pearls - restring first, or sell as-is?

[PreRaphaelite]

Hello PSers,
My mom gave me these pearls back when I finished undergrad. They are beautiful, but I don't wear them anymore, so I'm selling them rather than let them sit in their box forever. I don't know anything about pearls but I see that they need restringing, and had planned to have it done locally. But I don't want to pay more for restringing than I would get for selling them!

I assume the appraisal value that was given a while back is completely ridiculous, but I wonder if anyone would offer an opinion of them. Are they decent or awful? If they're good, I'll restring. If they're not, I'll sell as-is.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

 

[PreRaphaelite]

 

[Grymera]

On mobile, can't look at appraisal but I would personally have them restrung before selling. It's just a bit gross not to, IMO. Plus restringing isn't too terrible, around $60-$75 locally depending on the length. Just be aware Pearl prices are not very strong in the secondhand market and you may not get very much for them.

 

[PreRaphaelite]

Thanks Grymera, I agree with you. If I were in the market for non-antique pearls I would want to buy freshly strung ones. The appraisal is pure comedy, at over a thousand. Ridiculous.

 

[elizat]

I have no idea on pricing, but they probably would look nicer restrung but that isn't something you can decide until you have an idea of value. It doesn't say the type of pearl, but maybe someone will know!

Would you wear them in a station/tin cup style? That's an idea if you decide to keep them that is a bit more casual.

 

[yssie]

Please hold onto them @InsecureSweetGirl!

As @Grymera noted secondary-market pearl value is generally abysmal, even for top-of-the-shelf goods. And there's so much you can do with drilled pearls! You could have them repurposed into earrings or other necklaces or bracelets, but you could also just string them over your purse handles, wear them as headbands or hair ornaments, use them as scarf clamps, sew them into clothing, turn them into home decor - I have two strands I never wear draped over my bathroom mirror just for the heck of it...

 

[PreRaphaelite]

Thanks. I’m glad to have asked this question.

I think my main problem with them is that I’m of the age now where they no longer read as “ladylike” and now read as “matronly” - sigh.

Since I will restring them anyway, is there a way to redesign them so they read more like “badass” and “brave” and “elemental” and “substantive” ?

What about a torsade? Two or three short strands? Or one long one. If I use them mixed with polished round stone beads, like turquoise or agate.... chalcedony.... I can’t afford emerald, but I’d settle for bright green glass to coordinate with my demantoid earrings.

An Art Deco black onyx and faux emerald style?

Thanks for advice, folks.

 

[PreRaphaelite]

 

[elizat]

I like the idea of mixing with other beads. Turquoise or lapus would look pretty. What about wearing them with a lock? I am biased because I have two small locks, but pearls and bead strands look cool with the Marla Aaron locks.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BrMIUnSBuNH/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1g35bdmxuzkhl
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bjk3PWKDgAg/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=440igx0zldgy
There are various sizes locks at different prices. The all silver ones aren't too crazy in price either.

 

[Matilda]

You could look through 1stdibs/diamondbistro/etc to see what 2nd hand pearls of that quality and size go for to get an idea?

 

[pearlsngems]

The appraisal was probably for replacement value, for insurance purposes. It does not represent what you would get if you sold the pearls. One buys at retail, but sells at wholesale.

It is true that pre-owned cultured pearls do not hold their value well, unless they are a desirable brand name like Mikimoto, or if they have a special history or belonged to a famous person. Pearls are soft and over time the luster can become dulled by by skin oils, pollution, cosmetics, hair products, etc. If not stored apart from other jewelry they can be scratched.

Also, the silk gets grimy and weak, and can break. Grime accumulates in the area near the knots. The luster is not seen well when pearls are dirty. They should really be be cleaned and restrung, whether you plan to keep them or sell them. You could do the stringing yourself and save the money-- it is not hard, and costs very little. Many of us restring our own pearls. There are tutorials on the other pearl forum, or you could check out YouTube.

So, how much could you get for them? A brand new AAA strand of 6.5-7.0mm akoya cultured pearls purchased online can be bought for under $600. (It would cost more in a brick and mortar store.) A used strand... I would not expect to get more than half of that, or even less. You can look on eBay to see what cultured akoya pearls of that size actually sold for, and ask yourself if it is worthwhile selling them. Maybe it is, to you.

Do you like wearing bracelets? You could restring them as a 2 strand bracelet.

 

[PreRaphaelite]

Thanks for a clear explanation.

I wouldn’t expect to get more than 10% of that appraisal, so that’s why I wondered if paying to restring them would actually wind up a loss. I guess I’ll just put them away for now until finding some other stone beads to add while restringing.

