A visit to Mikimoto NYC... And musings...

[Civnhasy]

Lovely pieces! I can't be helpful because I don't have a good sense of miki prices, but to my understanding the AAA are an insane premium vs the A+.

But I'm strongly considering a pair of AAA earrings and your post is seriously convincing me that it's worth it !

Thank you so much! Yes, a huge premium for sure (and the A+ wasn't cheap either!). Not sure if this makes it better or worse, but when I was initially looking at their site (before I went into their store or had done any reading/education) I saw a strand of AAAs for almost $200k and immediately wrote them off, for obvious reasons! Realized in hindsight that was for their largest Akoyas (9-9.5) and that some AAA strands were cheaper, albeit still a hefty premium!

For the studs, can confirm, worth it! My mother had asked me to get her a pair of A rated earrings and I tried them on and loved them. Decided to get my own and upgraded. Have not been able to take them off! They just glow. No other word for it.

 

[Civnhasy]

Small suggestion; Call some Mikimoto stores in Japan and ask their price for AAA strands before doing anything. I remember them being *significantly* cheaper in Kyoto than in the NYC Mikimoto store… Then if you choose to go that route, you can do a free trip to Japan on the savings alone and also check out non-mikimoto pearls during the trip for even more potential savings (Using your AAA earrings as a baseline).

Ooooh. You might have just sent me down a new rabbit hole!
This makes a lot of sense and based on what I'm just seeing on their Japan website...everything is cheaper (which also makes sense bc of import tax and all of that but I hadn't considered). Going to ponder this! Thank you!

 

[Civnhasy]

beautiful
i have actually never seen miki's in person but 'everyone' says AAA is far surpurior to other grades
once you have made up your mind what you are going to do and are happy with whatever purhases i would hide your loupe away so you arnt tempted to inspect them for joy-robbing inperfections or damage every time you wear them

congraduations on your work success

"Joy-robbing imperfections"...that is such a great point! Don't want to stray from the whole purpose of buying it in the first place (at least for me)—joy! Thank you so much.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

love_pearls, your presumptions say a whole lot more about you than they do about me. I'm honestly surprised by this lunacy, as I've been nothing but helpful and supportive toward you thus far, but I'm going to ignore you moving forward and I suggest you do the same in return.

if you ever need me i will walk over broken glass to defend you
alas (or just as wel) i cant see the comment as i employed the ignore button for my first time ever on PS a few weeks back

 

[yssie]

OMG what a treat to see an update to this thread! Thank you for sharing @Civnhasy!!

So I was at Mikimoto NYC just a few days ago and I saw the strand you’re referring to!! It really is THAT spectacular Y’all, 9-9.5mm AAA, what a stupendously rare treasure I generally can’t tolerate necklaces but of course I had to try this one on…

 

[lovedogs]

OMG what a treat to see an update to this thread! Thank you for sharing @Civnhasy!!

So I was at Mikimoto NYC just a few days ago and I saw the strand you’re referring to!! It really is THAT spectacular Y’all, 9-9.5mm AAA, what a stupendously rare treasure I generally can’t tolerate necklaces but of course I had to try this one on…

Holy crap. It's glorious.

 

[yssie]

Hello to anyone still reading this thread! Since it's so Mikimoto focused I thought I'd post here. @yssie I just wanted to say thank you for all you have posted here! I have been reading through all 12 pages of this thread the last few days and relishing every word, picture, and bit of knowledge dropped.

I am a recent convert to the pearl world (jewelry in general, but pearls in particular). I just had a recent, happy work success that coincided with a trip to Las Vegas and I decided to buy a strand of Mikimoto A+ pearls to celebrate. Pearls are my birthstone but oddly I've never seen high quality or even "real" pearls before, so was never that captivated with them.

Then I went to Mikimoto, LOL. Wow! Unexpected love at first sight. And I had such a fun, wonderful experience at the store. Completely unpretentious; they were happy to let me play around and try things on, and my sales associate has been so great post-sale with my random pearl questions. As it should be!

