Are these cheap imitations ....clasps are marked sterling silver .....left by elderly aunt born in 1920s

[Craigowl]

 

[pearlsngems]

They look like akoyas with thin nacre, not very good quality-- lots of surface blemishes. But real pearls nonetheless.

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

If you carefully rub two pearls together, real pearls will have a slightly "gritty" feeling. If you rub two faux pearls together, the feeling will be totally smooth (even high end real nacre Majoricas)