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

[yssie]

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

Cause the tongue has to be a bit springy (it bends down a bit when you insert it into the clasp, and then springs back up inside the clasp body to latch) - platinum would just bend and not spring back up. Alloyed gold is a much better metal when you want that elasticity on deformation. It usually matters less, but the tongue of the clasp has so little metal to begin with!

I didn’t think to specify or even ask when I first heard my metal choices so definitely relieved to see the gold tongue!!

 

[CMN]

Cause the tongue has to be a bit springy (it bends down a bit when you insert it into the clasp, and then springs back up inside the clasp body to latch) - platinum would just bend and not spring back up. Same reason gold is a better metal for earring friction backs!

Learnt something new

 

[yssie]

Also, TIL that I need to learn how Mikimoto knots. These knots are pristine. What’s the secret!?

Pics from my SA -

Mine next to the strand I requested a colour-match of:



Another of the colour-match strand (blue line) compared to other overtone options:

 

[Civnhasy]

Thank you for all these pictures!! I love trying to find the things you're calling out, especially in different lighting and the rankings according to match, glossy, contrast, etc. So fun! I also am seeing what you mean now from another post about capability to see things via cell phone cameras vs. "real" cameras. Your photos really prove the point!

I also learned something new about platinum today! I checked my clasp and the tongue is also gold. Had no idea.

Some photos below of my AAAs! They were able to turn around very quickly, about a week's time from sending to NY, back to Vegas, and to my door, but I ended up sending back to my SA to verify the size of the pearls next to the clasp, so I just got them back again last Thursday. Long story: ultimately a false alarm stemming from my untrained eye and the local jeweler's old-school calipers that were hard to get an accurate read from. My SA handled my anxiety/OCD exactly as one would hope, and we confirmed via Facetime (with their very impressive and precise Japanese calipers) that the sizing is accurate. Whew! She was great.

I'm over the moon about my strand and no regrets about the upgrade. Pearls are my birthstone and my mother's favorite gem; these were a really meaningful and special, once-in-a-lifetime purchase for me, celebrating a work victory that has ultimately turned into a promotion (which I learned the day I got my pearls back and wore them to a meeting with my boss!). In truth, the Mikimoto brand name was important to me, but I also know that my eye is not trained enough (yet!) to discern options from other vendors (like you've done so beautifully with your bracelets, yssie!), and I think I would have ended up spending a lot over time, only to go back to Mikimoto anyway. It was so helpful to read here and look at comparisons and confirm that I really was getting top quality when I pulled the trigger. Now that I've scratched this itch I look forward to exploring other options (erm, when my wallet recovers a bit!).

Despite what the cute card says, there actually are a few blemishes on the pearls - interestingly, more than on my original A+ - but the sharpness and gloss are incomparable and they are not discernible unless you are reeeeeeeeally looking up close for blemishes.














D

 

[empliau]

@yssie I am absolutely stunned. Those bracelets are eye-popping, mind-boggling luscious imperial glowballs! To see them all together is truly educational.

(I'm a bad person: I envy them. Forgive me.)

Wow. Beautiful. Enjoy!

 

[yssie]

Thank you for all these pictures!! I love trying to find the things you're calling out, especially in different lighting and the rankings according to match, glossy, contrast, etc. So fun! I also am seeing what you mean now from another post about capability to see things via cell phone cameras vs. "real" cameras. Your photos really prove the point!

I also learned something new about platinum today! I checked my clasp and the tongue is also gold. Had no idea.

Some photos below of my AAAs! They were able to turn around very quickly, about a week's time from sending to NY, back to Vegas, and to my door, but I ended up sending back to my SA to verify the size of the pearls next to the clasp, so I just got them back again last Thursday. Long story: ultimately a false alarm stemming from my untrained eye and the local jeweler's old-school calipers that were hard to get an accurate read from. My SA handled my anxiety/OCD exactly as one would hope, and we confirmed via Facetime (with their very impressive and precise Japanese calipers) that the sizing is accurate. Whew! She was great.

