Need help can anyone tell if these pearls are real?

[Pearlsanddiamonds]

If anyone can help me determine if these pearls are worth anything I'd really appreciate it!!!

 

[pearlsngems]

Is there a photo? I don't see one. If you uploaded one, try again.

In the meantime, you could gently rub one of the pearls against another one, or against the edge of your front tooth. Real nacre is a bit gritty while imitation pearls feel smooth.

There are other tests but start with that.

 

[Pearlsanddiamonds]

Is there a photo? I don't see one. If you uploaded one, try again.

In the meantime, you could gently rub one of the pearls against another one, or against the edge of your front tooth. Real nacre is a bit gritty while imitation pearls feel smooth.

There are other tests but start with that.

Is there a photo? I don't see one. If you uploaded one, try again.

In the meantime, you could gently rub one of the pearls against another one, or against the edge of your front tooth. Real nacre is a bit gritty while imitation pearls feel smooth.

There are other tests but start with that.

Is there a photo? I don't see one. If you uploaded one, try again.

In the meantime, you could gently rub one of the pearls against another one, or against the edge of your front tooth. Real nacre is a bit gritty while imitation pearls feel smooth.

There are other tests but start with that.

there

 

[Pearlsanddiamonds]

I just sent you the picture

 

[pearlsngems]

Thanks!
It's hard to evaluate the pearls because they were photographed against a dark background, which tends to swallow up the luster and surface details. They are a bit overexposed which also doesn't help see details.

If you wouldn't mind photographing them again, please use a white background-- paper towels are fine.
Try not to overexpose them. Take a few close-ups also, including any flaws or blemishes. There are blemishes typical to real pearls vs. imitation ones.

Did you do the test I suggested (tooth test)?

Besides a smooth feel to the pearl when rubbed against your front tooth, here are some other things that may be true of fake pearls, especially the cheaper ones:
• Larger drill holes than real pearls. (Because pearls are sold by weight, and small drill holes preserve weight).
• Beveled drill holes.
• Swirls of excess coating near drill holes.
• Flaking thin coating with the bead visible underneath.
• If you look at the surface with a 10x loupe (magnifier) the surface of real pearls looks smooth, while the surface of imitations looks rougher. If in doubt, you can compare what you see with a known-real or a known-fake pearl.
• perfectly matched pearls all the same size, shape and color, with no variation in color overtones. (But I have a strand of vintage fakes from Japan that have varied shapes, so shape is not always identical).
• The lack of any flaws makes it likely the pearls are fake. Real strands, even very good ones, will almost always have a few blemishes.

I can't tell anything from the clasp. Is it gold colored? (The back looks like silver but the other photo makes the front of the clasp look gold)? If so and it's stamped sterling, it could be vermeil-- gold plating over sterling silver. This could have worn off in back. Vermeil clasps would tend to be used with imitation pearls-- e.g. my Majorica imitation pearls have vermeil clasps. Fine pearls would not tend to be strung with vermeil clasps. (Of course clasps can be changed.)

 

[Pearlsanddiamonds]

Thanks!

Thanks!
It's hard to evaluate the pearls because they were photographed against a dark background, which tends to swallow up the luster and surface details. They are a bit overexposed which also doesn't help see details.

If you wouldn't mind photographing them again, please use a white background-- paper towels are fine.
Try not to overexpose them. Take a few close-ups also, including any flaws or blemishes. There are blemishes typical to real pearls vs. imitation ones.

Did you do the test I suggested (tooth test)?

Besides a smooth feel to the pearl when rubbed against your front tooth, here are some other things that may be true of fake pearls, especially the cheaper ones:
• Larger drill holes than real pearls. (Because pearls are sold by weight, and small drill holes preserve weight).
• Beveled drill holes.
• Swirls of excess coating near drill holes.
• Flaking thin coating with the bead visible underneath.
• If you look at the surface with a 10x loupe (magnifier) the surface of real pearls looks smooth, while the surface of imitations looks rougher. If in doubt, you can compare what you see with a known-real or a known-fake pearl.
• perfectly matched pearls all the same size, shape and color, with no variation in color overtones. (But I have a strand of vintage fakes from Japan that have varied shapes, so shape is not always identical).
• The lack of any flaws makes it likely the pearls are fake. Real strands, even very good ones, will almost always have a few blemishes.

