Other brands for Akoya besides Mikimoto, Tasaki and Takahashi

[NY_Resonant]

Yes, I chose the the one on the right hand side in 9-9.5 mm, never thought I would go for this size but of all the strands in same grading, this one is the brightest in lustre so I forgot about other strands in smaller sizes. I would ask the company to take out pearls to turn them into earrings with huggy hardware. This strand would be used as a choker to make it look modern for me.

As for the smoothness of the body, I don't think my miki has the highest rate in smoothness. I took out two pearls with pimples from miki bracelet and still there are two pearls with wrinkles staying in my bracelet but I don't mind. I need miki samples and I still like a miki clasp. No other companies dare to make a miki lookalike clasp.

Why do I change suddenly? It's because I saw a WSS queen strand and it kinda lower the value of akoya for me. I would rather have that WSS strand than an AAA in bigger size. It's Love at first sight for that WSS strand. Alas, it's more or less the same as a down payment for an apartment.

Will I still buy an AAA from mikimoto? Maybe, but it's got to be 7mm. The chocker one would be worn with my miki 9mm earrings as they are the same size. The future miki strand in 7mm would be worn with my bracelet.



This one WSS queen stirred me away from akoya. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a pair of earrings that got this overtone and well matched from the same vendor. Well, I will keep bothering him lol.

I like the WSS look as well but they are just too big in my opinion… Thats probably one reason I like natural white akoya, they can give a similar feel to WSS with better luster in a more manageable size.

I personally max out at 8.5-9mm for necklaces/bracelets since as you said before: I like people to wear the pearls, not have the pearls wear people. .

 

[love_pearls]

I like the WSS look as well but they are just too big in my opinion… Thats probably one reason I like natural white akoya, they can give a similar feel to WSS with better luster in a more manageable size.

I personally max out at 8.5-9mm for necklaces/bracelets since as you said before: I like people to wear the pearls, not have the pearls wear people. .

That WSS is to die for. I would sell my kidney for that lol.

I was fearing the same thing about my strand being too big but once I saw how it would look after turning it into a choker. It's fine. It's going to go well with my proportion.

 

[love_pearls]

After attending the jewellery show, I got an idea about different types of vendors catering to different types of customers.

Some vendors sell akoya strands without certificates. Those strands usually look a bit yellow. Those vendors without certificates or gem grade akoya usually give lots of discounts. Their prices were shocking but after the discount prices, the prices were reasonable. I found some akoya strands that feel strange to the touch, the surface got some kind of stickiness to it. They look pink yellowish. Also, try not to judge the quality of the pearls based on the size of their stall in the jewellery show. Some big stalls carry higher quality pearls but some big ones don't.



This one got only one high quality strand called 'special selection'. The photo is showing the regular ones.





For conch pearls, you can try the following vendor:



I didn't see lots of conch pearls that have the visible flames. Those got strong visible flames fetch high prices.




Here are two pairs of WSS, too bad they seem to have yellow tones to them and they don't match very well.

It looks like it's more difficult to find high quality WSS than high quality akoya.



The above is a strand without a certificate. It looked yellow to my eyes. Therefore, I am not going to post the name of the company here.

 

[love_pearls]

This time at this show, not many vendors offered gem quality pearl akoya necklaces. J Ocean Pearls offered not only gem quality ones but they also got the ones that are of lesser quality of the gem quality ones. Now, I understand why some members are their customers as well because they have a clearer grading system than some other vendors at the show. They got some nice WSS but of course, I haven't seen those from them that can beat the WSS queen strand I saw at another vendor. I really want a pair of WSS from that vendor now even though the price may be high. After the show, I have a better idea of where to go for some WSS.

Anyway, here is a picture showing side by side of the mikimoto premium bracelet and gem quality necklace from J Ocean Pearls. The necklace comes with a certificate by PSL.

