Real Basra pearls? - plz help

[tribal]

Dear Experts,

I have recently purchased beautiful kundan real gold necklace with nice seed pearls (2mm- 3mm). Do you think they are real Persian Gulf pearls? I found couple similar pearl strands with same specific gold clasp (with safety hasp). I would be grateful for your help.


Regards

Bernard

 

[MSC]

To my eye, the pearls appear to be freshwater pearls.

 

[Cees]

These are Basra, total market value just under 2 million US $

 

[MSC]

These are Basra, total market value just under 2 million US $

Whoa! What a set of strands!

 

[Pearl Dreams]

I'm just reposting Cees' photo:

 

[pattye]

Bernard, You would need a reputable lab such as GIA, for example, to certify your pearls as natural basra. The value would be much less if the pearls are cultured freshwater.

 

[BWeaves]

Check Kari Pearls. She carries Basra pearls.

https://www.karipearls.com/catalog-natural-arabian-gulf-pearls.html

Yours look similar to some Basra pearls, but yours also look similar to Chinese freshwater pearls. You would need to send them to a lab for testing to be sure.

What are the stones in the necklace? And what is the karat of the gold?

That safety clasp is pretty generic and could be put on any necklace.

 

[MSC]

What are the stones in the necklace? And what is the karat of the gold?

Yes, this would tell a lot. In the first photo the stones look like glass, but in the bottom left photo they look more like polki diamonds. I have seen plenty of costume reproduction kundan jewelry, so one thing you could do is have the metal content tested. That is easy and most jewelry stores will do it for free.

 

[BWeaves]

Yes, that is what I was getting at. If the karat of the gold is high and the stones are diamonds, then there's a good chance the pearls are Basra, too. However, just because the metal and stones are real doesn't mean the pearls haven't been swapped out for less expensive freshwater pearls.

Since we cannot tell from the photo, your would need to have a lab test the pearls.

 

[tribal]

Yes, that is what I was getting at. If the karat of the gold is high and the stones are diamonds, then there's a good chance the pearls are Basra, too. However, just because the metal and stones are real doesn't mean the pearls haven't been swapped out for less expensive freshwater pearls.

Since we cannot tell from the photo, your would need to have a lab test the pearls.

Hi,


thanks a lot for all suggestions. I have only acid for 14ct gold....but it can be higher content.....I need to check with 22ct acid (typical for kundan settings) . The middle stones are white sapphires and all others glass....so this is kundan not polki. By the way I found really nice comparison (kundan: sapphires, rubies, emeralds, glass ; polki: uncut diamonds)