Featured More pearls

I was inspired by my other post to teeth test my considerable hoard of pearls to try to educate my palate as to when a pearl isn’t a pearl.
The conclusion is that 98% of my collection are not real pearls (and I feel slightly ill )but I did find this gem. No idea how I missed it the first time but suspect I acquired it before I came on the forum.
Nice and gritty and a 750 stamp on the clasp.
Filthy as you can see as this was after a quick wash but look at the iridescence!. These have got to be real?.
Desperate to be restrung as the thread is manky and black.
Thanks for looking

 

Possibly cultured, not sea grown, but the 18ct clasp has meaning. I'd think 1970s ish.

 

They are beautiful! Salt water cultured for me

 

You're right. They certainly gleam. Great your found something that is real. I have veneers on all my front teeth and therefore, they can't be used for testing.

 

I possibly need veneers now after testing about 100 pearls!!

 

How do I know if they are fresh or salt?.
Are they worth getting properly appraised or just not worth it if the difference in value is minimal?. I'm not a great seller of things that I like and am trying to put together a few nice bits for my girls in the future. Not that they are likely to wear pearls come to think of it though!

 

They'll be on this forum 50 years from now asking about the pearls their mother left them.

 

Wondering why they are slightly gnawed!

 

Tiny mommy bites. I can see the post now. Beautiful salt water cultured pearl necklace that my mother did no telling what to in her dotage.

 

How lovely!

 

It is a feeling from shape, luster, and apparent age! Value of nice cultured saltwater ones is higher than nice cultured fresh water others... Halas, pearls aren't much in fashion now (remember when wealthy girls got a pearl necklace for their 18th?)

 

They are beautiful, and I agree, very likely salt water. I hope these beauties and the nice clasp make up for the costume pearls disappointment.

Some costume pearls have value, btw.

 

No disappointment!
I only buy cheaply so never a disappointment but always a thrill when something is better than expected!. Part of the fun for me is never knowing what little gems I will find and then the research

 

Fresh water are generally irregular on the surface: different mollusc, for a start. Salt water - oyster - are the ones usually perfectly round. The colour of freshwater is different, too.

 

Ah so the freshwater are often the slightly oval ones sometimes with ridges?

 

They are indeed.