Problem w/a pearl bracelet

nillacobain

nillacobain

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O.G.
Jun 9, 2008
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20
#1
Hi ladies. I got this lovely pearls bracelet from my mother's aunt as a graduation gift last August (2010). She bought it from her trusted jeweller and she told me that the clasp is made by white gold. I have worn it 2-3x times. I take care of my jewellery so it is like new. Today I was putting away my necklace and decided to have a look at the bracelet:P. Well, the pearls are peeling near the hole drilled through them... so I guess they are not real pearls. I'm not an expert but they feel really cold when you touch them and of course it would have been really rude asking my aunt if they were real or fake (I actually don't care since I love the bracelet). So my question is: is it normal that fake pearls peel after wearing them 2-3 times? The pearls are burgundy and I can see the white "thing" under the colored layer. I told this to my mother (on the phone) and she asked me if the bracelet came w/a certificate of guarantee or something like this but it didn't. Now ... as I said I love the bracelet so I don't care if they are fake pearls, etc but do you think it would be rude to tell it to my mother's aunt? The rest of the bracelet is absolutely flawless so I'm sure that the peeling is not my fault. I'll try to post pics later. Thank you in advance for your help.
 
#2
Odds are they aren't fake pearls. I have seen many real painted freshwater pearls do the same thing. I had a burgandy pearl necklace od dyed freshwater pearls I exchanged 3 times due to peeling before simply requesting my money back.

Don't know if that helps, but I've been told its common with painted pearls.
 
#3
^Thank you for your reply.


Here there are the pictures: it's very hard to capture the peeling with my camera (also, please ignore the messy background).


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#4
Are you sure those are pearls? It looks more like coral to me.

The peeling is really bad though. Is there any way you could tell your aunt that you wanted to get the clasp tightened and then go in and talk to the jeweler your self?
 
#5
RoryX said:
Are you sure those are pearls? It looks more like coral to me.

The peeling is really bad though. Is there any way you could tell your aunt that you wanted to get the clasp tightened and then go in and talk to the jeweler your self?
Click to expand...


You might be right. I'm not an expert ... I just thought they were pearls! LOL :shame::shame: Is coral cold when you touch it?


Yes, it is. As you can see the rest of the bracelet is pristine, it's just the peeling near the holes. The jeweller is not here in my city but I think I'll ship the bracelet to my mother (who lives in the same town as my/her aunt). I'm not sure if I should bring it to a jeweller here or just let my aunt's jeweller deal with it.
 
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#6
While it certainly looks like sponge coral, it wouldn't peel and be white inside. The beads look far too large to be pearls, BUT its exactly what was happening to my freshwater pearl necklace. So I am as confused as you!
 
#9
I don't think that is a gold clasp, likely silver, is it stamped 925 or 14k?
I don't know if there is anything a jeweler can do, it looks like a costume piece. I'd say wear it and enjoy it! I wouldn't mention it to your aunt unless you think she was misled by a jeweler and told they were pearls and charged a lot.
 
#10
I agree that I would doubt those are pearls. Most pearls, even color treated ones, are not painted and would not show peeling like that (while pearls can definitely peel, it just presents differently from the pictures). I would think it is a costume piece as well, and I just hope your aunt did not get taken for a ride on the price. But check the clasp, because the stamp ought to clear up what that is made of at least.
 
#11
^ I second what has been said. Looks like enamel beading. Did your aunt ever say anything that lead you to believe they were pearls? If so, you may want to tell her, in hopes that she could have recourse if she was taken advantage of. Otherwise, if you enjoy the bracelet, you should continue to do so :smile:
 
#12
These look like coated beads of some type.

Is there an art or bead store in your area that you can visit to have them looked at?

I know Swarovski have crystal pearls that are coated with a special coating to make them look like pearls- quite pretty, but these aren't crystal either.
 
#13
^Thank you ladies for your replies. No, she didn't say anything about them being pearls (I just imagined they were! :shame:smile: but she told me about the round clasp being made of white gold.


HauteMama said:
I agree that I would doubt those are pearls. Most pearls, even color treated ones, are not painted and would not show peeling like that (while pearls can definitely peel, it just presents differently from the pictures). I would think it is a costume piece as well, and I just hope your aunt did not get taken for a ride on the price. But check the clasp, because the stamp ought to clear up what that is made of at least.
Click to expand...

Me too. I like the bracelet, so it's not a problem if they are beads ... I just hope she didn't pay them as they were corals/pearls!

I already knew that the two side clasps are made by silver, I can read x25 on both (can't see the first number). The round clasp is totally detachable but I can't find the stamp on it. Where I should look at?
 
#14
If it's not stamped, it may just be base metal. But I'd look for a stamp along the inner edge or at the base.

Since your aunt told you it was from a jeweler and white gold, and it's stamped as silver, I'd consider mentioning it to her so she can determine if she was misled. I wouldn't worry about whether she thinks she paid for pearls because those look nothing like dyed pearls, it's fairly obvious they are coated beads, so I can't picture a jeweler trying to tell someone they are pearls.
 
#15
alliemia said:
If it's not stamped, it may just be base metal. But I'd look for a stamp along the inner edge or at the base.

Since your aunt told you it was from a jeweler and white gold, and it's stamped as silver, I'd consider mentioning it to her so she can determine if she was misled. I wouldn't worry about whether she thinks she paid for pearls because those look nothing like dyed pearls, it's fairly obvious they are coated beads, so I can't picture a jeweler trying to tell someone they are pearls.
Click to expand...


I'll have my BF searching for it because I can't find it.

I'll also call my mother and ask her if she has already talked to her aunt. She bought it from her jeweller and there's his name, store address, etc on the box (it also was on the gift package).

As I said in my prev post my aunt didn't tell me they are pearls ... I just did think they were. Now I have understand that they are coated beads. I'm not saying that the jeweller sold them claiming they were pearls ... I was just wondering about the "quality" of the bracelet and its price/quality relationship. I'm sorry if my poor English did not translate well what I meant.
 
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