Now, I am more relaxed when it comes to my next mikimoto purchase or simply pearl purchase. Now I also understand how Mikimoto can recognise their own pearls, it's by looking at the smoothness of the pearls of the whole strand. Therefore, mikimoto is still somehow worth the price tag given the fact that a strand from them looks and feels different than any other pearl vendors. I would be lying to myself if I still think that other pearls are the same like Mikimoto's pearls.

For winter thicker clothing, it requires larger pearls while for the summer, it's better to have smaller pearls.




There are still many pearl vendors I haven't had time to visit but now I understand why in the past, some members mentioned about looking at pearls at jewellery show because you get to see what quality pearls mean and you get a sense of the price and what is trending right now. Yesterday, a lot of people were gathering around the stalls that sell pearls whereas for other gems or semi precious stones or diamond stalls, it's quieter over there.

 

[fussykiki]

This time at this show, not many vendors offered gem quality pearl akoya necklaces. J Ocean Pearls offered not only gem quality ones but they also got the ones that are of lesser quality of the gem quality ones. Now, I understand why some members are their customers as well because they have a clearer grading system than some other vendors at the show. They got some nice WSS but of course, I haven't seen those from them that can beat the WSS queen strand I saw at another vendor. I really want a pair of WSS from that vendor now even though the price may be high. After the show, I have a better idea of where to go for some WSS.

Anyway, here is a picture showing side by side of the mikimoto premium bracelet and gem quality necklace from J Ocean Pearls. The necklace comes with a certificate by PSL.

Now, I am more relaxed when it comes to my next mikimoto purchase or simply pearl purchase. Now I also understand how Mikimoto can recognise their own pearls, it's by looking at the smoothness of the pearls of the whole strand. Therefore, mikimoto is still somehow worth the price tag given the fact that a strand from them looks and feels different than any other pearl vendors. I would be lying to myself if I still think that other pearls are the same like Mikimoto's pearls.

For winter thicker clothing, it requires larger pearls while for the summer, it's better to have smaller pearls.




There are still many pearl vendors I haven't had time to visit but now I understand why in the past, some members mentioned about looking at pearls at jewellery show because you get to see what quality pearls mean and you get a sense of the price and what is trending right now. Yesterday, a lot of people were gathering around the stalls that sell pearls whereas for other gems or semi precious stones or diamond stalls, it's quieter over there.

Wow. Congratulations! Any chance to show us photos of it on your neck? I have been thinking to a set of akoya necklace and earrings. But I dont know what size / length I am looking for.

 

[love_pearls]

Wow. Congratulations! Any chance to show us photos of it on your neck? I have been thinking to a set of akoya necklace and earrings. But I dont know what size / length I am looking for.

Thank you for letting me know in this forum about this company. They do have nice pearls.

When it comes to length and size of necklaces, it's very personal but I will try to dress according to age. These days, I see lots of women that reach retirement years from Mainland China ( 大媽）wearing a pearl strand 8mm or above regardless of the type of clothing they're wearing. I haven't hit retirement year yet so I think I will shorten my 9mm akoya and the necklace will hit above my collar bone. I will show you the before and after pictures once it's been restrung. When it's shorten, the necklace will act as a collar when worn with a round neck cardigan or round neck dress. This way, I don't always need a t-shirt underneath my cardigan or sweater.

For summer, the chocker length is good because it's easy to pair it with princess neckline or blouse with ruffles. However, I will get the 7mm AAA from Mikimoto as well.Before this 9mm necklace, I was stuck in between 7mm and 7.5 mm because I was thinking that 7.5 can be worn in winter but it might not suit because winter clothing is heavy and thick, when 7.5 mm worn with a sweater, the necklace will shrink visually. Now, it's a no brainer, 7mm it is for summer with normal 16" in length from mikimoto knowing that I have a 9mm already from another company.

If you want only one set, I would say 7.5mm or 8mm in 16" for necklace and 8mm for earrings. Anything that is larger than 8mm is better to be shortened to have a chic style.

 

[fussykiki]

Thank you for letting me know in this forum about this company. They do have nice pearls.