In any case. I did do a bit of reading on various pearl forums/websites before going in, so I wasn't flying completely blind, but I had a completely different lens and mindset. Now, given my newfound enthusiasm (obsession?), I've had some time to go down many many more rabbit holes and am wondering if I should have bit the bullet and splurged on the AAA vs the A+ that I bought. The strand I have is beautiful, but I also bought a pair of AAA studs and now I can't stop comparing the two (I even got a jeweler's loupe and that made it worse ).

I know the price of pearls has gone up exponentially and it might be better to just wait, but climate change also seems to be a factor in the shortage and that isn't going away any time soon (if I'm wrong about this being a contributing reason for the shortage, please do correct me!).

I am on the very cusp of the exchange window (and I do wonder whether the exchange in their favor would make them more agreeable to it). I am thinking of asking my SA for some pricing. I fear she is going to think I'm a crazy person. I myself kind of fear I'm a crazy person(?!) [Do y'all think I'm a crazy person? ]

I just wish I had known what I know now. And don't want to wistfully think about AAAs every time I wear this necklace (which is still the prettiest thing I've ever owned, so I admit all of this hand-wringing is kind of ridiculous). But I figure if anyone can relate to this it's this group! And if my SA comes back and says they don't have in stock or it's too late, then at least I'll feel like I tried and things worked out as they were meant to be.

There's also an argument to be made for keeping what I have and hanging onto those funds for other pieces of jewelry down the road.

Anyway, including a photo for tax. The A+ strand, 7.5 mm and AAA studs. Hard to see in the photo (still working on my photography and lighting skills!) but the studs just have deeper, more beautiful luster and close up, the surface is nearly perfect.

This photo honestly is a fantastic representation of Mikimoto’s quality scale. AAA to A+ is really not that huge! Yes, the improvement is visible to those who look closely, but in general - really not the night-and-day differential one might expect for pearls that are three quality grades apart on paper.

So… The price differential between A+ and AAA is pretty stomach-churning. Can’t lie. It can be hard to even GET pricing from the website, but your Vegas SA should be able to pull up a comprehensive price list and everything that’s available. Sometimes I’ll use the JR Dunn site for a quick price check if I don’t want to bother my SA, they seem to track current cost super closely. A 16” 7.5 AAA is $21k right now on JR Dunn, and 18” goes to $24k, I’d expect this to match Miki boutique retail:




The boutiques can order qualities for you if nothing’s available right now. What deposit they require seems to depend on the piece and your relationship with your SA - but they can also do stuff like colour-match and customize size… I just placed a deposit on a 7.5-8 AAA bracelet, slightly shorter than standard length, and I’ll pay the remainder once they confirm my altered price and whether they can source the overtone I want. The deposit should be refundable if you go that route, but double check with your SA!!

You can also see other countries’ pricing on the website if you change your location. I do believe USA is one of the most pricey locations (though last time I checked both UK and France had us beat)! So… I’ve been super tempted to buy internationally as well. Definitely cheaper in Asia. What stops me is knowing that I do value the perks of consistently shopping at my home boutique - those extra conveniences and favours. I can totally understand those things not being important to someone else though. If you do decide to buy in Asia - my understanding is that things will go much more smoothly if you have an SA there, so I’d for sure suggest making contact with a rep before you visit. Their grading is also different from Mikimoto America - you’d want what they call Best of the Best. It’s not a 1:1 definition mapping to AAA/Reserve but it’s - literally the best of everything that’s available at that time, can’t really do better than that right?

Last thought from me. If you’re worried about FOMO - return. Return, return, return before your time runs out. In my experience the niggling “what if” never goes away, better to spend $0 than to regret having spent however much on something that you secretly wish was something else…

 

[pearlsngems]

I agree-- return it within your return window if you are in doubt. It should not be so hard to repurchase an A+ necklace if you decide you want that grade after all.

As far as climate change being part of the pearl scarcity problem-- yes, it is part of the problem, for all pearl producing shells. And as far as akoyas specifically, the virus that is killing the oysters thrives in water temperatures above 25º C. So I don't think this problem is going away any time soon.

