Maybe Mississippi River Pearls?

by Barbara
(Scotland)

Tiny teeth!

Tiny teeth!

I love pearls,but particularly natural or wild pearls.I bought this strand as I had never seen pearls joined like this before,and thought they must be special to have been so carefully made into a necklace.The metal is silver. I read that American pearls were shipped wholesale to Europe in the late 19 th century to make beautiful jewelry,so if they are Mississippi then that could explain how they ended up in Scotland.The strand is 44cms long and each pearl is approximately 12 mms long.

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Mar 13, 2025
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starstarstarstarstar 		Got them checked… NEW
by: Barbara again!

Hi Kari,I know a lady who was the head of jewelry appraisal for one of the large International auction houses.She is now retired,but said she would look at my pearls.Her opinion was that they are natural,and eachfixing was made individually,as the are all slightly different in length.Her guess is they are probably from the 1920s,and had kindly offered to clean them for me!She too had never seen pearls joined in this way before,so a " one off " job- a real labour of love.If I find out anymore I will pop it on the end of this thread.
Mar 12, 2025
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starstarstarstarstar 		Oh, wow
by: Kari

Hello Barbara,

Oh, wow, I've never seen that type of constuction before, with the icepick connections. So many drill points!

It's anyone's guess as to origin or even if natural or cultured.

Sorry to say that only a lab could tell for sure, but that is really the case.

I love the baroque shapes and the necklace is obviously older.

Yes, for sure many Mississippi River system pearls from America were sent to Europe where pearls were much desired. But the rivers in Europe and UK also produced many natural freshwater pearls.

Have you had a local jeweler look at the necklace?

Getting a lab report is always a cost commitment but if you're wanting to know for sure, that the way you'll have to do in my opinion.

Thank you for sharing. I love unusual pearl items, especially older ones. These will continue to become more and more popular.

God bless! Loved to hear from you.

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