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Calling NY_resonant and Yssie (miki vs T)

lovedogs

lovedogs

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Jul 31, 2014
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I know this has been discussed to death and I really don't want to start an argument about mikimoto vs Takahashi. However, I'm wondering if anyone took comparison pics of a gem quality T strand vs Miki A+? I know @NY_Resonant has amazing pics of T versus miki AA and AAA, but I don't think I've seen any comparison pics between T and Miki A+.

Long story short: I might be able to buy a miki A+ strand pre loved, but want to ask about the quality vs T before I spend 3.5k (ish).
 
Unfortunately I don’t have any information on this one… @yssie, do you know if Mikimoto always used A+ pearls on their regular jewelry? If so, I imagine someone on this forum that bought Takahashi gems may have a regular jewelry piece from Mikimoto with an A+ pearl to compare?
 
NY_Resonant said:
Unfortunately I don’t have any information on this one… @yssie, do you know if Mikimoto always used A+ pearls on their regular jewelry? If so, I imagine someone on this forum that bought Takahashi gems may have a regular jewelry piece from Mikimoto with an A+ pearl to compare?
Click to expand...

Ahhh gotcha. For some reason I thought miki used A on their regular pieces, but it's totally possible I'm wrong.
 
Yeah, what @NY_Resonant said - A+ is the standard for their jewellery


From when both pieces were basically new - smaller pearls are Miki A+, larger are Moline gems

1708991267728.png1708991353228.png



Just looking at luster alone, if you can ignore colour - Takahashi gem will get you between AA and AAA -

1708991379524.png
 
yssie said:
Yeah, what @NY_Resonant said - A+ is the standard for their jewellery


From when both pieces were basically new - smaller pearls are Miki A+, larger are Moline gems

1708991267728.png1708991353228.png



Just looking at luster alone, if you can ignore colour - Takahashi gem will get you between AA and AAA -

1708991379524.png
Click to expand...

Thanks, that helps a lot. Still on the fence about if the A+ strand is worth it or not vs spending the same with T or general pearl. But definitely appreciate rhe pics!
 
lovedogs said:
Thanks, that helps a lot. Still on the fence about if the A+ strand is worth it or not vs spending the same with T or general pearl. But definitely appreciate rhe pics!
Click to expand...

Remember to ask yourself if the strand will be mind clean knowing you went for a lower quality pearl in the necklace when you had the other option…

@yssie’s pictures show a pretty distinct visible difference, IMO…
 
NY_Resonant said:
Remember to ask yourself if the strand will be mind clean knowing you went for a lower quality pearl in the necklace when you had the other option…

@yssie’s pictures show a pretty distinct visible difference, IMO…
Click to expand...

Agreed. I need to check with T what price point/quality they have right now. Because if $ were the same I'd want the highest quality
 
Hi all,
Not sure what I'll end up doing here, but for the sake of helping others I wanted to share some info. Note that all strands are between 6.5 and 7.5mm because I wanted a strand that would feel ok for daily wear and be slightly less expensive than the 7.5-8.5 size range.


Options are the following

Choice 1: A+ miki strand (there are a few options of these available preloved for around 3k)
One A+ option
s-l1600 (3).jpg

2nd A+ option
s-l1600 (2).jpg


Choice 2:
Supposedly a AA strand from miki in the 3k range. However, there's no paperwork proving it's AA versus A+, A, etc, so I am wary.
s-l1600.png

The strand above is the 2nd from right in this pic of 4
s-l1600 (1).jpg


Option 3:
Gem quality strand from Takahashi (2 options shown), ~3k



418210229_259310000552044_3129945629358675522_n.jpg

418287954_762676962463942_8177406925326661973_n.jpg




Option 4:
Highest available luster option from another vendor I trust (some minor blemishes because I told them I care the most about contrast and luster but can live with tiny blemishes). This is a bit cheaper ~2.5k
08181421_64deffef4bc52.jpg



08181422_64df0017850f8.jpg
 
My two cents:

1. I would skip any strands personally where I can’t verify it’s a real Mikimoto. I feel like it defeats the purpose of paying the overhead cost for the name.

2. I love love it the fourth option. It would be comparing 3 vs 4 for me.

3. Not blown away by the A+ mikimoto strands which don’t look as great as 3 or 4.

I will humbly await more trained eyes than mine to comment however!
 
Pinkmartini87 said:
My two cents:

1. I would skip any strands personally where I can’t verify it’s a real Mikimoto. I feel like it defeats the purpose of paying the overhead cost for the name.

2. I love love it the fourth option. It would be comparing 3 vs 4 for me.

3. Not blown away by the A+ mikimoto strands which don’t look as great as 3 or 4.

I will humbly await more trained eyes than mine to comment however!
Click to expand...

What do you think about 3 vs 4?
 
HI:

I have no idea what quality these are rated as it doesn't say in the ad, but you could ask. Just a thought.

oakgem.com

Mikimoto Classic Gold 7.5mm to 8mm Pearl Necklace

Classic 18k gold Mikimoto necklace, featuring 7.5mm to 8mm pearls. DESIGNER: Mikimoto MATERIAL: 18k Gold GEMSTONES: Pearl DIMENSIONS: Necklace is 30.5" long. MARKED/TESTED: Mikimoto M mark, 750. WEIGHT: 61.5 grams. CONDITION: Previously Owned, Excellent Condition.
oakgem.com oakgem.com

cheers--Sharon
 
lovedogs said:
What do you think about 3 vs 4?
Click to expand...