When it comes to length and size of necklaces, it's very personal but I will try to dress according to age. These days, I see lots of women that reach retirement years from Mainland China ( 大媽）wearing a pearl strand 8mm or above regardless of the type of clothing they're wearing. I haven't hit retirement year yet so I think I will shorten my 9mm akoya and the necklace will hit above my collar bone. I will show you the before and after pictures once it's been restrung. When it's shorten, the necklace will act as a collar when worn with a round neck cardigan or round neck dress. This way, I don't always need a t-shirt underneath my cardigan or sweater.

For summer, the chocker length is good because it's easy to pair it with princess neckline or blouse with ruffles. However, I will get the 7mm AAA from Mikimoto as well.Before this 9mm necklace, I was stuck in between 7mm and 7.5 mm because I was thinking that 7.5 can be worn in winter but it might not suit because winter clothing is heavy and thick, when 7.5 mm worn with a sweater, the necklace will shrink visually. Now, it's a no brainer, 7mm it is for summer with normal 16" in length from mikimoto knowing that I have a 9mm already from another company.

If you want only one set, I would say 7.5mm or 8mm in 16" for necklace and 8mm for earrings. Anything that is larger than 8mm is better to be shortened to have a chic style.

I will probably go to J Ocean when they have new stocks come in. I have a set of Madama from Takahashi which I don't wear often. I instantly look older when I wear them, I suspect it is because of the length. So I wanna get shorter one. And since the akoya price will only go higher as time passes, it is better to get one now than later.

This is the madama:

Takahaski Pearl - My turn to share!

So with the great reviews about Takahaski, I reached out to YY to enquire about the mash net necklace. After confirmed the necklace, I helped a friend to ask about Madama earrings. Ended up I bought a necklace and a pair earrings too. YY also helped me to send them to PSL for the certificate...

www.pricescope.com

 

[love_pearls]

The colour of your strand is very popular right now because I saw a lot of people looking at this tone at the show. If I were you, I would shorten it. If you don't like chocker style, maybe shorten it so that it hit just right below collar bone. Please don't let it sitting in the box. The more you wear it, the more you will find it's worth the price plus pearls are meant to be worn. Maybe you can send your strand back for Takahashi to shorten it.

Yesterday, I quickly made a decision to purchase the strand because it's the one that's outstanding among all other strands at the same grading and after my purchase, the sales lady said not sure if in the future, they will have this grading in 9mm size at this price. Since I am used to Mikimoto price point, I didn't think it hurt to get the strands or there's lots of risk getting the strands. What's more, not many vendors had the 天女 strands yesterday.

I will show you some pictures after I got my strand shortened. As I have a lot of round neck clothes both in winter and summer, I believe that chocker length is the best for pearls bigger than 8mm.

 

[love_pearls]

Wow. Congratulations! Any chance to show us photos of it on your neck? I have been thinking to a set of akoya necklace and earrings. But I dont know what size / length I am looking for.

I finally got my necklace back. Got 7 pearls taken out of 45 pearls.

The necklace just sit well at the collar bone.

I hope you can find a pearl necklace that you like. I would recommend size 8mm or above because it's getting harder to find with high quality pearls.

 

[dk168]

Not Akoyas, however, in case anyone is interested, 2 strands of WSS Granpearls have been posted in annicasepearls' IG:

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

DK

 

[NY_Resonant]

I finally got my necklace back. Got 7 pearls taken out of 45 pearls.

The necklace just sit well at the collar bone.

I hope you can find a pearl necklace that you like. I would recommend size 8mm or above because it's getting harder to find with high quality pearls.

You picked the right size pearls, glad you didn’t get the smaller ones.

 

[love_pearls]

You picked the right size pearls, glad you didn’t get the smaller ones.

I am glad that I took my time to decide on the first real pearl necklace.

Now I realised why it didn't feel right to purchase a strand in a branded store at the beginning of this year in Japan. The vibe was off and there's no more than one necklace of the same size and same grade to choose from.

Better to put some savings on some WSS.

It seems that WSS are too matte.

Even Venus and Phoenix grading are not shiny enough.

Thanks for the comparison photos of different pearls from different companies by the way.