 

[NY_Resonant]

OMG what a treat to see an update to this thread! Thank you for sharing @Civnhasy!!

So I was at Mikimoto NYC just a few days ago and I saw the strand you’re referring to!! It really is THAT spectacular Y’all, 9-9.5mm AAA, what a stupendously rare treasure I generally can’t tolerate necklaces but of course I had to try this one on…

That necklace looks gorgeous on your neck. Really works beautifully off your skin tone. Pearls love you, @yssie

 

[lovedogs]

Thank you so much! Yes, a huge premium for sure (and the A+ wasn't cheap either!). Not sure if this makes it better or worse, but when I was initially looking at their site (before I went into their store or had done any reading/education) I saw a strand of AAAs for almost $200k and immediately wrote them off, for obvious reasons! Realized in hindsight that was for their largest Akoyas (9-9.5) and that some AAA strands were cheaper, albeit still a hefty premium!

For the studs, can confirm, worth it! My mother had asked me to get her a pair of A rated earrings and I tried them on and loved them. Decided to get my own and upgraded. Have not been able to take them off! They just glow. No other word for it.

Well, I bit the bullet! They were being sold pre loved but will be authenticated. Fingers crossed.

 

[Civnhasy]

This photo honestly is a fantastic representation of Mikimoto’s quality scale. AAA to A+ is really not that huge! Yes, the improvement is visible to those who look closely, but in general - really not the night-and-day differential one might expect for pearls that are three quality grades apart on paper.

So… The price differential between A+ and AAA is pretty stomach-churning. Can’t lie. It can be hard to even GET pricing from the website, but your Vegas SA should be able to pull up a comprehensive price list and everything that’s available. Sometimes I’ll use the JR Dunn site for a quick price check if I don’t want to bother my SA, they seem to track current cost super closely. A 16” 7.5 AAA is $21k right now on JR Dunn, and 18” goes to $24k, I’d expect this to match Miki boutique retail:




The boutiques can order qualities for you if nothing’s available right now. What deposit they require seems to depend on the piece and your relationship with your SA - but they can also do stuff like colour-match and customize size… I just placed a deposit on a 7.5-8 AAA bracelet, slightly shorter than standard length, and I’ll pay the remainder once they confirm my altered price and whether they can source the overtone I want. The deposit should be refundable if you go that route, but double check with your SA!!

You can also see other countries’ pricing on the website if you change your location. I do believe USA is one of the most pricey locations (though last time I checked both UK and France had us beat)! So… I’ve been super tempted to buy internationally as well. Definitely cheaper in Asia. What stops me is knowing that I do value the perks of consistently shopping at my home boutique - those extra conveniences and favours. I can totally understand those things not being important to someone else though. If you do decide to buy in Asia - my understanding is that things will go much more smoothly if you have an SA there, so I’d for sure suggest making contact with a rep before you visit. Their grading is also different from Mikimoto America - you’d want what they call Best of the Best. It’s not a 1:1 definition mapping to AAA/Reserve but it’s - literally the best of everything that’s available at that time, can’t really do better than that right?

Last thought from me. If you’re worried about FOMO - return. Return, return, return before your time runs out. In my experience the niggling “what if” never goes away, better to spend $0 than to regret having spent however much on something that you secretly wish was something else…

First, WOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW that strand of pearls!!! Just stunning. And you're making me wish I had gone more baller when I went to the Vegas boutique and tried on things like that. I'm sure they would have let me but I was too scared to ask. Next time for sure. Those earrings are stunning, too!

Second, thank you! As always you are full of super helpful info and perspective! Had no idea about the JR Dunn site but that looks exactly comparable to what I paid for my A+, so that's a fabulous source of intel. I think Mikimoto will only allow exchanges and not returns, and I'm now...a day out of that window, so I'm going to try to go in with no expectations but I do want to upgrade if I can. I've got a great rapport with my SA and I did buy a few pieces from them, so between that and wanting to spend *gulp* more money with them for an upgrade...hopefully she can make it happen. Cross your fingers for me! If it doesn't work out, I will still happily love my A+ piece bc it was a very meaningful purchase, and it's beautiful. I'll just have to add a AAA to my list of future things to buy! Hopefully my SA can make it work, though!

