'Shell ends' on Cultured pearls....Can anyone explain this?

[hbyrne]

Hello there Pearlies! The mysteries of pearls are many, and so much to learn! I am hoping that someone out there will be able to explain this curiousity to me.... We have this vintage three-row Pearl necklace in the shop...some of the pearls have very obvious bumpy mother of pearl 'disc' ends to them, a couple of these discs have even become separated from the actual pearl. I'm keeping my fingers crossed someone out there has the answer ;-)

 

[Caitlin]

I am not sure what you mean.
If the nacre is coming off somewhere can you get a better photo of it? Can you adjust those photos for the yellow tones or take new ones in natural light? Get some closeups of the pearls, and the clasp. too.
What do you know about this necklace?

 

[GemGeek]

Natural pearls made saleable by fixing flaws with MOP? If so, I think it would make them a lot less valuable.

 

[Caitlin]

That is an interesting hypothesis. I can't see anything though except maybe some circles.

 

[GemGeek]

We need better photos. I really can't tell what you have there. Take a photo in indirect daylight when you get a chance. And use the macro setting (little flower) if you have one. Thanks!

 

[hbyrne]

Thank you both for your replies...pics are truly dreadful! I'll take some more. I had a thought that the mop 'ends' might have been added to to make the pearls rounder, or cut from the attached shell at the time that the pearls were harvested and then rounded up to achieve the more rounded effect? The MOP ends dont have a nacre coating at all. The pearls are older ones, the clasp has a verneuil ( early lab-grown) Ruby and Diamonds...I think circa 20s/30s. I've never seen any like it before!