I trust Takahashi’s and their eye and I would go with them—their photos are true, no color tuning, etc. I like the upper strand of their two, slightly higher luster? But I would ask them to pick lol, their eyes are way better than mine. Their customer service is also great, no issues with shipping, etc, etc. I know I would get a reliable product and experience with them.

4 looks great and hard to compare obv to 3 given the different light conditions and color balance, I do feel that the white backdrop of 4 shows possibly some color skew bc it appears to me to be off white (blue-ish tinged), so I wonder if that might make the strand appear to have greater luster than in real life with the color being a little off (enhancing the reflections). I would ask for more photos of 4 in diff light conditions and some close ups to better evaluate the luster.
 
Pinkmartini87 said:
I trust Takahashi’s and their eye and I would go with them—their photos are true, no color tuning, etc. I like the upper strand of their two, slightly higher luster? But I would ask them to pick lol, their eyes are way better than mine. Their customer service is also great, no issues with shipping, etc, etc. I know I would get a reliable product and experience with them.

4 looks great and hard to compare obv to 3 given the different light conditions and color balance, I do feel that the white backdrop of 4 shows possibly some color skew bc it appears to me to be off white (blue-ish tinged), so I wonder if that might make the strand appear to have greater luster than in real life with the color being a little off (enhancing the reflections). I would ask for more photos of 4 in diff light conditions and some close ups to better evaluate the luster.
Click to expand...

Video of 4 (its on hold for me)

 
I like the upper strand out of the two from Takahashi the most. I love the strong overtone colors shown.

I can't compare to option 4 across different pictures but it looks like a beautiful necklace and I do like the blue tones a lot.

My main issue with option 4 comes from the SURFACE quality of the pearls as shown in the video when he was rolling the pearls on the counter next to the window. I could see not only shark-skin (which I am fine with) but what looked like actual little "dips" in a number of the pearls. That defect bothers me more than shark-skin and would make me probably go with Takahashi since I know their gem quality surface will be superior to what I saw in the video.
 
NY_Resonant said:
I like the upper strand out of the two from Takahashi the most. I love the strong overtone colors shown.

I can't compare to option 4 across different pictures but it looks like a beautiful necklace and I do like the blue tones a lot.

My main issue with option 4 comes from the SURFACE quality of the pearls as shown in the video when he was rolling the pearls on the counter next to the window. I could see not only shark-skin (which I am fine with) but what looked like actual little "dips" in a number of the pearls. That defect bothers me more than shark-skin and would make me probably go with Takahashi since I know their gem quality surface will be superior to what I saw in the video.
Click to expand...

So interesting! I didn't notice the surface quality at all in 4. I think I get hyperfocused on contrast and luster and don't look for anything else. Im going to ask for a video of the top T strand (that was my favorite of their 2 options)
 
lovedogs said:
So interesting! I didn't notice the surface quality at all in 4. I think I get hyperfocused on contrast and luster and don't look for anything else. Im going to ask for a video of the top T strand (that was my favorite of their 2 options)
Click to expand...

Worth considering, anyhow.

If you wanted a closer apples-to-apples comparison, you might want to ask if Takahashi had a "Gem Luster with Minor Flaws" necklace --- That might close the pricing gap between the two as well.

Personally, for a $500 difference between necklaces, I wouldn't sacrifice on surface quality and glossiness of reflection though. It's a more muted feeling than luster/contrast but i've learned to appreciate it.
 
NY_Resonant said:
Worth considering, anyhow.

If you wanted a closer apples-to-apples comparison, you might want to ask if Takahashi had a "Gem Luster with Minor Flaws" necklace --- That might close the pricing gap between the two as well.

Personally, for a $500 difference between necklaces, I wouldn't sacrifice on surface quality and glossiness of reflection though. It's a more muted feeling than luster/contrast but i've learned to appreciate it.
Click to expand...

The difference is closer to 1k, bit it's also about size. T's strand is 7-7.5 and the other is 6.5, so that (to me) makes them even out with price overall
 
yssie said:
Yeah, what @NY_Resonant said - A+ is the standard for their jewellery


From when both pieces were basically new - smaller pearls are Miki A+, larger are Moline gems

1708991267728.png1708991353228.png



Just looking at luster alone, if you can ignore colour - Takahashi gem will get you between AA and AAA -

1708991379524.png
Click to expand...

those top pictures are drool worthy and like from a glossy magazine :kiss2:
 
Update:
Decided not to go w any of the miki strands. The A+ isn't high enough quality, and the supposedly AA comes with crappy cell phone pics and no proof of quality.

So in rhe end if I buy anything it'll be either the T strand (waiting on videos/more pics) or the one from general pearl.
 
I am just learning about pearls, but as a rule for larger purchases like this I think going with the known commodity/vendor is always worth the slightly higher cost. So I think you have made the right choice! The T strand also looks like the best quality to boot. It’s worth a little more $$ to get what you want.
 
@lovedogs how did you get in touch with Takahashi? I messaged them on instagram but no response. Thanks.
 
concun said:
@lovedogs how did you get in touch with Takahashi? I messaged them on instagram but no response. Thanks.
Click to expand...

I use IG. They have 2 accounts. Which one are you messaging?
 
@NY_Resonant do you still think the T strand is the best in terms of luster, clean surfaces, etc?
 
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