Another “Help Me Pick” from Takahashi please!

[ittypea]

Hello friends! it has been almost 3 weeks since I have been reading about pearls through all the old posts on this forum and trying to absorb as much theoretical knowledge as possible. But as it turned out, I may just not have the eye to pick something out when presented for multiple choices (some thrive with choices, yet I dislike choices in the fear of missing out on the “best option”! The FOMO is real..)

I want to purchase 3 things from Takahashi.
A strand necklace >7mm for my mom (in her late 50s, petite), the SA on IG recommended 8-9mm.
A dainty bracelet in the neighborhood of 4-5mm for myself (length 17cm or 6.75in).
And a pair of earrings.

Part I - earrings.

I need to decide if I’d like studs or dangles.

if I choose studs, I’d like them in 7-8mm because I’m convinced that my earlobes are small. Pictured - my 5mm studs. I want to get some slightly larger earrings.






Takahashi sent me these options. I would like to have the best luster and not really sure what I’m looking for yet, is it the clarity of reflection or the 3D/depth effect? I’m leaning towards 7.5-8mm bottom right for studs, but if another pair has better luster please correct me! I like the larger ones too but worry they may overwhelm my small, tightly set ears (they pin close to my head, I don’t want huge bulbous pearls to just stick out from the side of my face)




she also recommended the 8.5-9mm if I wanted to get drop earrings. My inspo is Kate Middleton’s drop earrings but I worry 1) akoyas are not white enough, 2) not large enough, 3) need to have a teardrop or oval shape. Perhaps I should go for freshwater baroque?
I’m not opposed to picking one pair of each but still want to allocate the majority of the budget towards my mom’s necklace.

Inspo for drop earrings

I’m sorry for the long winded post. I don’t have a lot of friends who are into jewelry so I just really need a “good girlfriend’s opinion” to help me make these decisions. I appreciate any of your time and opinion! I know it’s a lot to ask from a stranger on the internet, but hopefully helping me spend some $$ makes it a little satisfying If I can make chocolate chip cookies and give them out as a token of appreciation I would!! Thanks everyone!

 

[Sprinkles&Stones]

Oooo I can’t wait to see what you get! I am no expert so hopefully the experts will weigh in

 

[Crystal_Dreams]

how exciting!!

for me:
Top picture: bottom right
Bottom picture: bottom right
Middle picture: I think you could maybe break up a pair… need time to come back to this one, but at first glance, top right pair or maybe some of the pearls from the third row

 

[lulu_ma]

I’m not an expert either, but just wanted to say that I LOVE my baroque blue Akoya drop earrings Takahashi! That said, I think that Pearl studs are a great place to start. Very classic.

 

[ittypea]

how exciting!!

for me:
Top picture: bottom right
Bottom picture: bottom right
Middle picture: I think you could maybe break up a pair… need time to come back to this one, but at first glance, top right pair or maybe some of the pearls from the third row

I agree with your pick for the top and bottom pic! The middle picture I see more pairs that lean whiter/less pink. I can't tell if I would prefer that or not against my warm light-medium skin. I would give that a try for sure. Any suggestions?
I would ask the to break a pair if you guys have suggestions!

I’m not an expert either, but just wanted to say that I LOVE my baroque blue Akoya drop earrings Takahashi! That said, I think that Pearl studs are a great place to start. Very classic.

Oh I would love to see that. I own several pairs of pearl studs which is why I want to try out the drop earring but I'm also having the "pokemon, gotta have them all" mind set thinking that I may want white studs in 5mm, and then 8mm....

 

[lulu_ma]

@ittypea here’s an ear pic

 

[ittypea]

@ittypea here’s an ear pic

These are soo so soo prettty! May I ask the size of the baroque just for reference?

 

[lulu_ma]

These are soo so soo prettty! May I ask the size of the baroque just for reference?

Thanks! They are super versatile too

These are 10mm.

 

[ittypea]

Part 2. Necklace!
This is 8-8.5mm, do you guys think it is a good strand? I love the pink overtone and for my untrained eyes… it’s beautiful! I asked for “best luster” and this is what they gave me. Is this considered a good luster?

 

[Sprinkles&Stones]

Part 2. Necklace!
This is 8-8.5mm, do you guys think it is a good strand? I love the pink overtone and for my untrained eyes… it’s beautiful! I asked for “best luster” and this is what they gave me. Is this considered a good luster?

Ooooo that is so gorgeous….. I would buy that in a heartbeat!

 

[Crystal_Dreams]

IMO the lustre on the necklace is lovely. I would ask Yy if those are highest lustre akoya she has. She is very responsive and honest! If she says yes, I would be inclined to believe her as her eyes have yet to lead me wrong. In my experience, takahashi’s products have always been nicer than their photos (the photos can be a bit hit and miss).

I would also ask which pairs she thinks are nicer in person!

