Featured Pearl (?) Necklaces

Bought these necklaces today, out of curiosity to see if these have actual pearls or not...

 

I would expect them to be real.

 

They look like Chinese freshwaters.

 

Bought another today...


And only when I got home, I noticed this mark..

 

The "reducer" is sterling and the pearls look like an older style of Chinese freshwater.

 

Marote, have you read the pearl test on the forum? Simply rub a pearl against your (real) teeth. A pearl feels slightly gritty, a faux pearl feels smooth.
This is not a way to tell natural from cultured, just real from fake.

 

Not even all fakes. Mallorca pearls are made with fish scale in the paint and can fool the tooth test sometimes. It works 99% of the time though; Mallorcas cost more than Chinese freshwater pearls these days and the odds of finding them unremarked "in the wild" are slim.

 

Yup, did the check when I bought it.
And how do you tell natural from cultured?

 

Some people candle pearls: look at the pearl through a tiny hole with a candle flame behind the pearl. Not something I have the inclination for.
I must say, the market isn't interesting for me because of the mass production of cultured pearls. I only buy jewellery with pearls if the jewel itself is an interesting design or if it is 19th century.

But you can look at the shape of the pearl and the style of the jewel. If it is a high end jewel and a perfectly round pearl, chances are the pearl is natural and it is worth to have it tested.
Cultured pearls generally have off-round shapes or rings around them like yours have.

 

The day I attempt this, the evening news will probably open with

 

Same here.

 

I think you can call the first 2 "Tin Cup Necklaces" if you're going to sell them. They're called that for the necklace Rene Russo wore in the movie...

 

Marote lives in the Netherlands. Tin Cup necklace is not a term that is used here.
I believe we call them after the (French?) designer they were originally designed for, can't remember who though.

 

Good to know, thanks

 

You have to be careful with tooth rubbing- you can peel costume pearls that way. I also take into acvount weight and temperature. I look at several hole areas, too. I have never found Majorica pearls to be gritty....

 

I've peeled some with a fingernail; the paint was loose and already peeling itself thanks to thermal shock.

 

Neither have I.

 

@Any Jewelry We are in modern times you can candle pearls with your phone torch through a tiny hole in a black cardboard sheet, put your pearl on it and look!
No burning open flame involved...

 

I probably wouldn't see a thing, whether natural or cultured.

 

You can peruse this site, here is one (of more!) about candled pearls:
https://www.pearl-guide.com/threads/candled-natural-pearls.5718/page-4