Help with identifying type of pearl necklace and possible value

[warriorpoetm25]

Hey all. I was hoping to identify and possibly value an antique silver pearl necklace that I have. The pearls appear to be akoya pearls, but I don't want to label them as such and have problems with misrepresentation. I also don't want to label them freshwater and short myself on value. 

A little more about the necklace, its got a fisheye clasp, of course, and a tiny little pearl on the face of it. The back is simply marked "silver". It almost looks like a Mikimoto, but I'm definitely not listing it as such unless I'm absolutely sure it is in fact a miki. There's no signature M inside a shield that I've found. 

The pearls appear perfectly round but thats just to my eye. They have small little swirls in them and I can see the silhouette of my thumb when I wave it in front of them in the reflection,  but its not a clear as day reflection. They are also not knotted in between each pearl. 

I tried to get some good close ups. I hope someone can help discern whether these are akoya or freshwater and what I could price this at. 

[flanagan-laneantiques]

not antique. The clasp is typical mid-20th century Japanese. Either they are quite dirty or they are not very well matched.  I'm seeing lots of discoloration in there. Wash them gently in warm soapy water, no abrasives or chemicals.  They are not hand knotted which is a big drawback for value.  

[warriorpoetm25]

Ok, yeah, I had heard Japan would often mark sterling with just silver. Yes, they're quite mismatched and probably very few that are closely similar. So what would you guess I could list them at price wise?

[flanagan-laneantiques]

sorry, I don't give out values/prices in chatrooms.  Too many variables.   You could try doing some research on sold listings and look for some comparable items there. 

[elvyyu]

Have you actually had these tested to verify that they are real pearls?

The fact that they are not knotted makes me suspect that they are just coated glass beads, because if they were actual pearls, I would imagine that they would be protected by being knotted.  Not only do the knots help the pearls to not chip by rubbing against each other, but also, should the strand break, you risk only one pearl going awol.

The fact that it has a silver clasp means very little.  Silver was so cheap in the 50s, for instance, that even costume jewellery could have silver fittings.

[christinesclassicjewelry]

I have come across a few pearl necklaces that were not knotted. I am going to assume you have done the tooth test. Unless you take it to a jeweler, you will probably not be able to tell between cultured and natural. If there is space and you can use a loop to look at the hole, you may be able to see where a glass bead starts and the nacre of the pearl ends. If you can see this then you will know it is cultured. It can be very hard to see though. Other clues are uniformity of shape and size, the more uniform the more likely they are to be cultured, or very high quality, which I doubt these are. High quality natural pearls would have been knotted. 

So what I think you have here is a cultured pearl necklace, that could use a good cleaning. If you want to take it to a jeweler to have them take a look, it may be a good idea. I have restrung a few of these myself so that they are not only secure but to also put knots in between. They may not be worth very much, but they are pretty and I enjoy wearing them. 

[elvyyu]

If you can see a glass bead from the hole in the pearl, you would need to find out if it is an imitation pearl, not a cultured pearl.  In my understanding, in a good cultured pearl, the inserted bead is very small and you would need an x-ray to distinguish it from a natural pearl.

[divwido]

That clasp says cheap to me.  I've seen it many times and the pearls end up being not worth anything. 

[flanagan-laneantiques]

Well the value of a pearl is judged by the Pearl itself not buy a clasp or any other thing that is not the Pearl just sayin

[elvyyu]

What you say is quite true; however, on the basis of the evidence presented to us, it is quite probably that

1.  this is not a strand of natural pearls, which are extremely rare, and would usually be knotted, and have a more substantial clasp, probably in gold, possibly gem-encrusted;

2.  this is unlikely to be a strand of high-quality cultured pearls, for the same reasons;  and

3. is most likely a string of imitation pearls, possibly coated in nacre or fish scales or something else.

It might be a string that is worth a king's ransom, but on the clues presented, most likely not more precious than costume jewellery.  I have a couple of very similar strands but I really am under no illusions as to their worth.  Cute, yes; precious, no!

[warriorpoetm25]

They're real pearls, maybe not precious, but they are gritty, not smooth

[bronfamil_0]

two tests I know of ... the run across your teeth, if gritty, could be.  the other test, which has always worked for me to determine they are real... get a loupe, look at the hole through the pearl... if they are fake, you will see the flaky paint applied.  

[ms.sellainy]

I use to consult a very good gemologist before he retired and moved out of the country. He would estimate the overall value of a cultured pearl necklace based on the quality of the pearls, the number and size of the pearls, the labor that went into making it (whether or not the pearls were knotted), and the quality of the clasp. A 14k gold clasp would add the most value. A sterling silver clasp would be of insignificant value but might be aesthetically pleasing. 

Once the quality of the pearls was determined, he would research the cost to purchase pearls of the same quality, loose on a strand, and multiply the unit price by the number of pearls in the necklace. 

The first step is not easy, IMO. Once you know the pearls are real, you have to know if they are low or high quality by considering several factors. If you don't handle pearls often, it might take decades of experience to even approach making an educated guess. With little experience at the start, I think it's best to consult an expert or risk making a costly mistake.

[jennifer16038]

They are vintage  mid century Modern Sterling Silver White freshwater cultured pearls,  likely to be Thai,  Japanese or Chinese because of the stamp,  but confidence and knowledge of what someone is buying is what people want.  Leave out possibles Chinese ect unless your certain.  Maybe use the word Asian.  And leave out Sterling in your description and put stamped Silver. That way they know exactly what they are buying.  Make sure u don't put a maker if it's not signed unless u can some how prove it. It will avoid loosing a sale for uncertainty and avoid an open gateway for a return.  

White pearls are either freshwater or Akoya.  Usually Akoya pearls are larger and heavier they can be smaller but freshwater pearls are usually ones  smaller then 13mm and Akoya larger then 13mm to help give a quick out look on Pearl types.  Akoyas are more valuable because they get bigger so measure the pearls to determine freshwater or Akoya,  China is know n for their freshwater cultured especially tibet