shape
carat
color
clarity

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

That pair looks beautiful ! As does the necklace ! You can see the studs are more pink but that's ok !

The necklace is around USD 60000. It's way over my budget.

Yes, the ear studs lean on the pink side, since I like pink mixed with green tone. I have pulled the trigger. Now, I am waiting for them to add the ear poles.

I will add a pearl necklace in smaller size 7-7.5 mm later in the future. I find smaller size pearls lean on more casual side than a big pearl necklace.

Anyone has any idea how much it is for a long strand necklace from Takahashi? Maybe for long necklace, I will buy from them. For a single strand, I will buy from mikimoto.
 
$60k. Who would dare wear it without three security guards? It might be beautiful but where is the fun when you'd be scared all the time?
 
$60k. Who would dare wear it without three security guards? It might be beautiful but where is the fun when you'd be scared all the time?

If I remember correctly, there's a member here who bought one at similar price point for his wife. It's from Mikimoto NYC store.

Most of the people have no idea how much a strand of pearls cost, maybe it's the safest choice of all the jewelry pieces.

But that price point is out of my reach for the time being.
 
The necklace is around USD 60000. It's way over my budget.

Yes, the ear studs lean on the pink side, since I like pink mixed with green tone. I have pulled the trigger. Now, I am waiting for them to add the ear poles.

I will add a pearl necklace in smaller size 7-7.5 mm later in the future. I find smaller size pearls lean on more casual side than a big pearl necklace.

Anyone has any idea how much it is for a long strand necklace from Takahashi? Maybe for long necklace, I will buy from them. For a single strand, I will buy from mikimoto.

Congratulations!!

Seems like this pair checks all your boxes ::) Mix of pink and green, the size you want, in-budget, and Mikimoto branded :appl: And I've been told that there are price increases coming soon in many geographies, great that you were able to get this in before a potential price hike!

What metal colour have you chosen for the posts?
 
A PS friend and I met at Mikimoto NYC yesterday!!


... And discovered something I need. More than a ring or more earrings. :bigsmile: From the Les Petales collection. I'd seen pictures of it online but discounted it as being kind of overwrought, but in-person it's much more subdued - a *wearably* perfect balance of blingy and delicate :love:


1666638680862.png

1666638753395.png

1666638877844.png

1666638997908.png

1666638935799.png


I'm vaguely hopeful whatever price increases are coming won't be too terrible... Or I'll get really lucky and this line will be spared...
 
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Congratulations!!

Seems like this pair checks all your boxes ::) Mix of pink and green, the size you want, in-budget, and Mikimoto branded :appl: And I've been told that there are price increases coming soon in many geographies, great that you were able to get this in before a potential price hike!

What metal colour have you chosen for the posts?

I was waiting for your opinions on the pair, since I am not an expert of pearls, I really value your opinions. Hopefully, I didn't make mistake for purchasing it so quickly but I waited for a long time. I asked them about the 9mm AAA at the beginning of this year, and they kept telling me there's no stock for viewing and I had to make full payment in order for them to ship it for me. It almost feels like a blind buy so I dropped the idea but suddenly they have a pair so I just acted quickly knowing that I like the colour.

I chose the white gold poles for the ear studs. White gold and pearls look classic.

Now, I just want to buy more. Maybe a single strand of necklace 7-7.5 mm later. And a bracelet.

The bracelet you show looks nice. But wondering if it's too much for daily wear. Can the diamond parts be taken off? The three strands look so classic.

You are definitely an enabler.
 
I was waiting for your opinions on the pair, since I am not an expert of pearls, I really value your opinions. Hopefully, I didn't make mistake for purchasing it so quickly but I waited for a long time. I asked them about the 9mm AAA at the beginning of this year, and they kept telling me there's no stock for viewing and I had to make full payment in order for them to ship it for me. It almost feels like a blind buy so I dropped the idea but suddenly they have a pair so I just acted quickly knowing that I like the colour.

I chose the white gold poles for the ear studs. White gold and pearls look classic.

Now, I just want to buy more. Maybe a single strand of necklace 7-7.5 mm later. And a bracelet.

The bracelet you show looks nice. But wondering if it's too much for daily wear. Can the diamond parts be taken off? The three strands look so classic.

You are definitely an enabler.

You’ve been searching for a long time! And you’ve done your due diligence. You’ve seen pearls in-person, you know what you need to be happy and what you’re okay compromising on. I don’t think you made a mistake at all, this pair meets all your wants. ❤️

WG is classic with pearls. They will be beautiful :appl: :love: I hope you feel very satisfied every time you wear them, I think pearl earrings are a staple that every woman should own but most pearl earrings aren’t Mikimoto AAA!!

One thought. Do you like smaller or larger earring backs? Mikimoto has two sizes of backs. I don’t think I’ve got the smallers here for comparison, but I believe the pads are about 6.5mm. The larger backs have 9.5mm pads. (In the US) the smaller backs are the default but you can ask for the larger size instead if you prefer… I personally like bigger backs for earrings above ~8mm, to keep everything perky :bigsmile:

A single strand and a bracelet will make for a classic set :love: For Takahashi, you can contact them on IG - @takahashi_pearl_official - and ask for pricing on their gem grade in the pearl size and strand length you want. (For every ~46cm of strand that you want, knotted up and finished, you can buy ~5cm less of unknotted/loose pearls)

But honestly, for you, I would be really tempted to go with Mikimoto for the whole set, even if that means waiting a while. Because you value the brand. I know some communities are very snobbish about being anti-big-brand, those sentiments aren’t reflected here in PS Pearls though, I’m very glad to say. The PS diamonds forum - different story, plenty of blind anti-big-brand snobbery there, unfortunately.

