please.help identify
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Pearl Dreams
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It isn't clear from your photos, so here are some things to do to investigate further.
Surface:
Rub two of them together gently-- if they feel smooth, they are imitation-- if rough, that would indicate nacre.
If you have a 10x magnifier/loupe, look closely at the surface. Imitation pearls will be coarser in appearance, real nacre very smooth. (If you have a known real pearl, or known imitation pearl, you can use them for comparison.) If you don't have a magnifier, visit a jeweler and ask to use theirs, and compare with pearls they are selling.
Shape:
The irregular shapes may indicate they are pearls, but I have some imitation pearls that have irregular shapes (to mimic real pearls.)
Overtones:
Your pearls don't have show in their overtones in your photos, and that makes me think imitation is more likely.
Drill holes:
Take a close look with a magnifier at the end pearl where the silk is broken off. Check the drill hole. If it is beveled, it's imitation.
Look into the hole to see if you can see a dividing line between the nacre and a bead inside.
Look around all the drill holes. If you see any swirly pools of nacre, that is indication they are fake.
If you see places where the nacre is eroded away, see if there is a bead underneath. That would tend to indicate a cultured pearl.
Surface:
Rub two of them together gently-- if they feel smooth, they are imitation-- if rough, that would indicate nacre.
If you have a 10x magnifier/loupe, look closely at the surface. Imitation pearls will be coarser in appearance, real nacre very smooth. (If you have a known real pearl, or known imitation pearl, you can use them for comparison.) If you don't have a magnifier, visit a jeweler and ask to use theirs, and compare with pearls they are selling.
Shape:
The irregular shapes may indicate they are pearls, but I have some imitation pearls that have irregular shapes (to mimic real pearls.)
Overtones:
Your pearls don't have show in their overtones in your photos, and that makes me think imitation is more likely.
Drill holes:
Take a close look with a magnifier at the end pearl where the silk is broken off. Check the drill hole. If it is beveled, it's imitation.
Look into the hole to see if you can see a dividing line between the nacre and a bead inside.
Look around all the drill holes. If you see any swirly pools of nacre, that is indication they are fake.
If you see places where the nacre is eroded away, see if there is a bead underneath. That would tend to indicate a cultured pearl.
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Pearl Dreams
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Better.
There is a flaw on the leftmost pearl in the second row that looks like some peeled away coating. What does it look like to you? What does it feel like?
There is a flaw on the leftmost pearl in the second row that looks like some peeled away coating. What does it look like to you? What does it feel like?
Pearl Dreams
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I thing your best bet is to take them to a jeweler to look at them under 10x magnification, comparing the surface with that of a known-fake and a known-real pearl. The largeish drill hole and the lack of overtones makes me think it's an older fake strand with varied shapes to make it more convincing, but I am not an expert, and I may be wrong.
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Pearl Dreams
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That one broken in half looks to me like a glass bead, which would make them imitation. And the material around the drill holes looks like a coating.
Anyone else?
Anyone else?
Once I broke it open I thought it was glass myself feels the smaller bits felt almost like sand when rubbed between my fingers I broke open a larger pearl from another.strand I received today and it felt the.same I thank you for.your help and would ask if you could help me further my grandmother is.gettingbridbof all her things. My father was a hoarder and he passed away 2 years ago I am still cleaning out his house to this day seperating mementos and keepsakes from the.junk. my grandmother also has alotbofbstuff and does not want me to go through this.when she passes so she has been giving me lots of Jewelery for my wife including a few more pearl necklaces . I am not going to tell her this strand was fake they were very sentimental to her. Anyway I will start a new thread with thenl otherr necklaces
Pearl Dreams
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Go ahead and post your strands!
But seriously, if you want to be sure, visit a jeweler and get a professional opinion. I wouldn't break open pearls to test them, though...what if you break a real one?
I want to add this: jewelry doesn't have to be "real" to be sentimental, and imitation pearls can have great sentimental value, especially if they were a gift. My elderly mother constantly wears the Majorica imitations pearls strand given to her by her mother 40 years ago. She leaves them on at night, too. And my late MIL treasured the strand given to her by my late FIL...I am sure they both thought they were real, but they were fakes!
But seriously, if you want to be sure, visit a jeweler and get a professional opinion. I wouldn't break open pearls to test them, though...what if you break a real one?
I want to add this: jewelry doesn't have to be "real" to be sentimental, and imitation pearls can have great sentimental value, especially if they were a gift. My elderly mother constantly wears the Majorica imitations pearls strand given to her by her mother 40 years ago. She leaves them on at night, too. And my late MIL treasured the strand given to her by my late FIL...I am sure they both thought they were real, but they were fakes!
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