I inherited a single strand of Black Pearls 40 years ago and am wondering who in my area is competent to appraise them?

by Sharalyn Zander
(Jacksonville, AL 36265)

I have a single strand of vintage black pearls I inherited from my Grandmother. They were old when I got them. They are knotted between each pearl and, they appear to have a white gold, rather ornate, old clasp. I used to wear them in my 20's until the clasp broke. Then I put them away in my jewelry box for about 40 years. The pearls are quite beautiful. In the sunlight you can see a green/purple hue. There are 69 pearls on the string.

They are all the same size. We only have a couple 2 or 3 big name jewelers here near Anniston, Alabama, where I live. I've been quoted $150.00 for an appraisal. Since I see by the Internet that pearl prices vary greatly, and few people can really appraise pearls accurately, I was wondering if I would get an accurate appraisal for my strand locally. And I have no clue where I could sell/auction them if they were worth a lot of money. Can you advise me?