Pearls ... appraised?

[xiaoemily]

I bought some pearls while I was living in China last year. I bought them at the Pearl Market in Beijing which is known for having rip off EVERYTHING. I bought several pieces from the same lady over a one year period. The necklace I bought for myself... she claimed to be cultured saltwater pearls. I''m pretty sure they are realy pearls... I just don''t know whether or not they are saltwater or freshwater. I got a good deal on them, I spoke Chinese and was able to bargain for them in her own language... which is a plus in a place like that... but is also no guarantee for the quality.

I have never owned pearls before... my mother never owned them either... To my untrained eye they appear to be perfectly round ...they are cold to touch then warm up... and they feel rough when I rub them on teeth. I do know that they have come a long way in freshwater pearls ... especially in China.

My question ... should I get them appraised? OR should I just have someone look at them? I assum it is possible to find out if they are saltwater or freshwater... right?

Here''s a picture of them...

 

[JulieN]

They look very nice! An appraisal won''t be necessary if all you want to find out is if they are FW or SW. They look really round, so they might be SW. I think any jeweler would be able to tell the difference.