Info on Pearl Earrings Please?

[JewelFreak]

For many moons I've meant to ask you experts about these earrings. I know next to zero about pearls (& not much more about diamonds; I'm more of a colored stone freak). I bought them about 12 yrs ago at a consignment shop in a town with a lot of well-heeled residents. I paid $350 for them -- showed them to one of the gemologists at Tiffany's, where I worked at the time, & she said I got a bargain -- but may have been telling me what she thought I wanted to hear.

The pearls are 9.3 mm, the entire earring 10.8. Diamonds look clean when I loupe them -- cleaner than those bezeling my watch, at least. Are the pearls Tahitian or something else? How would I know if they're dyed, or is it possible to tell without sending them to a lab? They are pretty dirty -- I've never cleaned them because I don't know how!



This photo is a little dark but shows the purplish sheen.


Any info on them would be welcome. I've always been curious about them. Many thanks!

--- Laurie

 

[pkinnew]

JewelFreak - I am not an expert by any means but they could be Tahitian pearls. I hope more experienced pearl fans will help you with this. The earrings are gorgeous, though!

 

[JewelFreak]

Thank you, pkinnew. I really like them -- I'll keep wearing them & don't think it's worth sending them out to find out more. It's just a case of curiosity -- couldn't resist them when I saw them in the jewelry case at that store!

--- Laurie

 

[dk168]

I replied in the other thread, and believe they are likely to be Tahitians, based on size, and colour, as they do not look like they are dyed CFWP.

DK

 

[Pearlescence]

Are there any flaws on the pearls? the colour looks a bit too purple all over for tahitians which usually have some green. Tahitian and south sea pearls have very different flaws so this can be a clue. Often the small marks look like the blups left when a bubble reaches the surface from a pool of mud..sort of moon crater thing. Bad description but clear in practice!
All the diamonds do make tahitians more likely though. There weren't freshwater dyes which did the great tahitian imitation job that long ago.
You can give them a quick clean by soaping your hands and just putting the earrings in your palms and rubbing, then rinsing quickly and thoroughly. remember to put the plug in!