I am similar to you in that I like having a regular person to build a rapport and work with. I definitely foresee myself buying more pieces in the future, and to my surprise, I really loved Las Vegas -- I don't gamble or party, so I was just as surprised as anyone! -- and it's relatively easy to go there once or twice a year.

That said...I still might have to go the pearl-buying-quest-in-Japan route one day! Finding a SA to work with there in advance makes a lot of sense...would hate to travel aaaaaaaaall that way and then leave things to chance!

My friend told me last night I'm in my "jewelry era" lol. Never did I ever think this would be a thing, especially for pearls! But I like it!

I will keep you all posted and thanks so much again for the perspectives!

 

[Civnhasy]

Well, I bit the bullet! They were being sold pre loved but will be authenticated. Fingers crossed.

YAY!!!!! I am so excited for you!!! Please post here when you get them!

 

[Civnhasy]

I agree-- return it within your return window if you are in doubt. It should not be so hard to repurchase an A+ necklace if you decide you want that grade after all.

As far as climate change being part of the pearl scarcity problem-- yes, it is part of the problem, for all pearl producing shells. And as far as akoyas specifically, the virus that is killing the oysters thrives in water temperatures above 25º C. So I don't think this problem is going away any time soon.

That's what I thought, and it makes me so sad, for many reasons.

 

[fussykiki]

OMG what a treat to see an update to this thread! Thank you for sharing @Civnhasy!!

So I was at Mikimoto NYC just a few days ago and I saw the strand you’re referring to!! It really is THAT spectacular Y’all, 9-9.5mm AAA, what a stupendously rare treasure I generally can’t tolerate necklaces but of course I had to try this one on…

OMG. I LOVE that clasp!!!

 

[Civnhasy]

Just a quick update - I connected with my SA and she's of course delighted to help me upgrade. For giggles, here is a photo of the 7.5 mm strand next to the 8 (with the current size stud earring I have in the middle for size comparison). You can see the 8 mm seems to be a bit rosier (this also really showed up in the video she took). Is that simply due to size? Even better pearls?

The first-world dilemma (ish): They do not have AAA in the 20-in strand so I'll need to either purchase an 18 in strand or have them restring to make a 20-in with additional pearls. She assured me they'd work to ensure the strand matches. I could also of course get the 18-in but I preferred the way the 20-in hung on my neck (as much as I wish I had a small, dainty neck...I do not!). Given how much attention to quality and detail they seem to put into everything, I do trust they can match the strand. Are there any other concerns I should consider about restringing in this way?

 

[pearlsngems]

Very nice!
Some akoyas simply have a pinker overtone than others do. Some have more of a pink and green (or pink and silver) overtone color. It is not related to size. Which do you prefer against your skin?

 

[NY_Resonant]

Just a quick update - I connected with my SA and she's of course delighted to help me upgrade. For giggles, here is a photo of the 7.5 mm strand next to the 8 (with the current size stud earring I have in the middle for size comparison). You can see the 8 mm seems to be a bit rosier (this also really showed up in the video she took). Is that simply due to size? Even better pearls?

The first-world dilemma (ish): They do not have AAA in the 20-in strand so I'll need to either purchase an 18 in strand or have them restring to make a 20-in with additional pearls. She assured me they'd work to ensure the strand matches. I could also of course get the 18-in but I preferred the way the 20-in hung on my neck (as much as I wish I had a small, dainty neck...I do not!). Given how much attention to quality and detail they seem to put into everything, I do trust they can match the strand. Are there any other concerns I should consider about restringing in this way?

Personally, I like the colors on the smaller 7.5mm more.