So maybe Mikimoto for the full set? Especially if you do want smaller pearls in your necklace!! Smaller sizes bring price down so much! You’re petite, you can wear any size of pearl you want, smaller pearls won’t get lost on you. I know you said you wanted larger pearls in your necklace though. Mikimoto’s pricing goes absolutely stratospheric in larger pearl sizes ;(

I don’t think there’s any rush to buy smaller size akoya. Even in the nicest qualities. Large akoya do seem to be getting harder to find by the minute but smaller pearls are still around! I won’t say smaller pearls abound, that’s too optimistic, but there are enough of them, no need to jump on anything for fear there just won’t *be* another later. So you’ve got time. You’ve already got the most difficult pearls - that stud pair. :bigsmile:

The Les Petales bracelet - the pave leaves don’t come off, they’re sewn into the strands. So that limits wearability. But… My track record of wearing bling wardrobe basics (that I’m supposed to get a ton of use from) is pretty bad… I either wear nothing at all or I go OTT. So this could be a Dining Out piece and an Office piece :lol:

I am very excited for your studs!! I hope they come in quickly!! :appl: :cool2:
 
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You’ve been searching for a long time! And you’ve done your due diligence. You’ve seen pearls in-person, you know what you need to be happy and what you’re okay compromising on. I don’t think you made a mistake at all, this pair meets all your wants. ❤️

WG is classic with pearls. They will be beautiful :appl: :love: I hope you feel very satisfied every time you wear them, I think pearl earrings are a staple that every woman should own but most pearl earrings aren’t Mikimoto AAA!!

One thought. Do you like smaller or larger earring backs? Mikimoto has two sizes of backs. I don’t think I’ve got the smallers here for comparison, but I believe the pads are about 6.5mm. The larger backs have 9.5mm pads. (In the US) the smaller backs are the default but you can ask for the larger size instead if you prefer… I personally like bigger backs for earrings above ~8mm, to keep everything perky :bigsmile:

A single strand and a bracelet will make for a classic set :love: For Takahashi, you can contact them on IG - @takahashi_pearl_official - and ask for pricing on their gem grade in the pearl size and strand length you want. (For every ~46cm of strand that you want, knotted up and finished, you can buy ~5cm less of unknotted/loose pearls)

But honestly, for you, I would be really tempted to go with Mikimoto for the whole set, even if that means waiting a while. Because you value the brand. I know some communities are very snobbish about being anti-big-brand, those sentiments aren’t reflected here in PS Pearls though, I’m very glad to say. The PS diamonds forum - different story, plenty of blind anti-big-brand snobbery there, unfortunately.

So maybe Mikimoto for the full set? Especially if you do want smaller pearls in your necklace!! Smaller sizes bring price down so much! You’re petite, you can wear any size of pearl you want, smaller pearls won’t get lost on you. I know you said you wanted larger pearls in your necklace though. Mikimoto’s pricing goes absolutely stratospheric in larger pearl sizes ;(

I don’t think there’s any rush to buy smaller size akoya. Even in the nicest qualities. Large akoya do seem to be getting harder to find by the minute but smaller pearls are still around! I won’t say smaller pearls abound, that’s too optimistic, but there are enough of them, no need to jump on anything for fear there just won’t *be* another later. So you’ve got time. You’ve already got the most difficult pearls - that stud pair. :bigsmile:

The Les Petales bracelet - the pave leaves don’t come off, they’re sewn into the strands. So that limits wearability. But… My track record of wearing bling wardrobe basics (that I’m supposed to get a ton of use from) is pretty bad… I either wear nothing at all or I go OTT. So this could be a Dining Out piece and an Office piece :lol:

I am very excited for your studs!! I hope they come in quickly!! :appl: :cool2:

I was never interested in pearls until I bumped into the Mikimoto pop up store last year, without any understanding of pearls, I could already see that their pearls are of high quality and I wanted one, then I came across this forum. Thank goodness you were giving lots of information on what pearls to get from Mikimoto. After reading your post, I decide it's the AAA grade that I need to have because I don't intend to have a large collection so why not get the best I can afford right at the beginning.

I also had a look at other physical store from other Japanese brand in my city. Even for the same price point, you don't get the same quality like you get from Mikimoto. Maybe I just don't know where to look.

The other day I was wearing basic T-Shirt and jeans and tried on 8mm single strand necklace, it didn't go so well. Then a 7-7.5 mm goes very well with casual clothing so it changes my mind about large pearls. Large pearls look too formal but it's worth collecting. Another thing goes well with casual clothing is the long necklace, yes, it's true, I wrap one around as chocker then the rest falls nicely just above my waist. So, I want a small pearls single strand and another in long strand.

Maybe saving the large pearls for a bracelet? I don't know if Mikimoto special order 8mm best of the best bracelet or not. I have to say a bracelet gets more use in summer time because I don't need to worry about sun screen destroying the necklace. If Mikimoto makes best of the best bracelet in large pearls, that would be nice.

Thank you for the information about the backing of ear studs, I might need to ask them about the different sizes.

