Please help!

starman_1

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Aug 10, 2015
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Hoping someone out there can help.....we inherited these pearls from my wifes grandmother. Found in a Mikimoto box, ut known to NOT be Mikimoto for lack of trademark on clasp. Hoping someone can identify manufacturer by looking at clasp. Grandma died in 1972 at 80 yrs old, believe these to be quite old. Thanks Everyone!
 

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I am no expert but until one comes along, I'm wondering if they are real pearls. I guess mainly because they don't appear to be individually knotted as I'd expect. Do you know anything else about the clasp (is it gold or sterling silver and are there any other markings on it?) Are there any irregularities you can take a close up shot of, like where the nacre/coating is peeling or any that are off-round, for examples? Also, have you tried the "tooth test" on it? Real pearls feel a little gritty on your teeth whereas simulants often feel smooth. And do you have any more information surrounding when and where your grandmother received them? But, as I said, I'm not an expert, so... :)
 
Now, I could be wrong because it's hard to diagnose the pearls from a photo, but they look exactly like my Grandmother's Richelieu faux pearls.

I'm basing that off the the way they are strung. The way the stringing thread is attached to the clasp. The look of the clasp. And the look of the pearls themselves. My Grandmother's faux pearls have a clasp that is marked Sterling Silver. The pearls are very ivory in color with no overtones. They are also have a very consistent surface with no obvious flaws.

That said, for old faux pearls, they look great when I wear them. My Grandmother gave them to me when I was 11 because she knew I loved pearls. She told me, "They were Richelieu, which is the best pearl that is not a pearl." My heart sank. I didn't wear them for 40 years. A few years ago, I dug them out, cleaned them up, restrung them, and they look dynamite on.
 
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My immediate impression was that they are imitations and I see that others have had the same impression.

Try this: Rub 2 of the pearls very gently against each other (or against the edge of your front tooth). Real nacre is a little bit rough feeling; imitation pearls will feel quite smooth.

If they feel a bit rough, please take more in-focus close up photos (without flash against a white background). Include photos of any flaws.

Look carefully at the drill holes for extra swirls of nacre-like coating, which many imitation have, especially if they are not high end imitations.
 
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