Inside a local thrift shop, a valuable 14k gold and pearl necklace was discovered masquerading as a cheap, $5 ornament in the costume section.
Or at least, it's probably valuable. While the item hasn't been professionally appraised yet by the original poster, other Redditors observed some clues that could indicate if the pearls are natural or fake.
"A quick hack to tell if pearls are real (that's not always 100% accurate, but will work for a quick visual skim of a jewelry section) is to look for necklaces with knots between the pearl beads," one Redditor advises. "It's standard practice for necklaces with real pearls, to prevent them from clacking together and scratching each other. It's an extra step that most manufacturers that use fake pearls won't take!"
Other comments simply praised the find for what it was.
"Nice! It pays to check," reads one comment.
"That's a gorgeous set of pearls," says another. "Hopefully, they're worth a nice bit."
The original poster also pointed out that the clasp was marked with the number "585," which signifies that the gold alloy is 58.5% pure — i.e., 14-karat gold — which likely affords the necklace a bigger value than its original $5 price tag.
The OP doesn't say whether or not they'll keep the item or sell it, but beyond possibly making a pretty penny off surprise finds, thrifting is also beneficial for the environment. By using products and keeping them in circulation for as long as possible, consumers can reduce the number of resources wasted creating new products. Plus, thrifting items that you would otherwise buy new can save you an average of $1,700 a year.
But if nothing else, this /r/thriftstorehauls post is further proof that there are potential treasures to be found in all corners of a thrift or charity shop, and not just in the clothing or furniture sections. Countless varieties of valuable items get donated without being closely examined first, so pay attention the next time you're browsing a thrift shop — you never know what you'll find.
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