I can't tell anything from the clasp. Is it gold colored? (The back looks like silver but the other photo makes the front of the clasp look gold)? If so and it's stamped sterling, it could be vermeil-- gold plating over sterling silver. This could have worn off in back. Vermeil clasps would tend to be used with imitation pearls-- e.g. my Majorica imitation pearls have vermeil clasps. Fine pearls would not tend to be strung with vermeil clasps. (Of course clasps can be changed.)

It's hard to evaluate the pearls because they were photographed against a dark background, which tends to swallow up the luster and surface details. They are a bit overexposed which also doesn't help see details.

If you wouldn't mind photographing them again, please use a white background-- paper towels are fine.
Try not to overexpose them. Take a few close-ups also, including any flaws or blemishes. There are blemishes typical to real pearls vs. imitation ones.

Did you do the test I suggested (tooth test)?

Besides a smooth feel to the pearl when rubbed against your front tooth, here are some other things that may be true of fake pearls, especially the cheaper ones:
• Larger drill holes than real pearls. (Because pearls are sold by weight, and small drill holes preserve weight).
• Beveled drill holes.
• Swirls of excess coating near drill holes.
• Flaking thin coating with the bead visible underneath.
• If you look at the surface with a 10x loupe (magnifier) the surface of real pearls looks smooth, while the surface of imitations looks rougher. If in doubt, you can compare what you see with a known-real or a known-fake pearl.
• perfectly matched pearls all the same size, shape and color, with no variation in color overtones. (But I have a strand of vintage fakes from Japan that have varied shapes, so shape is not always identical).
• The lack of any flaws makes it likely the pearls are fake. Real strands, even very good ones, will almost always have a few blemishes.

I can't tell anything from the clasp. Is it gold colored? (The back looks like silver but the other photo makes the front of the clasp look gold)? If so and it's stamped sterling, it could be vermeil-- gold plating over sterling silver. This could have worn off in back. Vermeil clasps would tend to be used with imitation pearls-- e.g. my Majorica imitation pearls have vermeil clasps. Fine pearls would not tend to be strung with vermeil clasps. (Of course clasps can be changed.)

Thanks!
It's hard to evaluate the pearls because they were photographed against a dark background, which tends to swallow up the luster and surface details. They are a bit overexposed which also doesn't help see details.

If you wouldn't mind photographing them again, please use a white background-- paper towels are fine.
Try not to overexpose them. Take a few close-ups also, including any flaws or blemishes. There are blemishes typical to real pearls vs. imitation ones.

Did you do the test I suggested (tooth test)?

Besides a smooth feel to the pearl when rubbed against your front tooth, here are some other things that may be true of fake pearls, especially the cheaper ones:
• Larger drill holes than real pearls. (Because pearls are sold by weight, and small drill holes preserve weight).
• Beveled drill holes.
• Swirls of excess coating near drill holes.
• Flaking thin coating with the bead visible underneath.
• If you look at the surface with a 10x loupe (magnifier) the surface of real pearls looks smooth, while the surface of imitations looks rougher. If in doubt, you can compare what you see with a known-real or a known-fake pearl.
• perfectly matched pearls all the same size, shape and color, with no variation in color overtones. (But I have a strand of vintage fakes from Japan that have varied shapes, so shape is not always identical).
• The lack of any flaws makes it likely the pearls are fake. Real strands, even very good ones, will almost always have a few blemishes.

I can't tell anything from the clasp. Is it gold colored? (The back looks like silver but the other photo makes the front of the clasp look gold)? If so and it's stamped sterling, it could be vermeil-- gold plating over sterling silver. This could have worn off in back. Vermeil clasps would tend to be used with imitation pearls-- e.g. my Majorica imitation pearls have vermeil clasps. Fine pearls would not tend to be strung with vermeil clasps. (Of course clasps can be changed.)