 

[ittypea]

IMO the lustre on the necklace is lovely. I would ask Yy if those are highest lustre akoya she has. She is very responsive and honest! If she says yes, I would be inclined to believe her as her eyes have yet to lead me wrong. In my experience, takahashi’s products have always been nicer than their photos (the photos can be a bit hit and miss).

I would also ask which pairs she thinks are nicer in person!

You are totally correct!
She (assuming?) gave me another option that is 1.5x the cost, but so so so pretty, both are 8-8.5mm. The nicer one also comes hadanama certified.

i think at this point I’m gonna have to pick the nicer one, right? Even though the price difference probably would’ve covered my other two projects

For 7.5-8mm studs, she recommended these two (in pink), surprisingly not the right bottom (in blue) that both you and I liked. Perhaps I should just follow her recommendation? Can anyone comment on if the middle row as lustrous as the bottom? I feel like the bottom may be better but can’t tell if that’s just the overtone playing with my eyes.

 

[yssie]

I’ll bet she avoided the bottom blue because of the luster mismatch lol. She’s likely gotten a fair number of PS requests at this point and can probably sense when someone is going to be particular

Of her two stud suggestions I like bottom left personally

 

[Sprinkles&Stones]

Omggggg that new strand. It’s to die for. I can see why it’s 1.5x the price. It’s gorgeous. I kind of want to eat them?!

if you’re comfortable, would you mind sharing a price range for some of the strands they’ve been showing you? This is something I am looking for and I’ve been comparing Miki, Andrew Moline and now Takahashi is on my radar now

 

[ittypea]

Omggggg that new strand. It’s to die for. I can see why it’s 1.5x the price. It’s gorgeous. I kind of want to eat them?!

if you’re comfortable, would you mind sharing a price range for some of the strands they’ve been showing you? This is something I am looking for and I’ve been comparing Miki, Andrew Moline and now Takahashi is on my radar now

hi! Once I figure out private messaging I can share that with you I’m under the impression we can’t discuss prices openly here?
My husband bought me a Mikimoto strand (which kick started my whole obsession) but it’s still at the flagship store getting modified, hopefully I’ll be able to compare the Takahashi and Mikimoto once I receive both.

 

[Sprinkles&Stones]

hi! Once I figure out private messaging I can share that with you I’m under the impression we can’t discuss prices openly here?
My husband bought me a Mikimoto strand (which kick started my whole obsession) but it’s still at the flagship store getting modified, hopefully I’ll be able to compare the Takahashi and Mikimoto once I receive both.

Unfortunately there’s no private messaging here, but yes we can absolutely discuss prices! As long as you’re comfortable with it it’s all up to the OP I understand if you don’t want to

 

[ittypea]

I’ll bet she avoided the bottom blue because of the luster mismatch lol. She’s likely gotten a fair number of PS requests at this point and can probably sense when someone is going to be particular

Of her two stud suggestions I like bottom left personally

@yssie Hah looks like someone is setting some good reputation out there with this vendor. Thank you for your input! I’ll snatch up the bottom row pink circled pair. I have heard that you’ve got “the eye” for these things, so thanks again for your time!

 

[ittypea]

Unfortunately there’s no private messaging here, but yes we can absolutely discuss prices! As long as you’re comfortable with it it’s all up to the OP I understand if you don’t want to

aha. Good to know!
I actually didn’t give her a budget initially but the hanadama is $15xx and the other is $10xx. I believe I’ll take the hanadama but I’m sure she will have other options to offer!

In comparison, when I was shopping with the hubby we tried Tiffany’s 8.5-9 which was around $4k, and 6.5-7 was $25xx I wanna say. Mikimoto had a few different grades, I could be wrong but I wanna say they were A, A+, AA and AAA. Even their A+ was significantly better matched and lustrous IMO than Tiffany’s. I ended up getting AA in 6.5-7 (I think) and it was about $5k. I believe the same size AAA was in the $8k range but while my husband was able to tell a difference, I didn’t personally see a significant difference (of course this all happened before I knew this forum existed! And I had 0 knowledge about pearls).
That’s all the price comparison I personally know of hope that helps you with your hunt!!

 

[Sprinkles&Stones]

aha. Good to know!
I actually didn’t give her a budget initially but the hanadama is $15xx and the other is $10xx. I believe I’ll take the hanadama but I’m sure she will have other options to offer!

In comparison, when I was shopping with the hubby we tried Tiffany’s 8.5-9 which was around $4k, and 6.5-7 was $25xx I wanna say. Mikimoto had a few different grades, I could be wrong but I wanna say they were A, A+, AA and AAA. Even their A+ was significantly better matched and lustrous IMO than Tiffany’s. I ended up getting AA in 6.5-7 (I think) and it was about $5k. I believe the same size AAA was in the $8k range but while my husband was able to tell a difference, I didn’t personally see a significant difference (of course this all happened before I knew this forum existed! And I had 0 knowledge about pearls).
That’s all the price comparison I personally know of hope that helps you with your hunt!!