Now, when it comes to VCA and Mikimoto, which one to pull the trigger first? I just feel that pearls give me more freedom because the other day when I was wearing my vca bracelet, some people just assumed that I made quick and easy money which is not true at all. Wearing pearls allow me to look elegant and without any kind of judgement I guess. It's a kind of freedom of wearing luxury with grace. Now I like pearls.
 
A PS friend and I met at Mikimoto NYC yesterday!!


... And discovered something I need. More than a ring or more earrings. :bigsmile: From the Les Petales collection. I'd seen pictures of it online but discounted it as being kind of overwrought, but in-person it's much more subdued - a *wearably* perfect balance of blingy and delicate :love:


1666638680862.png

1666638753395.png

1666638877844.png

1666638997908.png

1666638935799.png


I'm vaguely hopeful whatever price increases are coming won't be too terrible... Or I'll get really lucky and this line will be spared...

Hi Yssie! Absolutely gorgeous! I love the Les Petales line, my favorite is the Vendome earrings that I've been eyeing for a while. I think you should go for it, it's such a classic, feminine design, I can see it work with so many outfits!
 
I was never interested in pearls until I bumped into the Mikimoto pop up store last year, without any understanding of pearls, I could already see that their pearls are of high quality and I wanted one, then I came across this forum. Thank goodness you were giving lots of information on what pearls to get from Mikimoto. After reading your post, I decide it's the AAA grade that I need to have because I don't intend to have a large collection so why not get the best I can afford right at the beginning.

I also had a look at other physical store from other Japanese brand in my city. Even for the same price point, you don't get the same quality like you get from Mikimoto. Maybe I just don't know where to look.

The other day I was wearing basic T-Shirt and jeans and tried on 8mm single strand necklace, it didn't go so well. Then a 7-7.5 mm goes very well with casual clothing so it changes my mind about large pearls. Large pearls look too formal but it's worth collecting. Another thing goes well with casual clothing is the long necklace, yes, it's true, I wrap one around as chocker then the rest falls nicely just above my waist. So, I want a small pearls single strand and another in long strand.

Maybe saving the large pearls for a bracelet? I don't know if Mikimoto special order 8mm best of the best bracelet or not. I have to say a bracelet gets more use in summer time because I don't need to worry about sun screen destroying the necklace. If Mikimoto makes best of the best bracelet in large pearls, that would be nice.

Thank you for the information about the backing of ear studs, I might need to ask them about the different sizes.

Now, when it comes to VCA and Mikimoto, which one to pull the trigger first? I just feel that pearls give me more freedom because the other day when I was wearing my vca bracelet, some people just assumed that I made quick and easy money which is not true at all. Wearing pearls allow me to look elegant and without any kind of judgement I guess. It's a kind of freedom of wearing luxury with grace. Now I like pearls.

@love_pearls , I agree, it is difficult to stick to one single pearl strand, because different mm sizes and length work with different outfits. All those chocker, princess, opera, etc lengths have their right place in the repertoire. Since you seem to already have figured out what sizes and lengths works best for you, I think you should concentrate on necklaces first and then branch out into bracelet territory. Just my opinion. Good luck and enjoy!
 
I decide it's the AAA grade that I need to have because I don't intend to have a large collection so why not get the best I can afford right at the beginning.
I so agree with this. Fewer but higher quality pieces for me too. Never regretted buying quality.

I also had a look at other physical store from other Japanese brand in my city. Even for the same price point, you don't get the same quality like you get from Mikimoto. Maybe I just don't know where to look.
You’re lucky to have lots of pearls vendors to try! Where I am there are several mid-range options but in the quality you’re wanting… It’s a very small market. Americans just don’t have enough appetite for pearls to be willing to entertain the prices the nicest pearls command. Sadly!

The other day I was wearing basic T-Shirt and jeans and tried on 8mm single strand necklace, it didn't go so well. Then a 7-7.5 mm goes very well with casual clothing so it changes my mind about large pearls. Large pearls look too formal but it's worth collecting. Another thing goes well with casual clothing is the long necklace, yes, it's true, I wrap one around as chocker then the rest falls nicely just above my waist. So, I want a small pearls single strand and another in long strand.

Maybe saving the large pearls for a bracelet? I don't know if Mikimoto special order 8mm best of the best bracelet or not. I have to say a bracelet gets more use in summer time because I don't need to worry about sun screen destroying the necklace. If Mikimoto makes best of the best bracelet in large pearls, that would be nice.
I love this idea and I think a large BotB bracelet is achievable!! Mikimoto uses pearls that are 2-3 grades down from their top grade in their “designs” - in all the themed collection pieces. A friend who shops in Ginza had asked about possibly upgrading the pearls in one of the designs to BotB, and she got a pretty lukewarm “we don’t do that any more”. I’ve asked the same question in my store and gotten a clear “yes”, so I asked again to verify, and was told that Mikimoto is really clamping down on custom orders these days, especially those that involve larger AAA pearls, because of lack of availability of those sorts of pearls… So I think if you wanted long BotB strand in a large pearl size they might say no even if you were willing to throw money at them!! But a bracelet is asking for so much less. Seems so much more doable.

I tried on a 7.5-8mm AAA bracelet. Just under $7k before tax, USD. I thought that wasn’t bad at all. The AAA 8.5-9mm 18” strand was $60k though, that was #Bad :lol:

I absolutely love the idea of choker plus an opera length strand. So refined. Elegance of a bygone era. And for those looks I think smaller pearls are perfect - I genuinely like smaller better than bigger. And smaller is much less heavy! I can’t wait to see what you choose :bigsmile:

Thank you for the information about the backing of ear studs, I might need to ask them about the different sizes.