 

[love_pearls]

I will probably go to J Ocean when they have new stocks come in. I have a set of Madama from Takahashi which I don't wear often. I instantly look older when I wear them, I suspect it is because of the length. So I wanna get shorter one. And since the akoya price will only go higher as time passes, it is better to get one now than later.

This is the madama:

Takahaski Pearl - My turn to share!

So with the great reviews about Takahaski, I reached out to YY to enquire about the mash net necklace. After confirmed the necklace, I helped a friend to ask about Madama earrings. Ended up I bought a necklace and a pair earrings too. YY also helped me to send them to PSL for the certificate...

www.pricescope.com

Here is another photo to give you some ideas on how it looks when shortened to hit just the collar bone.

I don't want the strand to get lower because it looks weird when worn with a round neck cardigan because the edge of the cardigan and the draping of the necklace create two lines under the neck.

8 mm or above is a good size. 7mm or 7.5 mm are better for the summer.



It's wise to wait till J Ocean Pearl's new stock comes in because I had a look at their necklaces this afternoon and there's one shiny one but with peachy overtone. Not sure what overtone you are looking for but I like pink ones, the green one makes me look yellow under warm lighting.

You can see here with my bracelet and my necklace. Green overtone looks yellow under warm lighting while pink overtone remains dusty rose colour under warm lighting.



Hope it helps.

Thanks again for the recommendation of this company.

 

[NY_Resonant]

I am glad that I took my time to decide on the first real pearl necklace.

Now I realised why it didn't feel right to purchase a strand in a branded store at the beginning of this year in Japan. The vibe was off and there's no more than one necklace of the same size and same grade to choose from.

Better to put some savings on some WSS.

It seems that WSS are too matte.

Even Venus and Phoenix grading are not shiny enough.

Thanks for the comparison photos of different pearls from different companies by the way.

WSS will never reach the luster of true top quality Akoya, sadly. They are big and can glow beautifully like balls of light but definitely a different feel/vibe from Akoya.

I prefer Akoya personally but may get a WSS earring for wife/mother one day.

 

[yssie]

@love_pearls your new strand is stunning and it's a really great size on you.

It does look more contrasty to me than the Mikimoto bracelet, but in those same photos it looks to me like the Mikimoto wins on glassy glossy surface. Same things that @NY_Resonant saw. I know that higher contrast tends to be valued in the US, but I wouldn't be surprised to learn that general market preferences and priorities are different in another part of the world.

WSS can be beautifully smooth and glossy but they can't beat darker-bodied akoya on contrast. If you want tippy top WSS, consider buying direct from Australia, that's where the world class WSS oyster farms are. Japan for akoya, Australia for WSS. Philippines for GSS. WSS prices are skyrocketing too unfortunately.

 

[dk168]

WSS will never reach the luster of true top quality Akoya, sadly. They are big and can glow beautifully like balls of light but definitely a different feel/vibe from Akoya.

Not so sure about that - I have seen 1M+ USD strands as shown by PP recently, and they had mirror luster.

Too shinny and glassy for my liking in WSS - I prefer the softer silky look, each to their own and all that.

DK

 

[love_pearls]

@love_pearls your new strand is stunning and it's a really great size on you.

It does look more contrasty to me than the Mikimoto bracelet, but in those same photos it looks to me like the Mikimoto wins on glassy glossy surface. Same things that @NY_Resonant saw. I know that higher contrast tends to be valued in the US, but I wouldn't be surprised to learn that general market preferences and priorities are different in another part of the world.

WSS can be beautifully smooth and glossy but they can't beat darker-bodied akoya on contrast. If you want tippy top WSS, consider buying direct from Australia, that's where the world class WSS oyster farms are. Japan for akoya, Australia for WSS. Philippines for GSS. WSS prices are skyrocketing too unfortunately.

Thanks! In Mikimoto, a bigger one -- 9.5 mm in AAA cost about 1 million HKD.
I do feel that nothing can beat an AAA in mikimoto but 7mm or 7.5 mm seems small. I don't know if I still want a smaller one from miki. An 8 mm AAA from miki costs as much as an entry level Patek Phillip watch. A watch is worth having it seems.

