Recently Sold (VN114)

Classic Strand - Vintage Birks 14K White Gold Saltwater Japanese Pearl Necklace.  This wonderful necklace is crafted from 14K white gold, hallmarked on the clasp.  Featuring genuine cultured pearls, classic styling, and quality craftsmanship. This beautiful graduated strand of pearls is comprised of silk thread, which is hand - knotted with lustrous pearls, and a decorative white gold secure pearl clasp. The pearls are creamy/white in colour, with a beautiful greenish/pink overtone.  This Vintage classic stand of pearls exudes elegance and femininity, a must have for any fine jewelry collection.

Note: Appraisal included with the necklace. Contemporary appraisals do not reflect the antiquity value. 

Pearls were presented as gifts to Chinese royalty as early as 2300 BC, while in ancient Rome, pearl jewellery was considered the ultimate status symbol. ... According to legend, Cleopatra crushed a pearl into a glass of wine to prove to Marc Antony that she could give the most expensive dinner in history.

Gold was generally used for a couple thousand years solely to create things such as jewelry and idols for worship. This was until around 1500 BC when the ancient empire of Egypt, which benefited greatly from its gold-bearing region, Nubia, made gold the first official medium of exchange for international trade.

Although the origin of white color gold dates back to 1710, where it was discovered by two alchemists in Germany, it wasn't used widely until much later. White gold as we know it today was really popularised in the 1920s. Although it might seem strange, this luxury material came to popularity in wartime.

Measurements: Necklace 20" 

Stone Size: Pearl 2.60 mm - 5.70 mm 

Weight: 8.30 grams 

Condition: Excellent 

Origin: Canada, Birks

Date: Circa 1940