Opinions on 35" necklace with 14K clasp please

[BeeBee]

Hi everyone-

I bought this necklace at an estate sale a few weeks ago. This necklace really caught my attention. Here's the info:

1. Gritty
2. Photos attached
3. Don't know history
4. Clasp is pretty heavy and marked 585 Italy (I know that's 14k)
5. All pearls are approx. 8mm (I don't have a precise measuring tool). There are 100 pearls and it weighs 80g. Not graduated.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this necklace before I have it restrung! Thank you!

 

[AMc]

Nice find, and very interesting! Thank you for posting!

The stringing job and the clasp are obviously modern, the pearls are a bit older.

To me, the luster and blemishes say cultured Akoya pearls - the luster is very uniform throughout, as are the overtones of the pearls, which is a hallmark of the saltwater pearl variety. The pearl shapes seem a bit ovalish or elongated, but that could be barreling, which is an effect of wearing the pearls very often over a long period of time. It happens near the clasp and wherever the pearls are in constant contact with the skin as the pearls roll back and forth continually and the nacre wears down. It makes them look awfully like Freshwater pearls, but I'm still betting on Akoya due to the other reasons I cited above.

Do you have any additional pictures of the pearls' blemishes? That would definitively settle the issue I think - Akoya inclusions are very distinctive.

 

[Bailey1856]

Whatever they are, they are gorgeous! That colour (creamy white, off-white or beige) is my favourite of the whites.

 

[BeeBee]

Thank you for taking the time to take a look at them! Here are some more photos - hope they help...

 

[CathyKeshi]

Beautiful pearls, BeeBee ... and a nice long length, with a lovely clasp

 

[JerseyPearl]

Lovely pearls...and 35" is the PERFECT length for pearls...long enough to wear long, but also easily doubled.

 

[pkinnew]

Very pretty pearls! Definitely worth restringing!

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Lovely and I agree-- restring them!

Restringing won't be cheap for a necklace that length. If you are motivated to learn how to restring them yourself, we have tutorials on the Lowly Beaders forum. It's actually not hard to do.

 

[BeeBee]

Yes, thanks, that's what I would like to do! I knotted a few tourmaline pieces many years ago. This necklace is so heavy and I've never used French wire (gimp?) before so I'm going to study the tutorials, gather the supplies, figure out how to properly clean the pearls then give it a try. I love the helpful people on this site!