South Sea Pearls? No surface variation

[goodluckkitty]

A woman has these "Tahitian" Pearls for sale. The colors are obviously South Sea plus Tahitian (the gray ones.) She says she received them as a gift from someone who strings Tahitians. They look just a little too perfect to me. Too round. No waviness on the surface, few blemishes. If they are South Seas, they would be a very very expensive gift, no? Size varies from 9mm-10mm.
With gratitude,
Dale

 

[CrazyMissy]

They kinda look like dyed freshwaters... or plain fakes. I guess my clue was in the clasp, i mean, why put some cheap clasp on perfectly round and expensive pearls?

maybe you can ask for proof of provenance, like when and where was it bought?

 

[Pearl Dreams]

They could be shell pearls (imitation, made with dyed crushed shells). I've seen them listed as "south sea shell pearls". There are too many repeating colors that are exactly the same.

 

[goodluckkitty]

CrazyMissy-
She is an air force wife and her husband works Search and Rescue. She said that someone who strings pearls gave them to her and said they were Tahitians. I don't think she would mis-represent them, but she may have been mis-led by someone who wanted her to believe it was a better gift than it truly was?
Pearl Dreams- That was one of my thoughts too. What would be the chance of Goldens the exact same size and shade, especially that deep a shade.
UGH. I hate telling nice people that I have reservations.

My husband bought this strand at a craft show many years ago for $50. The seller explained to me what majorca and crushed shell pearls were. I had previously looked at 10K-12K Tahitians in a retail shop (maybe 2006?) so I thought this was a much better idea. The funny thing is-- I buy jewelry professionally-- and can't wear them because the average woman with no interest in pearls thinks they are real and I am rich.

Thank you ladies. I am going to ask her a few more questions.

Dale

 

[Pearl Dreams]

The person who gave them to her may even have been misled. A few years ago I was at a favorite jeweler here in CT and saw a strand that looked like multicolor Tahitians, but on inspection they were shell "pearls" (fake). The owner had no idea. He's been led to believe they were real pearls. He subsequently returned all of them to his supplier.

 

[goodluckkitty]

 

[goodluckkitty]

 

[goodluckkitty]

I am sorry, I forgot to add my text before posting. That definitely looks fake, correct? I don't ever see flaking of the nacre like that on the other close-ups of knots.

 

[pattye]

Goodluckkitty, Yes, show that detail specifically to the owner which indicates they are imitation pearls. Good call on your part. How the coating around the holes appears is almost always the best clue to whether pearls are cultured or imitation.

Imitation pearls can have their place in a jewelry wardrobe and sentimental value, too. We don't scorn imitation pearls, but it's concerning when they are misrepresented.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Yes, the coating around the drill holes of fake pearls often looks like that. The photo in post 7 is clear enough that you can see the rough texture of the coating. Real nacre is smoother.