Real or Fake?

[Colleen]

Hi

I've been given pearls by my nana when she passed away over 10 years ago.. The set in question was boxed with three other fake pear necklaces (the pearl was peeling off them)

I was suspicious that these could be the real thing.. So I got a jeweller to look at them, she was only studying gemmology so was not 100% sure, but she believed them to be natural pearls. I have an evaluator looking at the string in May, but was hoping for some more clarity from this group... From the photos.. do these look like real pearls?

The pearls are 5-5.5mm in diameter, have a golden colouring like champagne. The strand has a golden clasp, but I am missing the adjoining piece. The strand is about 38cm long (so it could have been 40cm before it was broken)



Any thoughts?

 

[Pearl Dreams]

They look quite dull and appear fake to me-- their uniformity, the lack of overtones, the lack of knotting, the way the thread is attached to the clasp-- but they do need a good bath. If cleaned up you could see what the surface is like under that grime. You certainly don't want to do the "tooth test" on dirty pearls.

Soak them for 10 minutes or so in a gentle soap and water solution (not detergent) to soften the grime, then wipe them with a soft microfiber cloth if you have one. Rinse in clear water and let them dry on a towel, then look at them again and photograph them on a white background.

Tooth test: rub a pearl gently against a tooth. If they feel smooth, they are fake; if gritty/rough, they are likely real cultured pearls.
Or, rub one pearl against another gently. Rough = real, smooth = fake.
Drill holes test: Look closely at the drill holes. If you see swirls of "nacre" near drill holes, they are fake.

Check the clasp for marks indicating gold (14k, 585 etc.), or vermeil or silver (925).

I think the fact that they were in a box with 3 fake necklaces tends to support the idea that these are also fake.

Editing to add that this really ought to be in the forum called "What kind of pearls do I have?" Natural pearls refer to pearls that are not cultured-- that is, pearls that are wild, that formed without human intervention. Round and uniform as these are, if they are not fake, they would most likely be cultured. But I still vote for fake. I'll be interested to see photos when they are cleaned up.

 

[Caitlin]

Please get some close ups on the really dirty ones before washing them That clasp is gone anyway, so maybe you might break it open a get a really good look at the pearls' drill holes for a bead inside. They are very uniform in size and color mitigating against natural, but favoring cultured.

I agree and will move this thread to "What Kind of Pearls do I have?"

 

[Colleen]

Thanks Pearl Dreams.. Sorry, I didn't see this section when I posted

There are some markings on the clasp hook, but its very small and I cant make it out. I will do a clean on them and see how I go. I will post some more images once they are cleaned.

Thanks for this info!

 

[Colleen]

Ok, So I've washed them and done some tests...

The first was the tooth test, compared to my known fake ones, they pass.
The second, rub test on another pearl.. again passed.
Drill hole test, I could not find any flaking, or swirls at the drill hole sites.
So far so good
I also went online for some more self tests...one described a way to identify overtone by placing the pearls in water. It displayed overtone (two rings of colour) in the test.

Here are some more photos cleaned up

 

[Pearl Dreams]

And now I would say they look like cultured akoya pearls! The second photo shows surface growth characteristics of real nacre.

I recommend you restring them and wear them! What a nice way to remember your nana!

See my stringing tutorial stickied on the Lowly Beaders Club.
Knotting between the pearls will help preserve them so they don't rub against each other, and will also keep you from losing pearls if the thread should break ever (although Powerpro thread is unlikely to break!)

Or, you could take them to a local jeweler and ask to have them restrung. The cost varies but I was quoted $66 last year for an 18" strand, so I decided to learn to restring myself, and have never looked back.

I can't read the marking on the clasp but a jeweler could with a 10x loupe, and if it's gold you can sell it for the gold value. (Not much in itself but you could add it to any other gold you have to sell.)

 

[pattye]

Colleen,

A beautiful cultured Akoya strand! Happy to finally see the photos! As PD said, a lovely way to remember your Nana.