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

@bling_dream19 Have I mentioned that you're a sweetheart? You're such a sweetheart. ❤️

Those earrings are beautiful, I have so many photos of them still - always loved them!! And I'm so glad they went home to you!! :bigsmile:


@Daisys and Diamonds Our miracle furbaby is doing well this week!! I interrupted the snoozefest ::)

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@katbran I was thinking about you yesterday. You probably don't remember this, but many moons and many threads ago you advised me to learn to string gosh darn it. So now I'm finally learning to string and gosh darn it it is satisfying!! And so much faster and cheaper!! :appl:

And thank you!! ::) They're really, really lovely. I confess the pearly eye and the reality of dealing with organic materials still battle occasionally, but they're coming to truce much more quickly than they used to :lol:
 
Couple more pics :)) They're very nicely matched, this pair, the pics don't really do them justice!

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They do look beautiful!
 
Yssie- I DO remember ! I can tell when someone is moving beyond getting a few pearly things and is really truely interested. It was a suggestion that I hoped you would take to heart as the freedom that comes with knowing how to knot allows for constant reinventing of one's pearls.

Taking them apart and rearranging, adding to and taking away is great fun.

Wait till I talk you into metalwork. hahahahahaha
 
Sweetheart right back at you and those pearls are divine on you!
 
I think that Mikimoto is the only brand name jeweler I would ( if I could) buy jewelry from. It would be the classic pearls they are famous for and not the other varieties. I would get a pair of stud earrings and a pendant with a single pearl with a big mm size.
 
What an informative thread this is! I have always been confused re/luster on pearls... I am now seeing the difference!
 
yssie said:
Same pearls in the shade... And Matilda's 7.4mm came out to play as well.

This lineup is actually really interesting. It shows off something that I've definitely seen in-person but have never gotten photos of - unexpected upsides of taking hundreds of pics from almost the same angle :bigsmile: All these photos are wholly unedited (besides cropping). The pics were all taken in the same place - beside an open window late afternoon, with two very low-power strobes for a little extra additional light.

In the leftmost pic the difference in luster and contrastiness between the 9.7 and the 9.4 is negligible. Barely noticeable - you can see it, if you look closely, but it certainly doesn't jump out at you. As you go from left to right the difference between the two pairs becomes clearer - and when you get to the trio on the right the disparity isn't "barely noticeable" anymore, it's quite obvious!

The thing is. These pics are all true. The only thing that changed between photos was where I docked the strobes - and you can tell from the photos that (aside from lefty) the lighting really didn't change in any meaningful way. These pearls really do look like this!! So... I can take photos of a Mikimoto A+ equivalent that make it look almost indistinguishable from Mikimoto AAA. But I can also take photos of that Mikimoto A+ equivalent that show it to be substantively inferior. The little 7.4 pair, the Mikimoto AAA equivalent, those look consistently fantastic no matter what the camera does.

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Consistency... Because pearls weren't complicated enough :lol:
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I shared a PSA with more info (and more photos!) on this here:

PSA: Request pearl comparison photos in multiple lighting environments

Another PSer requested more explanation on something I brought up in another thread, and I think it's a topic that's important enough to merit its own PSA. When buying pearls - once we've accounted for oyster type, size, shape, and colour, luster (and iridescence is often lumped into the term...
www.pricescope.com
 
HI:

As an aside Yssie--did you see any of the funky pieces with silver x Commedesgarcons?

cheers--Sharon
 
canuk-gal said:
HI:

As an aside Yssie--did you see any of the funky pieces with silver x Commedesgarcons?

cheers--Sharon
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I didn’t!! They were still setting some of the displays up - I’ll bet they’re out now. I find that line oddly intriguing... But for me, not my other half :bigsmile:
 
yssie said:
I didn’t!! They were still setting some of the displays up - I’ll bet they’re out now. I find that line oddly intriguing... But for me, not my other half :bigsmile:
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pour moi
 
It's what will be the segue to the High Jewelry Office Supply Line.