Now, when it comes to VCA and Mikimoto, which one to pull the trigger first? I just feel that pearls give me more freedom because the other day when I was wearing my vca bracelet, some people just assumed that I made quick and easy money which is not true at all. Wearing pearls allow me to look elegant and without any kind of judgement I guess. It's a kind of freedom of wearing luxury with grace. Now I like pearls.
I really worry about safety more than ever before. People have gone bonkers. Especially in the big cities. Pearls, no one knows anything about them, no one knows what they’re looking at. They feel so much safer. Just like you said. They’re freeing… I’m wearing my pearls so much these days :love:

I admit that VCA basically owns my soul for the next few months. But after my next couple of pieces come in I plan to go back to exploring other brands and Mikimoto and Paspaley are at the top of the list ::)
 
@love_pearls Do you like coffee table books? There’s one called The Pearl Necklace - an Assouline publishing with Mikimoto. I think you would love it, if you haven’t seen it! Gorgeous photos, historic stories, styling ideas ❤️ It’s very pricey on Amazon at the moment but you can often find copies for much less from thrift stores (and a friend got one by calling Assouline directly!)… Or maybe you could just ask your Mikimoto SA if he/she can find you one! It’s not published anymore but maybe the company has some stashed away!?
 
@love_pearls Do you like coffee table books? There’s one called The Pearl Necklace - an Assouline publishing with Mikimoto. I think you would love it, if you haven’t seen it! Gorgeous photos, historic stories, styling ideas ❤️ It’s very pricey on Amazon at the moment but you can often find copies for much less from thrift stores (and a friend got one by calling Assouline directly!)… Or maybe you could just ask your Mikimoto SA if he/she can find you one! It’s not published anymore but maybe the company has some stashed away!?

Yes, I like coffee table books a lot. It's worth collecting. Just don't know if Mikimoto is like VCA or not as VCA gives out coffee table book for free.

Hopefully next year, I am able to add a single strand necklace from Mikimoto.

Thank you for all the information you have given here.
 
A PS friend and I met at Mikimoto NYC yesterday!!


... And discovered something I need. More than a ring or more earrings. :bigsmile: From the Les Petales collection. I'd seen pictures of it online but discounted it as being kind of overwrought, but in-person it's much more subdued - a *wearably* perfect balance of blingy and delicate :love:


1666638680862.png

1666638753395.png

1666638877844.png

1666638997908.png

1666638935799.png


I'm vaguely hopeful whatever price increases are coming won't be too terrible... Or I'll get really lucky and this line will be spared...

yssie, this looks divine on you! :love: I can see why it's a need-to-have.
 
I so agree with this. Fewer but higher quality pieces for me too. Never regretted buying quality.


You’re lucky to have lots of pearls vendors to try! Where I am there are several mid-range options but in the quality you’re wanting… It’s a very small market. Americans just don’t have enough appetite for pearls to be willing to entertain the prices the nicest pearls command. Sadly!


I love this idea and I think a large BotB bracelet is achievable!! Mikimoto uses pearls that are 2-3 grades down from their top grade in their “designs” - in all the themed collection pieces. A friend who shops in Ginza had asked about possibly upgrading the pearls in one of the designs to BotB, and she got a pretty lukewarm “we don’t do that any more”. I’ve asked the same question in my store and gotten a clear “yes”, so I asked again to verify, and was told that Mikimoto is really clamping down on custom orders these days, especially those that involve larger AAA pearls, because of lack of availability of those sorts of pearls… So I think if you wanted long BotB strand in a large pearl size they might say no even if you were willing to throw money at them!! But a bracelet is asking for so much less. Seems so much more doable.

I tried on a 7.5-8mm AAA bracelet. Just under $7k before tax, USD. I thought that wasn’t bad at all. The AAA 8.5-9mm 18” strand was $60k though, that was #Bad :lol:

I absolutely love the idea of choker plus an opera length strand. So refined. Elegance of a bygone era. And for those looks I think smaller pearls are perfect - I genuinely like smaller better than bigger. And smaller is much less heavy! I can’t wait to see what you choose :bigsmile:


I really worry about safety more than ever before. People have gone bonkers. Especially in the big cities. Pearls, no one knows anything about them, no one knows what they’re looking at. They feel so much safer. Just like you said. They’re freeing… I’m wearing my pearls so much these days :love:

I admit that VCA basically owns my soul for the next few months. But after my next couple of pieces come in I plan to go back to exploring other brands and Mikimoto and Paspaley are at the top of the list ::)

I have a question about Paspaley. Do they grade their pearls? I vaguely remember that you have purchased one pearl from the vault from this brand. Is it? How large is a pearl from this brand. How do you know if it's of high quality or not?

It seems like pearls from Paspaley are large pearls?

Just would like to know which type of pearls I should focus on.

Thank you.
 
Paspaley, like most wholesalers/retailers offers a broad range of pearls from the very finest to some which they say would be 'clean when set'. They also sell quite a few outside their 'name' to other suppliers. I've bought pearls from other wholesalers still on a Paspaley card.
 
Sorry it's taken me so long to respond!! I keep sitting down to type and then getting distracted!

Yes, I like coffee table books a lot. It's worth collecting. Just don't know if Mikimoto is like VCA or not as VCA gives out coffee table book for free.