It feels less pink because it has more of the green interference color in the pearls, look at the light reflection overtone color difference in this zoom:



That picture also gives me the impression that the 7.5mm has slightly better luster overall but it’s close enough that I wouldn’t suggest this impacting the decision.

Also, to my eyes, the color matching in the strand is more even on the 7.5mm. The 8mm specifically has one very pink pearl which is right in the middle of the necklace (thus one of the larger pearls) that stands out to me as unbalanced. That pearl bugs me personally in that strand, others might have no issue with it!



Lastly, the BODY of the 7.5mm pearls look whiter to me and the 8mm looks like a darker + pinker body. This is hard to verify just from one photo especially looking top-down. If they had a picture with both strands along a ledge it would be easier to tell. A picture like this (You can see the color of white table reflection being much pinker on the strand to the right).

 

[Civnhasy]

Personally, I like the colors on the smaller 7.5mm more.

It feels less pink because it has more of the green interference color in the pearls, look at the light reflection overtone color difference in this zoom:



That picture also gives me the impression that the 7.5mm has slightly better luster overall but it’s close enough that I wouldn’t suggest this impacting the decision.

Also, to my eyes, the color matching in the strand is more even on the 7.5mm. The 8mm specifically has one very pink pearl which is right in the middle of the necklace (thus one of the larger pearls) that stands out to me as unbalanced. That pearl bugs me personally in that strand, others might have no issue with it!



Lastly, the BODY of the 7.5mm pearls look whiter to me and the 8mm looks like a darker + pinker body. This is hard to verify just from one photo especially looking top-down. If they had a picture with both strands along a ledge it would be easier to tell. A picture like this (You can see the color of white table reflection being much pinker on the strand to the right).

This is so helpful! You have a fantastic eye. I was so busy ogling the rosy pink I didn't notice the darkness of that center pearl! I'll pay more attention in the video she sent, since she showed it in two different types of lighting and multiple angles. I wish I could take some of you experienced folks to the store with me! Appreciate all of the things I'm learning from you.

@pearlsngems that makes sense! I do love the rose color with my skin tone, but the 8 mm of course are also another bump in price.

Thank you both!

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Just a quick update - I connected with my SA and she's of course delighted to help me upgrade. For giggles, here is a photo of the 7.5 mm strand next to the 8 (with the current size stud earring I have in the middle for size comparison). You can see the 8 mm seems to be a bit rosier (this also really showed up in the video she took). Is that simply due to size? Even better pearls?

The first-world dilemma (ish): They do not have AAA in the 20-in strand so I'll need to either purchase an 18 in strand or have them restring to make a 20-in with additional pearls. She assured me they'd work to ensure the strand matches. I could also of course get the 18-in but I preferred the way the 20-in hung on my neck (as much as I wish I had a small, dainty neck...I do not!). Given how much attention to quality and detail they seem to put into everything, I do trust they can match the strand. Are there any other concerns I should consider about restringing in this way?

this is very excitting
i also like a slightly longer necklace, its a good idea to get 20" as IMHO you are future proofing

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Oh no. More price increases!

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

It is impossible not to stalk this thread. (even with price increase warnings!!!)

cheers--Sharon

 

[yssie]

Just a quick update - I connected with my SA and she's of course delighted to help me upgrade. For giggles, here is a photo of the 7.5 mm strand next to the 8 (with the current size stud earring I have in the middle for size comparison). You can see the 8 mm seems to be a bit rosier (this also really showed up in the video she took). Is that simply due to size? Even better pearls?

The first-world dilemma (ish): They do not have AAA in the 20-in strand so I'll need to either purchase an 18 in strand or have them restring to make a 20-in with additional pearls. She assured me they'd work to ensure the strand matches. I could also of course get the 18-in but I preferred the way the 20-in hung on my neck (as much as I wish I had a small, dainty neck...I do not!). Given how much attention to quality and detail they seem to put into everything, I do trust they can match the strand. Are there any other concerns I should consider about restringing in this way?

Mikimoto will match the additional pearls, not to worry!

