Twenty White Salt-Water Pearls on 14kt Gold Fill French Hooks.

Size: Each pearl averages about 1/2 carat, and between 4 and 5 millimeters in diameter.

NOTES: Mounted onto high quality contemporary 14kt gold fill (not cheap electroplate) french hooks. Upon request we can substitute kidney wires, ball-stud dangles, euro-clicks, or leverbacks. We can also substitute sterling silver.

These are very beautiful pearl earrings made from very beautiful but slightly blemished cultured pearls. They'd been sitting in a warehouse in Hyderabad, India for decades - perhaps since the early 1950's. Though they are slightly blemished, it is not something one would notice at a casual glance. To casual scrutiny they look like a $250 pair of designer earrings - and to many, the character and uniqueness of such pearls offsets their "not quite perfect" quality. We mounted the pearls onto high quality - not cheap gold plated - contemporary 14kt gold fill French hooks. This is first-quality jewelry designed to last years and years, not cheap costume jewelry. If you prefer, we could remount them onto kidney wires, euroclicks, or ball-stud dangles in either 14kt gold fill or even on 14kt solid gold. The pearls possess a highly polished, reflective, lustrous, creamy white surface with iridescent highlights. They average between four and five millimeters in diameter, and each pearl weighs (on average) about one-half carat - the total gemstone weight of the two earrings being about ten carats. Those caveats in mind, these are very nice gemstones. If they were perfect, a pair of designed earrings like this would retail for anywhere between $150 and $300 - or more. And yes, these images are of the actual earrings offered.

The pearls are natural, so are not perfectly round. Perfectly round pearls are not common in nature - they are generally induced by man, i.e., cultured pearls which consist of a few layers of pearl over a manmade center. Though the pearls are more or less round, they are not perfectly spherical. They are known in the industry as "button" pearls. This means that their diameter is greater than their thickness - shaped much like a tomato or mandarin orange. They average between three and three and one-half millimeters in diameter; and between one and one and one-half millimeters in thickness. Each pearls weighs approximately one-quarter carat - the total gemstone weight of the two earrings being about ten carats. Those caveats in mind, these are very nice, hard to find gemstones. If you prefer settings other than gold filled french hooks; we can remount them onto solid 14kt gold or sterling silver; or onto kidney wires, ball-stud dangles, leverbacks, or euro-clicks - or even clip-ons. Originally produced in the 1920's, then added to our collection in the 1930's, genuine solid salt water pearls like these can be very costly these days, difficult to obtain in a world of cultured and artificial pearls.

The pearl is likely the first gemstone known to prehistoric man. Ancient Mediterranean cultures believed pearls were formed when an angel's tears fell into the open oyster shell. In ancient times the Red Sea was an important source of pearls to the various ancient Mediterranean civilizations. In the ancient gemstone markets of Babylon, 4,000 years ago, pearls were prized possessions believed to restore youth. Through ancient Rome and into medieval Europe, pearls always decorated crowns and robes of kings and queens. During the Renaissance, the European appetite for pearls became so great that laws forbade anyone other than royalty or the very privileged classes from even wearing pearls. Pearls were the exclusive domain of the crown! Pearls are found in a wide variety of colors and shades, the most highly valued being white, black, rose, and cream. Black pearls are very rare and highly prized, and are found only in Tahiti. Also especially prized are rose-colored pearls found in India and the South Pacific.

SHIPPING OPTIONS: All purchases are backed by an unlimited guarantee of satisfaction and authenticity. If for any reason you are not entirely satisfied with your purchase, you may return it for a complete and immediate refund of your entire purchase price. Most of these antique gemstones were originally part of two collections, one originating in India principally composed of gemstones originally mined in India, Burma, Ceylon, and Siam, and then hand faceted in India. The addition of a second accumulation of antique gemstones originally mined in the Urals in the mid to late 19th century (including alexandrite) completed the collection. These gemstones as well were hand finished. The Urals have been one of the world's major sources of precious and semi-precious gemstones for many centuries. As well, additional specimens are occasionally acquired from other institutions and dealers in Eastern Europe and Asia. These antique gemstones are now in the United States and are available for immediate delivery.

We ship inventory from the USA order fulfillment center near Seattle, Washington. Your purchase will ordinarily be shipping within 48 hours of payment. A certificate of authenticity is available upon request. We prefer your personal check or money order over any other form of payment - and we will ship immediately upon receipt of your check (no "holds"). We will accept PayPal payments. Please see our "ADDITIONAL TERMS OF SALE".