These pearls have me baffled

[Foxiestreasures]

In my 30+ years of working with vintage and antique jewelry, I have never seen anything quite like this. This graduated triple strand has me stumped. These pearls look and feel genuine in all other aspects, such as weight, shape, color, surface, etc. except they are unusually smooth in texture, they have a very slight grittiness, but not enough to convince me. They almost feel fake with the tooth test. Either these are genuine or they are the highest quality fakes I've ever seen. The clasp is solid sterling. There is also a darker spot (shown in last photo) What are your thoughts on these?

 

[CortezPearls]

I use a UV lamp to -very rapidly- identify pearls (such as fakes in between real pearls).
Just buy a Short-Wave UV lamp, like this one.
White pearls fluoresce ("glow") with a beautiful green or blue color...imitations DO NOT.

I have a video that may help you SEE how to use the lamp.

Things to remember:
1. IMPORTANT: DO NOT SHINE ON YOUR EYES!
2. Use a dark, non-reflective surface to avoid UV rays to reflect and damage your eyes.
3. Turn off the lights and...
4. Have fun!

 

[KarinK]

You are also supposed to be able to tell with a loup. Contrary to the tooth test, genuine pearls should look smooth.

 

[A Breaker]

I was really shocked at the difference in grit between my vintage mikimoto brooch and all my freshwater pearls...the Mikimoto felt like fine sand paper and the freshwater coarse grit....WOW! Maybe that is quality vs not, or sea vs fresh

 

[Diamondsareforever]

In my 30+ years of working with vintage and antique jewelry, I have never seen anything quite like this. This graduated triple strand has me stumped. These pearls look and feel genuine in all other aspects, such as weight, shape, color, surface, etc. except they are unusually smooth in texture, they have a very slight grittiness, but not enough to convince me. They almost feel fake with the tooth test. Either these are genuine or they are the highest quality fakes I've ever seen. The clasp is solid sterling. There is also a darker spot (shown in last photo) What are your thoughts on these?

These are very fake. The “solid” sterling clasp is the giveaway aside from the lack of grittiness. A nice strand of pearls will generally have a gold clasp, 14k or 18k, but not silver.

 

[A Breaker]

That silver clasp is interesting...first is looks a little Edwardian to 1915. (It might have been Victorian when gold was hard to get?). So I would guess that it might be a restring...as Someone said Mikimoto was doing the culturing thing but the end of WWI, but they would have still been expensive. I wonder if someone restrung them on Great Grandma's clasp? Wonder if they could be the Majolica that someone had put on Great Grandma's clasp? If Pearls could talk!

 

[BWeaves]

These are very fake. The “solid” sterling clasp is the giveaway aside from the lack of grittiness. A nice strand of pearls will generally have a gold clasp, 14k or 18k, but not silver.

Mikimoto clasps were silver for decades.

 

[A Breaker]

Interesting BWeaves!!! I knew that Mikimoto mostly used Sterling for Brooches.

 

[Diamondsareforever]

Mikimoto clasps were silver for decades.

Good point
But these aren’t mikimoto