I'm over the moon about my strand and no regrets about the upgrade. Pearls are my birthstone and my mother's favorite gem; these were a really meaningful and special, once-in-a-lifetime purchase for me, celebrating a work victory that has ultimately turned into a promotion (which I learned the day I got my pearls back and wore them to a meeting with my boss!). In truth, the Mikimoto brand name was important to me, but I also know that my eye is not trained enough (yet!) to discern options from other vendors (like you've done so beautifully with your bracelets, yssie!), and I think I would have ended up spending a lot over time, only to go back to Mikimoto anyway. It was so helpful to read here and look at comparisons and confirm that I really was getting top quality when I pulled the trigger. Now that I've scratched this itch I look forward to exploring other options (erm, when my wallet recovers a bit!).

Despite what the cute card says, there actually are a few blemishes on the pearls - interestingly, more than on my original A+ - but the sharpness and gloss are incomparable and they are not discernible unless you are reeeeeeeeally looking up close for blemishes.














D

They GLOW.

OMG.

It really doesn't get any better than this Truly. You have world-class pearls that will wow you for the rest of your life. Please share tons more photos!!! What size did you land on!?

 

[Civnhasy]

Thank you, thank you! Honestly my hope is that by the time I leave this world, they will be worn down to the bead and full of lovely memories. I ended up going with the 7.5-8 mm bc...sigh. Lifetime purchase, right?!

A few more photos, including one comparison just for fun with my mom's Mikimoto A studs (my AAA studs below them). The lighting definitely makes them look shiny, and they are beautiful in their own right — I consider them my gateway pearls because I tried them on, loved the glow and wanted my own studs but upgraded to AAA...and now here I am with a full strand LOL. But the As are of course missing the gloss and pinkness, and the difference is way more obvious in other lighting.


.
Comparing the pearl size next to the clasp vs. the center.






I love wearing them with the clasp off to the side like this but the strand is still a little stiff from being freshly strung, and the graduation of 7.5 to 8 is more obvious (which set off my initial panic about the sizing). That said, I really love how it changes the look (IMO).

 

[MakingTheGrade]

I’m dying. These akoya are all amazing!!

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Couple other random pics

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OMG girl, not only are the pearls fantastically wonderfully perfect in every way but what beautiful hands and fingers you have
high end auction houses should hire you as a hand model

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Thank you, thank you! Honestly my hope is that by the time I leave this world, they will be worn down to the bead and full of lovely memories. I ended up going with the 7.5-8 mm bc...sigh. Lifetime purchase, right?!

A few more photos, including one comparison just for fun with my mom's Mikimoto A studs (my AAA studs below them). The lighting definitely makes them look shiny, and they are beautiful in their own right — I consider them my gateway pearls because I tried them on, loved the glow and wanted my own studs but upgraded to AAA...and now here I am with a full strand LOL. But the As are of course missing the gloss and pinkness, and the difference is way more obvious in other lighting.


.
Comparing the pearl size next to the clasp vs. the center.






I love wearing them with the clasp off to the side like this but the strand is still a little stiff from being freshly strung, and the graduation of 7.5 to 8 is more obvious (which set off my initial panic about the sizing). That said, I really love how it changes the look (IMO).

outstandingly beautiful
congradulations on both the pearls and the promotion

 

[Catmom]

OMG, both the bracelet and the strand are simply perfection. Congrats to you both! I am green with envy right now. Sigh.

 

[bigarade]

happy to report I'll be picking up my 7.5mm AAA studs this weekend! just got a text from my SA letting me know they'd come in 2 months earlier than expected (they gave a lead time of 3 months).

this thread and forum have been amazing resources; I'd always loved pearls growing up but only made the jump into the incomparable lustre of akoyas this year, and my upcoming pair will be my very first akoyas! I'd originally posted my own thread on here asking about Mikimoto grading in Japan, but after less than helpful responses from their customer service I decided to be mind clean and just order an actual AAA pair from Hong Kong instead. hoping to post an update once I collect them