Comments for 120+ year old graduated pearls with antique sterling clasp

NO KNOTS | NATURAL PEARLS?
by: Anonymous

Hi Emma, thank you for writing in with th following pearl question:

"I was given my Godmother's pearls, which are of a beige color. I am 52, my Godmother died in 1972. At that time she was 82. She was given the pearls as a young girl by her eldest sister. She was the youngest of 14 children; their mother died after the last child was born leaving the older siblings to raise the younger ones. I have no idea where her older sister orginally obtained the pearls from.
One thing I read on your website concerns me. You mention they should be knotted in between each pearl. These are not knotted, but are perfectly graduated. What are your thoughts?

I'm not very good at uploading photos. If they are worthless since they are not knotted, that would be helpful to know.
Thank you."

Emma, your necklace strand of pearls sound divine! Quality pearls of this great age should be insured - Natural Pearls are rare and very valuable. Pearls of this age are quite possibly natural pearls or freshwater pearls. The only way to tell for certain if pearls are natural is by X-ray.

Not all natural pearl necklaces are knotted.

Natural pearls were sometimes strung with no knots but on horsetail hair not silk and only if the pearls were small (under 5mm).

If there are knots between each of the pearls, this is an indication that the strand is comprised of quality pearls. However, it's wide open.

The traditional look for round white pearls is to knot them with silk. Today the classic pearls are still knotted, but there is no requirement. People often use wire or don't knot and don't use silk any more.

best regards

Yvonne Hammouda-Eyre
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