Hopefully next year, I am able to add a single strand necklace from Mikimoto.
They totally do! I couldn’t say if this particular book would be one of them, of course. But I think it would be 100% okay if you asked how you could get a copy for yourself!! And you’re dropping a decent chunk of change, so I can see them just giving you one. Even if not, though, I imagine buying through Mikimoto (or Assouline) would probably be at far better cost than from resellers! My boutique has one on display. Worst they can say is no right? ::)

I do hope your strand works out next year!! You will have a really incredible collection!! :love:

I have a question about Paspaley. Do they grade their pearls? I vaguely remember that you have purchased one pearl from the vault from this brand. Is it? How large is a pearl from this brand. How do you know if it's of high quality or not?

It seems like pearls from Paspaley are large pearls?

Just would like to know which type of pearls I should focus on.

Thank you.
I’ve got three from Paspaley, studs and a pendant. The stud pearls are 12.6mm each and the pendant pearl is 14.4mm - they’re mammoth!! They come much smaller than that though, anywhere from 9mm and up.

For me akoya and WSS look pretty different. Even the best WSS won't have the amount of contrast that your akoya will. But my WSS have much stronger overtones, and I think in general nice WSS have stronger overtones thank akoya in every colour except pink - teals, violets, greens. So they’re both white, but IMO they still behave pretty differently. VCA’s white MoP is from WSS shells actually ❤️


There are some akoya vs. WSS photos on Pg 7, they might be useful -
https://www.pricescope.com/communit...to-nyc-and-musings.264641/page-7#post-5109171
But I apparently didn't take any sunlight photos back then so let me add a couple here! I hope these help too! These are Mikimoto akoya vs. Paspaley WSS. My akoya don't have much green, they're mostly just pink and silver - so they're not the same as yours. A few friends (who have viewed pearls at the flagship and/or purchased their own) have commented that Paspaley's gem WSS commonly seem to have stronger teal overtone... So maybe that's something that they actively select for? I asked my SA who said that yes, stronger overtone is a positive, but she didn't indicate any especial colour requirements.

IMG-0880 copy.jpg

IMG-0864 copy.jpg



And here's an older photo from a different thread, with four pairs of WSS - all with different overtone colours and overtone strength. All from a different vendor (not Paspaley) - I own the rightmost and leftmost pairs. So much variance!! Imagine ending up with a WSS piece with pearls that have this sort of colour variance. I'd lose my marbles :lol:

1667077616402.png


If you're very particular about matching overtone I think akoya would be a lot easier than WSS, just because of the variety of overtone colours and overtone strengths that WSS can have. Akoya are more reliably green/pink/mixed, so the variability is *that* much more limited!
 
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Sorry it's taken me so long to respond!! I keep sitting down to type and then getting distracted!


They totally do! I couldn’t say if this particular book would be one of them, of course. But I think it would be 100% okay if you asked how you could get a copy for yourself!! And you’re dropping a decent chunk of change, so I can see them just giving you one. Even if not, though, I imagine buying through Mikimoto (or Assouline) would probably be at far better cost than from resellers! My boutique has one on display. Worst they can say is no right? ::)

I do hope your strand works out next year!! You will have a really incredible collection!! :love:


I’ve got three from Paspaley, studs and a pendant. The stud pearls are 12.6mm each and the pendant pearl is 14.4mm - they’re mammoth!! They come much smaller than that though, anywhere from 9mm and up.

For me akoya and WSS look pretty different. Even the best WSS won't have the amount of contrast that your akoya will. But my WSS have much stronger overtones, and I think in general nice WSS have stronger overtones thank akoya in every colour except pink - teals, violets, greens. So they’re both white, but IMO they still behave pretty differently. VCA’s white MoP is from WSS shells actually ❤️


There are some akoya vs. WSS photos on Pg 7, they might be useful -
https://www.pricescope.com/communit...to-nyc-and-musings.264641/page-7#post-5109171
But I apparently didn't take any sunlight photos back then so let me add a couple here! I hope these help too! These are Mikimoto akoya vs. Paspaley WSS. My akoya don't have much green, they're mostly just pink and silver - so they're not the same as yours. A few friends (who have viewed pearls at the flagship and/or purchased their own) have commented that Paspaley's gem WSS commonly seem to have stronger teal overtone... So maybe that's something that they actively select for? I asked my SA who said that yes, stronger overtone is a positive, but she didn't indicate any especial colour requirements.

IMG-0880 copy.jpg

IMG-0864 copy.jpg



And here's an older photo from a different thread, with four pairs of WSS - all with different overtone colours and overtone strength. All from a different vendor (not Paspaley) - I own the rightmost and leftmost pairs. So much variance!! Imagine ending up with a WSS piece with pearls that have this sort of colour variance. I'd lose my marbles :lol:

1667077616402.png


If you're very particular about matching overtone I think akoya would be a lot easier than WSS, just because of the variety of overtone colours and overtone strengths that WSS can have. Akoya are more reliably green/pink/mixed, so the variability is *that* much more limited!

Thank you for responding. Oh, there's no need to apologize or anything. We all have more important things to attend to.

Just by looking at the cover, one can feel that the book is a treasure even though we should not judge a book by its cover.

Thank you for the photos. I can see that there's a rainbow of colours on the akoya pearl than the WSS pearl. Do companies treat WSS pearls? Akoya pearls are treated for sure but what about WSS?

