Nan's Pearls

Any help dating or identifying these? Guessing 1930's.-1950's

Pearl bracelet by Htburden posted Jan 2, 2024 at 4:47 PM

 

There are two pearls missing from the strand that I have.

 

Are there any marks? What do you know about them? Have you taken them to a jeweler to make sure they aren't costume?

 

Welcome @Htburden !
Are you able to get some close up photos of the bracelet so we can see the detail? It’s very pretty but difficult to see the clasp etc clearly

 

This link is nothing to do with your pearls but to give you an idea of the sort of photos that would really help people to help you.
https://www.antiquers.com/threads/vintage-or-antique-ribbon-flower-brooch.81420/
Are you using a phone or a camera? Maybe a magnifier app would help if you are using a phone.

 

I suspect late seventies or early eighties costume. I’ve very similar chokers, that whole Diana thing.

 

Welcome, Htburden. You don't need a jeweller to tell you whether or not the pearls are genuine or artificial. No matter how smooth they feel to the fingertip, real pearls will have a grittiness to them when lightly rubbed against the teeth, while man made pearls will be slick as glass.

Your guess about age is going to be better than ours, since we do not know the years of Grandma's adult life. If she was the same generation as my mother, I would guess they are from 40s/50s, the days of cotillions & cocktail parties.

 

no markings

 

She was born 1902.

 

No idea if they are real. They were stored with her good jewellery. But that may be just because they were old. It is very possible that they are real, but she would also wear nice costume jewellery too. My mother broke them recently. Trying to decide if I should have it repaired.

 

My feeling is that this is costume, but photos are a bit hard to make out. On the close-up of the clasp, if that pearl is GLUED in (not "set") it increases the chances are that this is a costume piece. Very pretty either way.

 

It looks glued.

 

That makes her more the age of my grandmother, but I still think 1940s/50s most likely.

 

I agree that they are most likely to be costume. The tooth-test can decide that. She may have kept them more carefully so that they did not get scratched or snagged. Do you have the pearls that came loose? What would be the point of repairing? To make it wearable? To make it sellable?

 

I have the two pearls that came loose. My wife would wear it. Wouldn’t sell it.

 

They seem smooth, but not as smooth as a marble.

 

if they don't feel rough like natural material on the edge of your tooth.....then plastic..

 

It is the slightly irregular shape of the pearls that keeps me hopeful. I will bring them to a jeweler sometime soon.