Thanks everyone!

 

[Bron357]

Me, I’d buy some more beads and restring with alternate bead / pearl.
Depending on what colours you like you could do garnet (red) peridot (green) amythest (purple) topaz (blue) lapis or even malachite. Though currently I’m loving the thought of Ethiopian opals!
Because you’ll be ending up with “extra” length you can consider making a bracelet and/or dangle earrings to match / have a set.
The other thing to consider is finding a pendant or brooch and putting that into the centre.

 

[SmileyJ3ms]

Thanks for a clear explanation.

I wouldn’t expect to get more than 10% of that appraisal, so that’s why I wondered if paying to restring them would actually wind up a loss. I guess I’ll just put them away for now until finding some other stone beads to add while restringing.

Thanks everyone!

I’ve been looking for a strand of inexpensive pearls to wear and would potentially be interested... when you are reedy to part with them, please think of replying to me on this post (Edited our message me as the function doesn’t exist!)

 

[pearlsngems]

SmileyJ3ms, there is no messaging on Pricescope.

 

[SmileyJ3ms]

SmileyJ3ms, there is no messaging on Pricescope.

Thanks for pointing this out - I only recently created an account

 

[pearlsngems]

People can't sell to each other directly on Pricescope because one can't (or shouldn't) post one's email and mailing address, PayPal information etc.

There is a Preloved forum here where members who wish to sell their used jewelry can post a link to a sale listing on another venue (like Loupe Troop or Diamond Bistro).

 

[SmileyJ3ms]

People can't sell to each other directly on Pricescope because one can't (or shouldn't) post one's email and mailing address, PayPal information etc.

There is a Preloved forum here where members who wish to sell their used jewelry can post a link to a sale listing on another venue (like Loupe Troop or Diamond Bistro).

Thank you for explaining

 

[PreRaphaelite]

Thanks @SmileyJ3ms

What length were you shopping for? The only reason I ask is that it seems silly to have them restrung as they are now. And then possibly restrung shorter again almost immediately by their new mom. Does that make sense?

I truly know nothing about pearls but I’ll put all the info together on loupetroup for you and then add a link in the PS preloved section for you. If they are destined to be yours, that’s great and if not, that’s ok!

 

[SmileyJ3ms]

Thanks @SmileyJ3ms

What length were you shopping for? The only reason I ask is that it seems silly to have them restrung as they are now. And then possibly restrung shorter again almost immediately by their new mom. Does that make sense?

I truly know nothing about pearls but I’ll put all the info together on loupetroup for you and then add a link in the PS preloved section for you. If they are destined to be yours, that’s great and if not, that’s ok!

I’m looking for a strand 20-30 inches - I believe your is 24? That would be perfect.

I know there are a lot of pearl aficionados on this site who would disagree with me, but I’m of the of the opinion that they don’t really need to be restrung unless the silk cord is discoloured.

I’ll meep an eye out for your post with the link! Yah k you !

 

[pearlsngems]

It's not just discoloration that indicates it's time to restring. That is, it's not just a cosmetic issue.

Fact is, silk becomes weak over time and with exposure to all the things we can't help exposing them to when we wear them-- sweat, skin oils, environmental pollution. Old weakened silk can and does break, and the necklace can be lost.
If the knots are stretched out it is a clear sign that it's time to restring.

Restringing will shorten the necklace but will also make it more secure as well as more attractive. It isn't expensive to restring if you DIY, and it's actually easy if you use synthetic threads...no fancy tools needed, just flexible wire needles, thread and a bit of French wire ("gimp") to protect the thread where it meets the clasp and to make the job look professional.

 

[MelloYello8]

How old are the pearls? Mine only get worn occasionally and I restring them every few years because the knots start to stretch. As they’re opera length, I love tugging and twisting them which doesn’t help. Luckily I found a local jewelry maker who will restring them for a dollar per inch. For the most part she sells beaded fashion jewelry. After a lot of inquiries I found the fine jewelry stores charge upwards of $3 per inch.

 

[SmileyJ3ms]

It's not just discoloration that indicates it's time to restring. That is, it's not just a cosmetic issue.

Fact is, silk becomes weak over time and with exposure to all the things we can't help exposing them to when we wear them-- sweat, skin oils, environmental pollution. Old weakened silk can and does break, and the necklace can be lost.
If the knots are stretched out it is a clear sign that it's time to restring.

Restringing will shorten the necklace but will also make it more secure as well as more attractive. It isn't expensive to restring if you DIY, and it's actually easy if you use synthetic threads...no fancy tools needed, just flexible wire needles, thread and a bit of French wire ("gimp") to protect the thread where it meets the clasp and to make the job look professional.