As a person who only want pearls for daily wear, which type is recommended? Which size is the smallest size for WSS?

I like the pair on the left hand side, the first pair on the left.
 
Thank you for responding. Oh, there's no need to apologize or anything. We all have more important things to attend to.

Just by looking at the cover, one can feel that the book is a treasure even though we should not judge a book by its cover.

Thank you for the photos. I can see that there's a rainbow of colours on the akoya pearl than the WSS pearl. Do companies treat WSS pearls? Akoya pearls are treated for sure but what about WSS?

As a person who only want pearls for daily wear, which type is recommended? Which size is the smallest size for WSS?

I like the pair on the left hand side, the first pair on the left.
This made me smile!! ::)


It depends where you get the WSS from. If they go through Japan maeshori is a given - even if they were originally sourced from Australia. If you buy from Australia direct - no treatment besides washing.

I think WSS start at about 9mm, realistically? I know there are specialty specimens that are smaller than that but I imagine they come with a specialty price tag too. So akoya availability ends about 9mm and WSS availability starts around 9mm. That's rather nice actually, when I think about it like that. ::)

So the WSS are probably more durable, because their nacre is thicker, but... I tend to choose by appearance. When I really want akoya - that sharp ball bearing esque luster - WSS aren't going to scratch my itch. But when I want a rainbow of overtones I know I'm not going to get that with akoya! I take a pretty liberal stance on "wearability" though - I tend to think jewellery is meant to be enjoyed, so heck, enjoy it and insure it and replace it if you need to. That's just my philosophy though. LOL.
 
I so agree with this. Fewer but higher quality pieces for me too. Never regretted buying quality.


You’re lucky to have lots of pearls vendors to try! Where I am there are several mid-range options but in the quality you’re wanting… It’s a very small market. Americans just don’t have enough appetite for pearls to be willing to entertain the prices the nicest pearls command. Sadly!


I love this idea and I think a large BotB bracelet is achievable!! Mikimoto uses pearls that are 2-3 grades down from their top grade in their “designs” - in all the themed collection pieces. A friend who shops in Ginza had asked about possibly upgrading the pearls in one of the designs to BotB, and she got a pretty lukewarm “we don’t do that any more”. I’ve asked the same question in my store and gotten a clear “yes”, so I asked again to verify, and was told that Mikimoto is really clamping down on custom orders these days, especially those that involve larger AAA pearls, because of lack of availability of those sorts of pearls… So I think if you wanted long BotB strand in a large pearl size they might say no even if you were willing to throw money at them!! But a bracelet is asking for so much less. Seems so much more doable.

I tried on a 7.5-8mm AAA bracelet. Just under $7k before tax, USD. I thought that wasn’t bad at all. The AAA 8.5-9mm 18” strand was $60k though, that was #Bad :lol:

I absolutely love the idea of choker plus an opera length strand. So refined. Elegance of a bygone era. And for those looks I think smaller pearls are perfect - I genuinely like smaller better than bigger. And smaller is much less heavy! I can’t wait to see what you choose :bigsmile:


I really worry about safety more than ever before. People have gone bonkers. Especially in the big cities. Pearls, no one knows anything about them, no one knows what they’re looking at. They feel so much safer. Just like you said. They’re freeing… I’m wearing my pearls so much these days :love:

I admit that VCA basically owns my soul for the next few months. But after my next couple of pieces come in I plan to go back to exploring other brands and Mikimoto and Paspaley are at the top of the list ::)

The mikimoto shop replied about my enquiries about AAA grade bracelet and it's confirmed that they don't do AAA custom order.

I remember that you have a cherry blossom bracelet, how does it hold up? It's in rose gold and sometimes rose gold turn into yellow gold or there might be color fading. How is your bracelet now? What about the diamonds? If there's a loss of diamond, is it expensive to get it fixed?

Ok, maybe asking for a bracelet from takahasi is the solution. Asking for gem quality? Takahasi will do bracelet, right?

Do you know if Takahasi have a physical store or not? Where in Japan is it?


Thanks.
 
The mikimoto shop replied about my enquiries about AAA grade bracelet and it's confirmed that they don't do AAA custom order.

I remember that you have a cherry blossom bracelet, how does it hold up? It's in rose gold and sometimes rose gold turn into yellow gold or there might be color fading. How is your bracelet now? What about the diamonds? If there's a loss of diamond, is it expensive to get it fixed?

Ok, maybe asking for a bracelet from takahasi is the solution. Asking for gem quality? Takahasi will do bracelet, right?

Do you know if Takahasi have a physical store or not? Where in Japan is it?


Thanks.

The differences between different Mikimoto boutiques in our different countries will never cease to baffle me. My boutique is happy to order pieces in AAA grade. It may or may not be approved, but they’re happy to make the request!! As they should be, if someone is trying to fork that sort of money over!! I’m sorry that yours is so unaccommodating. I don’t know if it’s management differences or cultural differences or rules differences but it doesn’t make for a nice shopping experience. ;(

My cherry blossom bracelet has held up very well. No diamonds lost and no rose gold colour change that I’ve noticed (but I haven’t been keeping track, so if there has been some mild oxidation I may have missed it). I hesitate to say how Mikimoto would handle repairs because I suspect that’s another thing that might be different between our boutiques/countries :wall:

Takahashi will do gem grade bracelets. but their definition of gem grade might not match Mikimoto’s exactly - I think Mikimoto highly values a very very smooth skin. So you definitely want to clarify your priorities if you talk with them. I think Takahashi has a showroom in Kobe, maybe something to ask about?