Thank you so much!! That’s super helpful!!! And they are gorgeous!

 

[syndrome]

What a nice suite of pearls you’re contemplating! Did you decide on studs or dangles?

 

[Crystal_Dreams]

You can try asking if they have non hanadama certified pearls that are of similar quality. They may or may not have them. Certainly their best is not always certified.

 

[ittypea]

@syndrome i think right now I’ve picked studs because I am not allowed to wear dangle earrings at work so I figured studs are more practical for me personally!

im not sure if you saw my dangle earring inspiration in my original post? I kind of want to get an oval pair to look more like the duchess’s dangle earrings. So I wasn’t completely confident if round dangles will look as good I’m torn!

what did you decide? Your baroque pairs looked so tempting but I’m so warm toned that I’m not sure if I can pull off grey. You’re lucky

 

[ittypea]

@Crystal_Dreams thanks! I just asked as you’ve suggested. She says both the necklaces would be considered hanadama! Neither of them is officially certified yet. One is just so much prettier! She says if you don’t put them side by side then the cheaper necklace would be just as stunning. But I couldn’t unsee what I saw!

if anyone has purchase a necklace from Takahashi, could you comment on the silver clasp? I’m a little worried about a silver clasp tarnishing and if I need to polish it, would I ruin the pearls?

 

[syndrome]

I decided to get the pinks as studs and am probably ordering a 5mm for my kids bc they love matching. I wonder if the 8-8.5s she pulled for me were part of the batch pictured in your post!

I also inquired about white drops that are similar to your inspiration pictures! Same, I prefer drop shape over oval. I never wanted a full strand either but this forum is too influential…

 

[ittypea]

I decided to get the pinks as studs and am probably ordering a 5mm for my kids bc they love matching. I wonder if the 8-8.5s she pulled for me were part of the batch pictured in your post!

I also inquired about white drops that are similar to your inspiration pictures! Same, I prefer drop shape over oval. I never wanted a full strand either but this forum is too influential…

My 5mm akoyas are my most worn earrings so I’m excited for the slight upgrade. The 8-8.5mm you showed look beautiful and yummy There were quite some pearls in the 8-8.5 range as I think they got a new batch of pearls! I saw it on the IG page… if only I can take them all lol

Doesn’t the Kate Middleton earrings look so effortlessly elegant? I hope I get to recreate it someday with the right shape and shade of pearls. They looked very white so I wonder if they are freshwater? I hope you create the the earrings you love with your kids’ to match. That’s so cute!

This forum really is very much enabling….. I’ve only found it 3 weeks ago and here I am prying open my wallet! I’m also getting a strand of their baby size (3.5-4.5) to make a bracelet, may be something you can get with your kid to match also!

 

[syndrome]

Wonder if anyone can chime in on Mikimoto A grade over the hand-picked Takahashi here. Mikimotos are double the cost but it’s 8-8.5mm A grade is totally doable at $7xx.

 

[yssie]

I’ve not compared Mikimoto’s A against any other pearls. However, I personally don’t think the Mikimoto brand name is worth the premium unless you’re getting their best product as well.

When you buy Mikimoto AAA you know you’re getting the best that’s out there, from anyone. Even AA, in the larger sizes. A, though, those pearls are nice but not special or unique or rare - at this grade a plain strand commands no cachet outside of its brand association.

I will pay a brand premium for a premium product or specialty design, but I don’t recommend paying for a premium name on an unremarkable product.

Wonder if anyone can chime in on Mikimoto A grade over the hand-picked Takahashi here. Mikimotos are double the cost but it’s 8-8.5mm A grade is totally doable at $7xx.

 

[yssie]

Keeping in mind that pearls chosen for earrings are usually the nicest within a given grade - here is Takahashi’s best (strand best) compared to Mikimoto’s A+ (default quality used in their signature designs). These are smaller pearls - under 8mm.

 

[syndrome]

Keeping in mind that pearls chosen for earrings are usually the nicest within a given grade - here is Takahashi’s best (strand best) compared to Mikimoto’s A+ (default quality used in their signature designs). These are smaller pearls - under 8mm.

Thank you for your input! If I understand it correctly, Takahashi hand selected top grade is potentially/likely nicer than Mikimoto A grade and is 1/2 the cost. I’d have to go up to a minimum AA to get a similar or nicer product, at which point, it’d be $1k or so more than the Takahashi. Yes?

 

[yssie]

Thank you for your input! If I understand it correctly, Takahashi hand selected top grade is potentially/likely nicer than Mikimoto A grade and is 1/2 the cost. I’d have to go up to a minimum AA to get a similar or nicer product, at which point, it’d be $1k or so more than the Takahashi. Yes?

No.

I cannot speak to pricing. No idea.

I strongly caution against trying to create any cross-vendor grade equivalence, it will fail. Most vendors grade their own product on a sliding scale that adjusts for size and overall quality of a given batch - Mikimoto does not.

My recommendation is in post #27.