What are these unusal baroque pearls?

[kiwipaul]

Recently I was shown the pic below of a suite of baroque pearls, a necklace, bracelet and earrings.

Sorry they're not readily accessible, so I cannot easily get more pics, measurements, or tooth test info etc.

Apparently the owner's husband bought them on a business trip to the Philippines several years ago and said he paid a lot of money for them.
The owner doesn't like them at all and wants them gone.

They were represented as sea pearls at the time of the husband's purchase. The clasps are silver and CZ.

I thought they were interesting and showed them to our household's arbiter of taste (my wife) who immediately dismissed them as ugly.

However to me they have something going for them, and might be impressive when worn in the right circumstances.

I wondered if they are "rejects/seconds" from South Sea cultured pearl farming, maybe sold on the local market in Philippines in tourist boutiques? The "Chanel" type logo on the earrings looks to me a bit like the sort of "knock-off" I've seen in past trips to Asia.

Does anyone know what they are? And do they have any desirability to pearl aficionados?

 

[pattye]

These are bead nucleated (cultured) freshwater pearls. Sort of a variation of a "flameball" pearl, with the keshi growth. Some of us collect the pearls that look bird-like. The color is also typical of freshwater pearls. They do not have a high value. Unfortunately, they are not sea pearls, and if your friend paid very much for them he was cheated. Some creative peeps do like to work with pearls like this.

Here's a similar strand on ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/WILD-HUGE-GENUINE-FRESHWATER-FLAMEBALL-BAROQUE-PEARLS-/330333759236?pt=Handcrafted_Artisan_Jewelry&hash=item4ce96d2704

 

[GemGeek]

Right on, Sister Pattye! I have seen freshwaters exactly like those many times. Funky fun pearls.

 

[pearlescence]

Agree, early bead nucleated, The value of each pearl would go up if they were not drilled, (just as you can pay the same for a strand of flameballs as you can for a couple of undrilled ) but as they are not worth a lot. They might have cost more when originally bought since bead nucleated were very new then so a novelty but now...not much at all.
As is uaual with Thailand tourist pearls they are def freshwater, not sea.
I would love to stand at the arrivals hall at the airport and hand out notices saying 'do not buy pearls, they are not sea pearls grown in this country, they are chinese freshwater worth 1/10th of what you will be asked to pay' although some would still buy.....

 

[kiwipaul]

Hi guys, thanks for the info on these pieces, I'm thinking the wive's (mine and the buyer's) quality barometers were superior to their husband's!

 

[KarinK]

Hi guys, thanks for the info on these pieces, I'm thinking the wive's (mine and the buyer's) quality barometers were superior to their husband's!

We didn't comment on their looks - only their value Some love flame ball pearls. To others it's an aquired taste.

- Karin