Thanks!
It's hard to evaluate the pearls because they were photographed against a dark background, which tends to swallow up the luster and surface details. They are a bit overexposed which also doesn't help see details.

If you wouldn't mind photographing them again, please use a white background-- paper towels are fine.
Try not to overexpose them. Take a few close-ups also, including any flaws or blemishes. There are blemishes typical to real pearls vs. imitation ones.

Did you do the test I suggested (tooth test)?

Besides a smooth feel to the pearl when rubbed against your front tooth, here are some other things that may be true of fake pearls, especially the cheaper ones:
• Larger drill holes than real pearls. (Because pearls are sold by weight, and small drill holes preserve weight).
• Beveled drill holes.
• Swirls of excess coating near drill holes.
• Flaking thin coating with the bead visible underneath.
• If you look at the surface with a 10x loupe (magnifier) the surface of real pearls looks smooth, while the surface of imitations looks rougher. If in doubt, you can compare what you see with a known-real or a known-fake pearl.
• perfectly matched pearls all the same size, shape and color, with no variation in color overtones. (But I have a strand of vintage fakes from Japan that have varied shapes, so shape is not always identical).
• The lack of any flaws makes it likely the pearls are fake. Real strands, even very good ones, will almost always have a few blemishes.

I can't tell anything from the clasp. Is it gold colored? (The back looks like silver but the other photo makes the front of the clasp look gold)? If so and it's stamped sterling, it could be vermeil-- gold plating over sterling silver. This could have worn off in back. Vermeil clasps would tend to be used with imitation pearls-- e.g. my Majorica imitation pearls have vermeil clasps. Fine pearls would not tend to be strung with vermeil clasps. (Of course clasps can be changed.)

I just sent you the picture

 

[Pearlsanddiamonds]

No the clasp is definitely all silver front and back they are very heavy in weight and cold to the touch like a real pearl. The drill holes are small. They seem real and some definitely have some little bumbs or small imperfections. Just not sure if they are fresh water or salt? I've had fake pearls before and these seem so different...

 

[pearlsngems]

Much better photos! The surface characteristics are those of real cultured pearls. (You can't go by the weight as glass bead fake pearls feel heavy, too.) Cultured pearls feel cooler against one's skin than glass-bead imitation pearls do.

If they look fully round in person they are likely akoya pearls, but I don't think they are very high end as they do not seem to have a high degree of luster. Some of the pearls look a bit off round in the photo but that may just be distortion from the camera. (Freshwater pearls without a bead inside tend to be a bit off round.) The thread looks like the strand was worn quite a bit-- thread gets grimy over time. That is another reason to think they are akoyas. The rounder freshwaters have not been around for many years.

In summary, I think you have not-very-expensive akoya pearls. (Higher end pearls would have a gold clasp) If you want to wear them, I recommend giving them a bath (warm soapy water-- use bottled water to avoid chlorine and hard minerals) and restringing them! Many of us restring our own pearls-- it is easy.

If on the other hand you want to sell them, I recommend you do a search on eBay for sold items like yours. That will give you an idea of the final sale price you may get. Pre-owned pearls do not tend to hold their value, though. My vote is for restringing them and wearing them.

 

[Pearlsanddiamonds]

Much better photos! The surface characteristics are those of real cultured pearls. (You can't go by the weight as glass bead fake pearls feel heavy, too.) Cultured pearls feel cooler against one's skin than glass-bead imitation pearls do.

If they look fully round in person they are likely akoya pearls, but I don't think they are very high end as they do not seem to have a high degree of luster. Some of the pearls look a bit off round in the photo but that may just be distortion from the camera. (Freshwater pearls without a bead inside tend to be a bit off round.) The thread looks like the strand was worn quite a bit-- thread gets grimy over time. That is another reason to think they are akoyas. The rounder freshwaters have not been around for many years.

In summary, I think you have not-very-expensive akoya pearls. (Higher end pearls would have a gold clasp) If you want to wear them, I recommend giving them a bath (warm soapy water-- use bottled water to avoid chlorine and hard minerals) and restringing them! Many of us restring our own pearls-- it is easy.