This is really helpful, thank you!! I suppose that they have not been restrung in at least 19 years since the appraisal is from 2000, so there may be a need.

When you say ‘ the knots are stretched out it’s a sign to restring’ - does this refer to having excess space between pearls & the knots?

Thanks!

 

[PreRaphaelite]

Someone recently mentioned in the pearls section that they had carefully rearranged the pearls in their own necklace as a preparation for restringing in better aesthetic order. Is that common to do?

 

[pearlsngems]

@SmileyJ3ms, I'll try to be clearer. Not only does the silk stretch, creating gaps, but also the knots themselves can get tighter over time thanks to the effects of gravity. Gravity is also why I don't hang my pearl necklaces, but store them flat in a box or bag. Knots can also become frayed.

Silk has lovely drape as a stringing material, but it's hard for amateurs to work with. Apart from the fact that it stretches, if you make a knot where you don't want one, it's just about impossible to unpick it without shredding the thread. Thus is why I like to recommend using synthetic threads, and the one I like best at present is Beader's Secret, which comes in 3 weights and many colors. It's silky feeling, colorfast, lustrous and very easy to work with. (Power Pro is also good but only comes in white or moss green.)
Synthetic threads have several advantages:
1. They don't stretch!
2. You can get them wet and it doesn't weaken them. I can give my pearls a bath if they need it, or wear them on rainy days without worrying about the thread getting wet.
3. The knots can be made to slide easily into place by pulling the doubled thread apart (see tutorials).
4. If you do make a knot in the wrong place, you can unpick it, with patience.

Despite using synthetic thread, I tend to restring my heavier necklaces every few years (heavier because they are long strands or because the pearls are large.) I find the knots get a little tighter on those strands over time-- thanks to our old nemesis gravity again. The gaps are not as dramatic as the ones you see with silk, but still I prefer the look of nice snug knots.

@InsecureSweetGirl, I often rearrange my pearls when preparing for restringing, yes. Particularly if someone else strung them the first time. Some of the strands I've bought were not optimally arranged. In one case, the center pearl was smaller than the pearls on either side of center, and on one side the pearls were all larger than on the other side. In another case the darker colored pearls were not distributed evenly between the 2 sides of a multicolored strand. In a third case, lower luster pearls were near the front and right next to highly lustrous pearls, when they could have been put further back.
You get the idea. It's good to be able to do your own stringing.

 

[SmileyJ3ms]

@SmileyJ3ms, I'll try to be clearer. Not only does the silk stretch, creating gaps, but also the knots themselves can get tighter over time thanks to the effects of gravity. Gravity is also why I don't hang my pearl necklaces, but store them flat in a box or bag. Knots can also become frayed.

Silk has lovely drape as a stringing material, but it's hard for amateurs to work with. Apart from the fact that it stretches, if you make a knot where you don't want one, it's just about impossible to unpick it without shredding the thread. Thus is why I like to recommend using synthetic threads, and the one I like best at present is Beader's Secret, which comes in 3 weights and many colors. It's silky feeling, colorfast, lustrous and very easy to work with. (Power Pro is also good but only comes in white or moss green.)
Synthetic threads have several advantages:
1. They don't stretch!
2. You can get them wet and it doesn't weaken them. I can give my pearls a bath if they need it, or wear them on rainy days without worrying about the thread getting wet.
3. The knots can be made to slide easily into place by pulling the doubled thread apart (see tutorials).
4. If you do make a knot in the wrong place, you can unpick it, with patience.

Despite using synthetic thread, I tend to restring my heavier necklaces every few years (heavier because they are long strands or because the pearls are large.) I find the knots get a little tighter on those strands over time-- thanks to our old nemesis gravity again. The gaps are not as dramatic as the ones you see with silk, but still I prefer the look of nice snug knots.

@InsecureSweetGirl, I often rearrange my pearls when preparing for restringing, yes. Particularly if someone else strung them the first time. Some of the strands I've bought were not optimally arranged. In one case, the center pearl was smaller than the pearls on either side of center, and on one side the pearls were all larger than on the other side. In another case the darker colored pearls were not distributed evenly between the 2 sides of a multicolored strand. In a third case, lower luster pearls were near the front and right next to highly lustrous pearls, when they could have been put further back.
You get the idea. It's good to be able to do your own stringing.

This is such a fantastic, helpful post - thank you for taking the time to write it out!! I’ve spent years learning about rings, but pearls are new to me. I really appreciate your help