Colour preference is so personal. I’m pretty body colour agnostic, but I do like a strong pink overtone so my eyes go to the 8mm strand. The nice thing about this is that there’s no #Wrong answer, all overtone options are equally precious and treasured in this top quality!

Honestly, I can’t imagine that you’ll ever regret upgrading your strand to match. You’ll have the most incredible pearls that oysters are capable of creating. Paired with your studs - what a set

Please please share some photos when you get it! Did they give you any idea of timeline?

 

[yssie]

I just received notice that colour matched pearls for my bracelet have been located! ETA 'round about a week.

Some nuggets -

• If you want a shorter-than-standard length you can purchase fewer pearls (Mikimoto will deduct from your total cost).
• I was given two metal options - white gold and platinum. Both clasp and the "M" logo in that metal choice. My quote for platinum is exactly $1k more than WG.
  • But only the platinum "M" logo has the little bezelled diamond!!
• How much you need to leave in deposit is variable (depends on the piece and SA discretion). Interestingly, the deposit is refundable - not just exchangeable.

 

[yssie]

7.5-8mm AAA

The pearls graduate from 7.61-7.99 by my calipers. One pearl short of standard length, perfect for me

I went with platinum findings: Clasp exterior and M logo in PT, tongue of clasp in 18k WG. I was a vaguely nervous they'd make the tongue in platinum too - but of course Mikimoto knows better than to do that

I will treasure this piece Only regret is not buying it earlier!! But maybe in a year I'll re-read this post and be thrilled with the "deal" I got now

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[Civnhasy]

7.5-8mm AAA

The pearls graduate from 7.61-7.99 by my calipers. One pearl short of standard length, perfect for me

I went with platinum findings: Clasp exterior and M logo in PT, tongue of clasp in 18k WG. I was a vaguely nervous they'd make the tongue in platinum too - but of course Mikimoto knows better than to do that

I will treasure this piece Only regret is not buying it earlier!! But maybe in a year I'll re-read this post and be thrilled with the "deal" I got now

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Oh. My. God. Yssie. These are PERFECTION! That lovely soft pink, so, so gorgeous. I love how you've arranged it with your other strands. I've never worn bracelets but now you have me reconsidering, LOL.

[And too funny - I was literally just typing my own update and photos of my new strand when I saw your update come through!]

 

[yssie]

And of course I can't not share some strand comparisons...

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Sunlight highlights overtone of course!



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And how I'd rank them IRL... I'm not even going to try to say which is best... But I reckon I've definitely hit akoya quorum here

- Lightest to darkest body: Takahashi babies, Takahashi bigs, Mikimoto, A.Moline
- Most to least contrasty: A.Moline, Mikimoto, Takahashi babies, Takahashi bigs
- Most to least glossy: Mikimoto, Takahashi bigs, A.Moline, Takahashi babies
- Smoothest to least smooth surface: Mikimoto, Takahashi bigs, Takahashi babies, A.Moline
- Most to least matched (in colour, overtone colour, overtone strength) across the strand: Mikimoto, Takahashi bigs, A.Moline, Takahashi babies (my sunlight pic managed to catch the one rogue pearl in the Takahashi 9mm strand!!)

I will say that the 9-9.5mm Mikimoto AAA strand I tried on (pricetag ~215k!!) had a darker body and sacrificed nothing in the contrast, gloss, or surface departments. So it is possible to get superb contrastiness in stupendous size, if one's purse opens wide enough at the right time

 

[yssie]

Couple other random pics

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[yssie]

Oh. My. God. Yssie. These are PERFECTION! That lovely soft pink, so, so gorgeous. I love how you've arranged it with your other strands. I've never worn bracelets but now you have me reconsidering, LOL.

[And too funny - I was literally just typing my own update and photos of my new strand when I saw your update come through!]

Oooh can't wait to see!! Do you have it in-hand already!?

 

[lovedogs]

Oh my God I die. The Moline and AAA miki immediately stood out as my favorites, but all are INCREDIBLE

 

[CMN]

OMG, absolutely stunning. I am curious though; why the tongue of the clasp in a different metal?