If on the other hand you want to sell them, I recommend you do a search on eBay for sold items like yours. That will give you an idea of the final sale price you may get. Pre-owned pearls do not tend to hold their value, though. My vote is for restringing them and wearing them.

Much better photos! The surface characteristics are those of real cultured pearls. (You can't go by the weight as glass bead fake pearls feel heavy, too.) Cultured pearls feel cooler against one's skin than glass-bead imitation pearls do.

If they look fully round in person they are likely akoya pearls, but I don't think they are very high end as they do not seem to have a high degree of luster. Some of the pearls look a bit off round in the photo but that may just be distortion from the camera. (Freshwater pearls without a bead inside tend to be a bit off round.) The thread looks like the strand was worn quite a bit-- thread gets grimy over time. That is another reason to think they are akoyas. The rounder freshwaters have not been around for many years.

In summary, I think you have not-very-expensive akoya pearls. (Higher end pearls would have a gold clasp) If you want to wear them, I recommend giving them a bath (warm soapy water-- use bottled water to avoid chlorine and hard minerals) and restringing them! Many of us restring our own pearls-- it is easy.

If on the other hand you want to sell them, I recommend you do a search on eBay for sold items like yours. That will give you an idea of the final sale price you may get. Pre-owned pearls do not tend to hold their value, though. My vote is for restringing them and wearing them.

 

[Pearlsanddiamonds]

Thank you I thought akoya pearls were worth money? Well considering they try to sell you fresh water pearls and want so much money for them either way I didn't pay much for them and I like them I can get them restrung. They tell you in jewelry stores that salt water pearls are so expensive? I guess age isn't a good thing than? Still pretty again thanks for all the advice you are very knowledgeable take care!

 

[pearlsngems]

There are akoyas in all ranges of value, as well as freshwaters in all ranges. Overall akoyas cost more than freshwaters but a lot of that is the higher cost of producing them.

Age doesn't do good things to pearls. They can lose luster and yellow due to exposure to grime/ skin oils, cosmetics, perfumes, hair spray....

 

[Pearlsanddiamonds]

There are akoyas in all ranges of value, as well as freshwaters in all ranges. Overall akoyas cost more than freshwaters but a lot of that is the higher cost of producing them.

Age doesn't do good things to pearls. They can lose luster and yellow due to exposure to grime/ skin oils, cosmetics, perfumes, hair spray....

There are akoyas in all ranges of value, as well as freshwaters in all ranges. Overall akoyas cost more than freshwaters but a lot of that is the higher cost of producing them.

Age doesn't do good things to pearls. They can lose luster and yellow due to exposure to grime/ skin oils, cosmetics, perfumes, hair spray....

There are akoyas in all ranges of value, as well as freshwaters in all ranges. Overall akoyas cost more than freshwaters but a lot of that is the higher cost of producing them.

Age doesn't do good things to pearls. They can lose luster and yellow due to exposure to grime/ skin oils, cosmetics, perfumes, hair spray....

 

[Pearlsanddiamonds]

Yes that makes sense what do you think they are worth? The necklace only is a 16 inch and i think there are about 7m in size? Just trying to see if there worth more than. I paid for them?

 

[pearlsngems]

Well, there is "replacement value" and there is "resale value". Replacement value is always higher than resale value.
Also, one buys at retail but sells at wholesale. This is why it's hard to flip items like used pearls and make money doing so.

But I think you are really asking if you overpaid for them. Okay, my opinion, for what it's worth... 7mm, 16"...if you paid under $150 you did okay. The clasp is cute and once washed and restrung they will look even better.

Paying someone to restring them for you can cost $3+ per inch. See the other pearl forum if you want to read tutorials on restringing (Pearl-Guide). It's a cinch with the synthetic thread (Beaders Secret) sold by Patricia Saab on Etsy (I'm not associated with her; I just love her thread!) You just might get hooked on knotting! Edit to add that Pattye also carries the flexible wire needles that we use when knotting, and gimp a.k.a French wire, used to finish the strand near the clasp for a tidy and professional look.

(By the way you can just click to reply rather than quoting.)