For WSS, the price is crazy. It's even crazier than Akoya. Yesterday, after knowing the price of a WSS strand from the same vendor, I told them, add a few thousand $US, I can get a Patek watch. And no kidding, the strand looks matte. I can't see the appeal if the WSS doesn't have glossy surface.

 

[NY_Resonant]

Thanks! In Mikimoto, a bigger one -- 9.5 mm in AAA cost about 1 million HKD.
I do feel that nothing can beat an AAA in mikimoto but 7mm or 7.5 mm seems small. I don't know if I still want a smaller one from miki. An 8 mm AAA from miki costs as much as an entry level Patek Phillip watch. A watch is worth having it seems.

For WSS, the price is crazy. It's even crazier than Akoya. Yesterday, after knowing the price of a WSS strand from the same vendor, I told them, add a few thousand $US, I can get a Patek watch. And no kidding, the strand looks matte. I can't see the appeal if the WSS doesn't have glossy surface.

You may want to consider a 7mm or 7.5mm opera-length (or even a rope length ) strand that you can use in various ways. The small pearl size, in a double loop or various arrangements, can look quite nice. Can go with AAA mikimoto for a longer strand and spend less than larger pearls.

examples:

 

[love_pearls]

You may want to consider a 7mm or 7.5mm opera-length (or even a rope length ) strand that you can use in various ways. The small pearl size, in a double loop or various arrangements, can look quite nice. Can go with AAA mikimoto for a longer strand and spend less than larger pearls.

examples:

Even with 7mm AAA in miki, the price is not any lower when order a longer strand. The SA told me that any design with diamond in it has A+ upper pearls. However, the A+ upper is still not as shiny as my AA bracelet. And the A+ double strand that is 89cm long cost as much as an 8 mm best of the best single strand.

I think anything that is AAA from miki is going to cost an arm and a leg.

 

[NY_Resonant]

Even with 7mm AAA in miki, the price is not any lower when order a longer strand. The SA told me that any design with diamond in it has A+ upper pearls. However, the A+ upper is still not as shiny as my AA bracelet. And the A+ double strand that is 89cm long cost as much as an 8 mm best of the best single strand.

I think anything that is AAA from miki is going to cost an arm and a leg.

Well, a 32 inch AAA 7mm is still less than half a regular 8.5 or 9mm AAA but you are certainly right that AAA Mikimoto isn’t cheap. An arm and a leg is the right phrase!

I just know from your other posts that you valued the Mikimoto brand a lot but you seem to have changed your mind about it being worth the brand premium they charge? I can’t disagree with you there, it’s a very high mark-up to swallow for a clasp on a commodity.

I’m a guy and love watches, so yea… Love Philip Patek too but I think my next watch will be a Vacheron Constantin!

 

[love_pearls]

Well, a 32 inch AAA 7mm is still less than half a regular 8.5 or 9mm AAA but you are certainly right that AAA Mikimoto isn’t cheap. An arm and a leg is the right phrase!

I just know from your other posts that you valued the Mikimoto brand a lot but you seem to have changed your mind about it being worth the brand premium they charge? I can’t disagree with you there, it’s a very high mark-up to swallow for a clasp on a commodity.

I’m a guy and love watches, so yea… Love Philip Patek too but I think my next watch will be a Vacheron Constantin!

For smaller akoya pearls, it's not that difficult to get so it can wait. Since I already have the 9 mm ten-yo gem quality strand and it matches well with most of my outfits, I am happy. I think I am lucky because the strand's colour is exactly what I like and even though not all pearls are smooth, it's better than the other strands in terms of color, lustres and smoothness. When I saw this strand, I knew it's the right one to get. It's very close to the miki premium strand that I saw previously in terms of colour, contrast and probably the shine.