Here’s another thought. Mikimoto NYC has an AAA bracelet available right now, I saw it and was tempted by it myself. 7.5-8mm (not sure if that’s the size you want). I know they won’t ship internationally, but perhaps there is a way for you to purchase and hold for in-person pickup if you’re ever in the US? Or have any contacts who will travel from here to you?
 
The differences between different Mikimoto boutiques in our different countries will never cease to baffle me. My boutique is happy to order pieces in AAA grade. It may or may not be approved, but they’re happy to make the request!! As they should be, if someone is trying to fork that sort of money over!! I’m sorry that yours is so unaccommodating. I don’t know if it’s management differences or cultural differences or rules differences but it doesn’t make for a nice shopping experience. ;(

My cherry blossom bracelet has held up very well. No diamonds lost and no rose gold colour change that I’ve noticed (but I haven’t been keeping track, so if there has been some mild oxidation I may have missed it). I hesitate to say how Mikimoto would handle repairs because I suspect that’s another thing that might be different between our boutiques/countries :wall:

Takahashi will do gem grade bracelets. but their definition of gem grade might not match Mikimoto’s exactly - I think Mikimoto highly values a very very smooth skin. So you definitely want to clarify your priorities if you talk with them. I think Takahashi has a showroom in Kobe, maybe something to ask about?

Here’s another thought. Mikimoto NYC has an AAA bracelet available right now, I saw it and was tempted by it myself. 7.5-8mm (not sure if that’s the size you want). I know they won’t ship internationally, but perhaps there is a way for you to purchase and hold for in-person pickup if you’re ever in the US? Or have any contacts who will travel from here to you?
This luxury boutiques situation has been bewildering me for a long time. Not just in Mikimoto boutiques but VCA as well.

In VCA in my city, they don't have the sample bracelet for customers to try on to see how much they would like to shorten the bracelet. I saw many videos on YouTube showing VCA in the US provide sample bracelet. This is very inconsiderate. I see that luxury boutiques here just don't care at all. I guess they just assume customers will still buy them anyway even with the crappy service. And about the chocolate, they never give out chocolate if you don't ask them. I am not sure if the SAs are keeping all the chocolate for themselves or what. In my city, many boutiques are very frugal when it comes to giving even bottle of mineral water. In US, they give champagne or juice and all of that, maybe luxury boutiques here are just too arrogant to care. So the shopping experience in luxury boutique give me the vibe of shopping in some ordinary shops, it's not luxury, it's just like daily items, so when I use or wear them, I don't worry too much about ruining them. I still care for them but not baby them.

I value smooth surface in pearls, I have no idea how Takahashi pearls look like. I would like to visit their showroom if I go to Japan.

Will definitely go to Mikimoto in Japan to see how their policy or stock is like. Not sure when though.

Thank you for the information about the bracelet in NYC mikimoto. Sadly, I don't want to bother my relatives in the US. I don't want them to know how much I spend on jewelry even though I earn my money with my hard work. Just don't want people to think it's easy money or quick money, it's just the opposite.
 
This luxury boutiques situation has been bewildering me for a long time. Not just in Mikimoto boutiques but VCA as well.

In VCA in my city, they don't have the sample bracelet for customers to try on to see how much they would like to shorten the bracelet. I saw many videos on YouTube showing VCA in the US provide sample bracelet. This is very inconsiderate. I see that luxury boutiques here just don't care at all. I guess they just assume customers will still buy them anyway even with the crappy service. And about the chocolate, they never give out chocolate if you don't ask them. I am not sure if the SAs are keeping all the chocolate for themselves or what. In my city, many boutiques are very frugal when it comes to giving even bottle of mineral water. In US, they give champagne or juice and all of that, maybe luxury boutiques here are just too arrogant to care. So the shopping experience in luxury boutique give me the vibe of shopping in some ordinary shops, it's not luxury, it's just like daily items, so when I use or wear them, I don't worry too much about ruining them. I still care for them but not baby them.
The experience is such an important component of luxury shopping. If you divorce the luxury from the buying experience then are you even buying luxury goods anymore? :doh:

I'm very sorry to hear all of this. It sounds ridiculous. Maybe enough people will eventually feel this way and it'll impact revenue, and these stores will be forced to revisit their policies... I have a friend in east Asia who has observed that shopping really is different there vs. US/UK. She explained that in Asia everything is done #ByTheBook, and the letter of the law is what matters - not the spirit in which it was intended. Whereas in the west people on both sides of the transaction are a bit more flexible, and context is taken into account more.

I do think it's wonderful that you enjoy your pieces though, without worrying so much that you're afraid to wear them. ❤️ Silver lining I suppose?


I value smooth surface in pearls, I have no idea how Takahashi pearls look like. I would like to visit their showroom if I go to Japan.
I brought one of my Takahashi gem akoya bracelets to Mikimoto a few weeks ago. But apparently I didn't take any photos!! Which is SO unlike me!! My friend and I both felt that luster was comparable, but the Mikimoto AAA was more smooth skinned - like, maybe five lumps or wrinkles total, across the whole bracelet? We didn't actually count surface blemishes but there were very few. Vs. my Takahashi, which is mostly smooth, but for sure more pearls show some sort of surface texture.