"Yo, boss, got that stack of reports you wanted -- ah, shoot. Let me run back to my desk. Forgot a clip"

"No need, no need. Here -- " *proudly unclips binder clip from very expensive pearl necklace* "Just take one of these."

"Sweet! You're a real lifesaver, thanks!" *twists ring to reveal slowly rising purple glue stick* "I'll get this all compiled for you by the end of the day"
 
molinePDG said:
It's what will be the segue to the High Jewelry Office Supply Line.

"Yo, boss, got that stack of reports you wanted -- ah, shoot. Let me run back to my desk. Forgot a clip"

"No need, no need. Here -- " *proudly unclips binder clip from very expensive pearl necklace* "Just take one of these."

"Sweet! You're a real lifesaver, thanks!" *twists ring to reveal slowly rising purple glue stick* "I'll get this all compiled for you by the end of the day"
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If 007's Q was in office supplies
 
yssie said:
Some collection pieces and high jewels.

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Jardin Mysterieux.

These were otherwordly. My photos don't do them justice at all. The brooch on the website: https://www.mikimotoamerica.com/us_en/jardin-mysterieux-conch-brooch-2

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Prestige:

Not my style, but I can see why it's coveted...

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Jeux de Rubans:

These epitomize the Japanese jewellery aesthetic, I think. Flowy, curvy, svelte, ultra-feminine. Minimalist - just enough to bring the design to life, no more. Dare I say just a lil' bit foofy? Visually weighted, but symmetry is optional. So very very me. My SA sent me off with "I think I'll see you here again soon". Yes, I think that's likely.

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This piece with pink sapphires is magnificent in-person.

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Black South Sea drops

Mikimoto calls pearls from Pinctada Margaritifera "Black South Seas" rather than Tahitians, to account for the fact that not all of these oysters (most, but not all) are farmed in Tahitian waters. My SA explained that whilst in theory they grade Black South Sea on the same scale as akoya (A, A+, AA, AAA), most of their BSS (ugh to that initialism but okay, it works) pieces will be of A+ quality.

Here's a pair of absolutely gigantic earrings - just over 3ctw in diamonds per earring, plus an 18mm pear, drop. 18mm. Super smooth skins on both pearls, and unflappable luster, and wholly unblemished front and back, and perfectly matched in colour. That the colour happens to be a rather boring grey doesn't seem to detract from valuation... I can't imagine how long they must have waited for this mated pair. https://www.mikimotoamerica.com/us_en/black-south-sea-cultured-pearl-earrings-with-diamonds-us-2

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The other pair of earrings in this second pic, on the left, is the sort that I saw a fair amount of.

Mikimoto seems to value luster, smooth skin, and unblemished surfaces, but I saw only a couple of examples of BSS with interesting colours or overtones.

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A seed pearl extravaganza

Not actually sure which collection this piece belongs to - I didn't save the name card and haven't looked it up yet. Fit for a princess.

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Conch

So... I fundamentally don't get these non-nacre "pearls". Each of these pieces costs between a fifth and half a DC metro area house. They're rare. I get that. But.

https://www.mikimotoamerica.com/us_...golden-south-sea-cultured-pearl-necklace-us-1
[URL]https://www.mikimotoamerica.com/us_en/conch-and-diamond-ring[/URL]

I did love the briolettes in the earrings (which ran somewhere around $225k if I recall correctly)...

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The stripey effect is apparently called "flame", and is very desirable. It was cool. Not $250k cool even if I had a spare $250k. To each of wealth his own?
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Such breathtaking pieces! Thank you for posting all these gorgeous eye-candies @yssie. I just can't take my eyes off them.
 
A surprise arrived this evening. Surprise because - I forgot that I’d bought it. Taking some photos made for a cheery couple of hours - it’s delicate and beautifully made. :))


The two cherry blossom motifs are double-sided: One side has diamond petals and the other is plain metal. The pearls are 7mm, A+ quality (most of Mikimoto’s general collection pieces use A+ graded pearls).


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Simply gorgeous! Romantic and luxurious!
 
Very beautiful! So feminine and tasteful.
 
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