Cultured Pearls More Likely Than Natural Pearls by: Anonymous
Good Morning!
I'm going to give it a guess and say that your gritty pearls Grand-father acquired while in Japan, are Cultured Pearls, and not Natural Pearls.
In your search for more information about these pearls, before having them appraised, I would recommend you first have a look for any signatures or jewelry marks. Can you see any marks on the reverse of the clasp? You will have to look very carefully with magnifying glass or loupe.