I'm confident smooth surfaces (without compromising on luster) is something that Takahashi can do, but maybe most of their buyers wouldn't want to pay the price premium that sort of quality would command? And it might take them a while to find all the pearls, too - maybe there'd be a wait as well. So I think that would definitely be something to talk to them about specifically, if you reach out to them!


Will definitely go to Mikimoto in Japan to see how their policy or stock is like. Not sure when though.

Thank you for the information about the bracelet in NYC mikimoto. Sadly, I don't want to bother my relatives in the US. I don't want them to know how much I spend on jewelry even though I earn my money with my hard work. Just don't want people to think it's easy money or quick money, it's just the opposite.
Yeah. Same. I totally understand this. My business is my business but not everyone in my family feels that way :lol:
 
The experience is such an important component of luxury shopping. If you divorce the luxury from the buying experience then are you even buying luxury goods anymore? :doh:

I'm very sorry to hear all of this. It sounds ridiculous. Maybe enough people will eventually feel this way and it'll impact revenue, and these stores will be forced to revisit their policies... I have a friend in east Asia who has observed that shopping really is different there vs. US/UK. She explained that in Asia everything is done #ByTheBook, and the letter of the law is what matters - not the spirit in which it was intended. Whereas in the west people on both sides of the transaction are a bit more flexible, and context is taken into account more.

I do think it's wonderful that you enjoy your pieces though, without worrying so much that you're afraid to wear them. ❤️ Silver lining I suppose?



I brought one of my Takahashi gem akoya bracelets to Mikimoto a few weeks ago. But apparently I didn't take any photos!! Which is SO unlike me!! My friend and I both felt that luster was comparable, but the Mikimoto AAA was more smooth skinned - like, maybe five lumps or wrinkles total, across the whole bracelet? We didn't actually count surface blemishes but there were very few. Vs. my Takahashi, which is mostly smooth, but for sure more pearls show some sort of surface texture.

I'm confident smooth surfaces (without compromising on luster) is something that Takahashi can do, but maybe most of their buyers wouldn't want to pay the price premium that sort of quality would command? And it might take them a while to find all the pearls, too - maybe there'd be a wait as well. So I think that would definitely be something to talk to them about specifically, if you reach out to them!



Yeah. Same. I totally understand this. My business is my business but not everyone in my family feels that way :lol:

For luxury shopping, right now I just want brands to keep up with their quality. The price should match with the quality of the items.

Yes, if one wants quality items from Takahashi, I think they can do that. There's a member here showed a picture from Takahashi. There's one necklace with grandpearl certificate, I think that one might match with mikimoto's AAA. The good thing of buying from Takahashi is that their grandpearl necklace 8.5-9mm costs slightly higher than a 7-7.5mm AAA in mikimoto. Looking at the price difference, it's quite tempting to get it from Takahashi.

Here's the photo from that member.

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The third one from the top looks nice. With the same price, you can't get one with 8.5-9mm from mikimoto.

But at the same time, to me, 7-7.5mm is more versatile. For 7-7.5 mm single strand. Maybe better get it from mikimoto?

For long strand, maybe it doesn't need to be AAA from mikimoto, so Takahashi will do?

I can only get one at a time.
 

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I'm vaguely hopeful whatever price increases are coming won't be too terrible... Or I'll get really lucky and this line will be spared...

I happened to go to a Mikimoto store here at the end of Septembre and been told the price increase was expected for 1st week of October. When I checked again the prices their local online here in mid Oct the prices has increased by about 16-18% for strands. The same for the prices on their japanese online website.
 
I happened to go to a Mikimoto store here at the end of Septembre and been told the price increase was expected for 1st week of October. When I checked again the prices their local online here in mid Oct the prices has increased by about 16-18% for strands. The same for the prices on their japanese online website.

Yes. I just checked recently. The pieces I was watching are up ~18-20% ;(
 
Yes. I just checked recently. The pieces I was watching are up ~18-20% ;(

Lucky to have bought my ear studs just in time. But the necklace strand might have gone up already.

How often do they increase the price?
 
I think that one might match with mikimoto's AAA.
I have some familiarity with this Granpearl strand. I haven’t seen it myself, but my friend was given the option between that strand and another, and she chose the other… Then Takahashi sent this strand to PEPCA and it came back Granpearl. So my friend bought a Granpearl strand by proxy :bigsmile:

Here’s the thing: The strand my friend chose, the skins on the pearls aren’t all completely smooth. Her strand is like my Takahashi strands. They’re mostly smooth - no one else who ever looks registers anything but smooth luster - but for me, the owner, comparing next to Mikimoto AAA, Mikimoto prioritizes an even smoother surface. 99% smooth vs. 95% smooth, I’ll say. I don’t know what your tolerance would be. But I do think Takahashi can find it make a strand for you to whatever your tolerance is.

But at the same time, to me, 7-7.5mm is more versatile. For 7-7.5 mm single strand. Maybe better get it from mikimoto?

For long strand, maybe it doesn't need to be AAA from mikimoto, so Takahashi will do?

I can only get one at a time.
I really feel like you would value the Mikimoto brand. You’ve mentioned this before - passing it down. Could you be completely happy with a strand from a no-name supplier, knowing that you could have afforded Mikimoto?

Definitely get the smaller size! If 7-7.5 is more versatile for you, and is what you want, then don’t even look at anything else. Even if you decide on a PEPCA strand - Takahashi has smaller strands with the same PEPCA paper.
 
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