Opinion and input wanted

[livjux]

Hello!
I just want you to look at this and tell me what you think about these pearls. They are all purchased on a online secondhand markedplace. They are said to be quite old add I guess that's why the are so yellow. I believe believe all strands are akoyas, but I'm not quite sure of the last strand but night they be VERY barouqe akoyas? The graduated strand is the oldest I think. Narce seems very thin, it came with a silver clasp 830, is it possible it night be from around 1940. ?
The strand that is cut in two came with a 585 white gold clasp. I think the quality is quite good for being vintage. What do you think, how old can it be?
The necklaces with the golden metal is the one I really like. It's only 38 cm. women must have had much thinner necks before, or maybe it's my neck being fat cause I can hardly get it around mine. have no idea of what kind of metal it is, maybe goldfilled. It's no tarnish on it, the drill holes are clean and there is no smell to it. It has a stamp on it, but it's impossible to see what it is, it's worn down so much it looks like arabian writing. Any thoughts about this strand? - And finally do you have any ideas on what I can do to make it longer so I can were it?
By the way I payed $120 for everything.
I'll be very happy if someone could look at this and tell me what they think.
Liv

 

[livjux]

Two more photos.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

First-- did you test all of them with the "tooth test"? This is to see if the nacre is gritty or slippery-smooth.
Wipe them clean first with a damp soft cloth, then test. Rub two of the pearls against each other, or rub a pearl against the edge of your front tooth. Real nacre feels a bit gritty, while imitation pearls glide smoothly against each other.

Imitation pearls can turn yellow with age, too.

I'm not sure if the last necklace is real pearls/real gold, but seeing you like it, you can buy a necklace extender to clip onto either end. You will have to cut off the broken spring clip though, and replace it with a jump ring (open ring), an easy operation with 2 pairs of pliers.

Assuming the rest of the pearls pass the tooth test, the round strands are probably akoyas. Graduated pearls may be pre-1960 when these were more common.

That one necklace with the loose thread near the clasp-- it really needs restringing.

As far as the ringed strand -- it looks like the clasp is a replacement. (It looks like a 2-strand clasp on a single-strand necklace. ) They could be freshwater pearls.

 

[pattye]

Livjux, $120 well spent, with just a little work you will have some very wearable, pretty necklaces! I agree with PD, restring the strands.

The one with gold metal is only 15 inches, which is choker length for most of us! Are there any markings on the broken clasp?

 

[livjux]

Thank you Pearl Dreams,- and yes ma'am they all pass the tooth test, also the pearls on the metal necklace. There was also a bracelet made of imitated pearls it had a silver clasp. Unfortunately I damaged the imitated pearls by boiling(!) them. I was trying to get the imitation pearl on the clasp off, but it's stuck...
The reason why I was thinking the last strand are akoyas is because some of the flaws reminds me of barouqe akoyas, but then again the rings made me think of freshwater pearls. I am going to restring the broken necklaces and the graduated, the other I'm going to re use in new jewelry .
I'll add better photos after i've put my son to bed.
Liv��

 

[livjux]

Hi Pattye. There is a stamp on it but it's so worn down it's impossible to read.

 

[livjux]

Thank you Pattye! - I am ridiculously weak when it comes to old jewelry . Here is another photo, maybe it's better.

 

[livjux]

closeup of the ringed strand.

 

[pattye]

Ha, I can't read the markings on the clasp either! As you mentioned, perhaps another language?

All I can say for sure about the ringed strand is that there's a bead nucleus. A good buy for sure! Now for the fun part; restringing!

 

[GemGeek]

You aren't kidding about that stamp! LOL. Congratulations and have fun playing with your haul.

 

[livjux]

Oh, Pattye where can you see the bead nucleus? Maybe it's some over- barouqe akoyas after all, something put together and sold to someone just as sea pearls? Or maybe some one tried to bead nucleic freshwater pearls and had this result? It's a quite a fun strand I think. I'm going to take that strand apart and use the pearls from it in other jewelry, the rest i'll have to restring. Thank you for answering on my post

 

[pattye]

Lol, I can't really "see" the bead nucleus, but the pearls are so rounded I can visualize it in there. When you take this strand apart you may find some blemishes at the drill hole where you can see the bead, or perhaps look in the drill hole and see how thick the nacre is. Do you have a loupe 10x?

You will have lots of pearls to create with for sure!!

 

[livjux]

yes Pattye, I have a 10x and a 12x loupe. I bought them after you recommended me to get one. I'm happy I did, and thank you for your advise,- the loupe is geniuses ��! I'm going to loupe my super- barouqe pearls as soon as I'm finish cleaning my messy house... if I sit down with it now I won't get the cleaning done��

 

[livjux]

Ha ha, I didn't. I actually sent the photo of the stamp to two people form the middle east. One said it might be Hebrew writing., the other one said it night be Greek. It's anyway greek to me and I'm too curious, so I took the necklaces to a goldSmith and she said she believed it's Norwegian, but very worn down��! I left it by her so she could acidtest it, if I'm lucky it's gold but I don't think so.

 

[livjux]

Is the rings a common flaw on low quality akoyas? It was the rings that made me think of freshwaters .

 

[KarinK]

I'm Danish. That is not Norwegian Might be right about Greek. The first letter looks like Pi (capital P in Greek).

 

[livjux]

Takk KarinK! I'm Norwegian and I agree, it's absolutely not Norwegian!

 

[Pearl Dreams]

I actually wondered if the first 3 letters were PAT (i.e. patent).



I've never seen circles on akoyas. They could be bead nucleated fwp.

 

[livjux]

Maybe! Gonna be fun to get the answers of the acid test, but the circled pearls are the really fun part! Is it a way to find out if it's freshwaters? They are said be old, but that is a very flexible term..

 

[mrsadm]

Pattye, a dumb question for you ... how do you know the ringed strand has a bead nucleus? Thank you!
Linda

Sorry I see Pattye has already answered my question...