real or imitation pearl strand with an 18k gold clasp?

[Bellflower]

Hi there, i recently acquired these pearls at auction. They are 22 inches long and have an 18k gold clasp. The pearls seem to be roughly about 9 or 10mm, i have requested a close up image of the clasp and am waiting on that but i will post the pic once i received it.
I recently found this forum and have done a lot of reading here - what a wonderful resource this is!
I am still unsure though about this strand and was hoping some of the lovely expert people here could be so kind to help ?
Thank you so much for your time and help !

 

[Pearl Dreams]

I think you may have a Majorica imitation strand. Majorica are the best of the best imitations.

I have 2 Majorica imitation strands with 18K gold melon-style corrugated clasps like yours. Most Majorica have silver or vermeil (gold plated over silver) clasps, but not all.

The uniformity of the color, shape, size and the specific color-play are typical of Majorica. There is a green/pink color play caused by the final layer of coating they are dipped in.

Do these quick tests:
1. Gently rub one of the end pearls (near the clasp) against one on the other end of the necklace. (This should not scratch the pearls but I like to suggest using end pearls just in case someone is overly vigorous.) Don't rub pearls against your teeth. Teeth are harder and can scratch the pearls.
What do you feel? Imitation pearls glide smoothly against one another. Real pearl nacre feels gritty because of the layers of aragonite crystals that make up the nacre.
If imitation pearls are a bit grimy (from skin oils, cosmetics, pollution) they may "stick" a little rather than gliding very smoothly, but that is not the same as being gritty. If they seem to stick, wipe them clean with a damp microfiber cloth. It's best to do that anyway before testing.

2. Temperature test. Real pearls are cooler than imitation pearls (which are typically made of glass or plastic with a coating. I'm not sure about imitations that are a coated shell bead.) Majorica pearls are glass with about 40 layers of coating.
To test, you will need some other pearls that you know to be real-- or that you know to be fake. Put those and the pearls to be tested in the same temperature environment for half an hour or so. Then test them by holding them briefly to your lips (which are very temperature sensitive). Real pearls feel cooler than fake ones.

3. Do you have a jeweler's loupe (10x magnifier)? Or can you visit your local jeweler and ask to use theirs? If you examine the surface of real pearls at 10x magnification, they appear very smooth-- assuming you are looking at a spot that hasn't any flaws of course. Comparing that with imitation pearls, the fakes have a somewhat more coarse appearance. Again, it helps to have another stand to compare with. Or even an earring. If you don't own fake pearls, any department store will have them out on their counters. Take along a loupe and compare.

4. A real akoya necklace will not be spotless. Even high end Mikimoto strands have some flaws. If your necklace is without flaws, that means it's probably fake.

5. Have a look at this thread: https://www.pearl-guide.com/threads...majorcan-swarovski-pearl-photos-stories.6776/
I posted a number of my many Majorica strands there (I collect them).

Now-- if your pearls feel gritty, are cooler than fakes, and look very smooth at 10x magnification, then they are very nice akoyas.