The classic clasp is nice to have. I have that in my bracelet. I like my jewellery collection to have a little bit of everything so I need to fund my other pieces. After this journey, I understand how it's not easy to collect all pearls in high lustre, contrast and smooth body all at the same time.

As for watches, I think I prefer brands that are owned privately instead of a big jewellery or watch group.

 

[katbran]

Thank you so much for adding another pearl company to this thread.

I will go to the jewellery show in Hong Kong at the end of this month but I doubt that there will be a lot of akoya strands to choose from because akoya pearls are harvested in winter and it takes about 6 months to be in the market. Lots of pearls were sold out during the last jewellery show in HK.

I am trying to look for class two upper quality to make a double strand long necklace.

Next year, there will be more price increases I think.

I think it would make more sense to attend the Japanese show where most of the Akoya sellers would be...but I see now that you've already been to the trade show and managed to find what you want ! That's excellent, it's a very pretty strand.

 

[love_pearls]

I think it would make more sense to attend the Japanese show where most of the Akoya sellers would be...but I see now that you've already been to the trade show and managed to find what you want ! That's excellent, it's a very pretty strand.

I saw that there's one jewellery show coming up in January 2024 in Japan. Did you mean this one? I have thought of attending this one but also worried that I would be tempted to go to Mikimoto for an AAA in smaller size lol. Smaller size is only good for summer but summer is very hot and humid where I live. I worry that the sweat will destroy the AAA pearls. But it's a bit pity not to have an AAA from miki. I don't have a diamond pendant so I am contemplating on a diamond pendant--- it would go well with v neckline.

The jewellery show I attended was held in Hong Kong. I think the company I purchased from is a Hong Kong company. It's good because I don't need to ship my necklace to be restrung. I can just go to their office.

I also want a double strand long necklace but have difficulty finding a suitable clasp. The company recommends buying some loose pearls to make a long strand but they don't look for a clasp for me.

I also want some WSS but not a strand. Maybe a pair of earrings and one singleton.

Right now, since I have a pearl strand, a pair of pearl earrings and a bracelet. I might get some pave diamond pieces first.

Are you attending trade show in Japan soon?

 

[NY_Resonant]

I saw that there's one jewellery show coming up in January 2024 in Japan. Did you mean this one? I have thought of attending this one but also worried that I would be tempted to go to Mikimoto for an AAA in smaller size lol. Smaller size is only good for summer but summer is very hot and humid where I live. I worry that the sweat will destroy the AAA pearls. But it's a bit pity not to have an AAA from miki. I don't have a diamond pendant so I am contemplating on a diamond pendant--- it would go well with v neckline.

The jewellery show I attended was held in Hong Kong. I think the company I purchased from is a Hong Kong company. It's good because I don't need to ship my necklace to be restrung. I can just go to their office.

I also want a double strand long necklace but have difficulty finding a suitable clasp. The company recommends buying some loose pearls to make a long strand but they don't look for a clasp for me.

I also want some WSS but not a strand. Maybe a pair of earrings and one singleton.

Right now, since I have a pearl strand, a pair of pearl earrings and a bracelet. I might get some pave diamond pieces first.

Are you attending trade show in Japan soon?

I know GSS can be difficult for asian skin tones but don’t forget Tahitians! They are so varied in color and can be gorgeous.

Had lunch with my mum today and she wore the Tahitian necklace that I got for her, looked amazing!

 

[love_pearls]

I know GSS can be difficult for asian skin tones but don’t forget Tahitians! They are so varied in color and can be gorgeous.

Had lunch with my mum today and she wore the Tahitian necklace that I got for her, looked amazing!

Luckily I only like white pearls such as akoya and WSS. That really helps with my budgeting.

At the HK show, I saw a vendor (not the vendor I purchased from) got really shiny silver blue akoya (真多麻）, don't know the English name， I didn't get one even though the colour and shine were nice.

White is easy to mix and match with my wardrobe.

 

[yssie]

akoya (真多麻

Madama.
In western markets we call them "blue akoya". I have heard Japan and China based vendors mostly refer to them as "grey akoya".
Many PS members have Madama pearls.