use mussels to test PSP (Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning) aka Red Tide from both the USA and Canada. Mature adult Californias tend to uptake and retain these toxins longer, even after oysters and clams have flushed themselves.

 

[pattye]

Oh my, what a great discussion, and for some reason it didn't show up as unread for me. Dave, fascinating that you can do a color palette analysis~what an awesome collection of naturals!

 

[mausketeer]

Bumping this......any new photos or info on these lulabela? This didn't show as unread on my feed either, I totally missed these amazing pearls!