Calling NY_resonant and Yssie (miki vs T)

[lovedogs]

In the end, I decided to think on it and not buy a strand quite yet. However, I got some (supposedly) miki AAA studs (they have paperwork and were 'authenticated' via ebay, which may or may not be useless haha). Either way I'm excited for them to arrive so i can compare them to my strand and studs from general pearl and to my 2 highest quality pearls from Takahashi which are now in my bracelet.

 

[lovedogs]

Well. I had a disastrous experience with ebay and their "authentication" process. I'm about 99% sure that these earrings are just crappy random studs that someone added mikimoto backs to. The backs are engraved miki so I don't have any reason to doubt that THEY are authentic. But omfg the pearls are awful. Bad bad bad. Different colors, crap luster, and VISIBLE GLUE/RESIDUE where the pearls meet the posts.

Not sure if these pics can capture the awful, but I tried.



Compared to the studs I got from general pearl with my high quality strand it's just a joke (general pearl are the bigger ones):

 

[lovedogs]

Ps. The vendor's original listing said no returns. But I attached the pics with the visible glue and said that these ARE NOT miki AAA quality and that I doubted they were miki at all. Ebay said I could return to the "authenticator" and if they determine I didn't tamper w the earrings then they'll issue a refund. So fingers crossed.

 

[NY_Resonant]

Well. I had a disastrous experience with ebay and their "authentication" process. I'm about 99% sure that these earrings are just crappy random studs that someone added mikimoto backs to. The backs are engraved miki so I don't have any reason to doubt that THEY are authentic. But omfg the pearls are awful. Bad bad bad. Different colors, crap luster, and VISIBLE GLUE/RESIDUE where the pearls meet the posts.

Not sure if these pics can capture the awful, but I tried.



Compared to the studs I got from general pearl with my high quality strand it's just a joke (general pearl are the bigger ones):

I’m so sorry to hear that

 

[Frenchieglitter]

Well. I had a disastrous experience with ebay and their "authentication" process. I'm about 99% sure that these earrings are just crappy random studs that someone added mikimoto backs to.

Omg that's awful ! I hope ebay does the right thing, they should've figured it out the first time if they knew what they were doing! If ebay doesn't resolve it for you, do you think you can open a case with your credit card to reverse the charges? Really hoping ebay comes through!

 

[yssie]

Ps. The vendor's original listing said no returns. But I attached the pics with the visible glue and said that these ARE NOT miki AAA quality and that I doubted they were miki at all. Ebay said I could return to the "authenticator" and if they determine I didn't tamper w the earrings then they'll issue a refund. So fingers crossed.

Mine have the Miki logo on the post as well. And metal (750). And double notched. Very small sample size, but maybe helpful if the “authentication” is, y’know.

I’m so sorry. Always a red flag when a vendor who says “no returns” is suddenly amenable to a return when called out on being a fraud.

In similar vein, I bought what I thought was a decently nice baroque strand from a vendor in China with a really remarkable number of followers, and what seemed to be a long history of Knowing What She Was Doing. When it arrived it was obvious that she’d both photoshopped and filtered all semblance of reality out of her listing pictures, and had switched out some of the nice pearls for crap. When I called her on it and demanded a refund she had the gall to ask me if I wouldn’t like to “choose some nicer pearls instead, for free” - like no you lunatic that’s not how this works…

Honestly I would call eBay customer service and open a case, if you haven’t already. I’ve found them to be helpful in a couple of WTF Did I Just Get scenarios.

 

[lovedogs]

Mine have the Miki logo on the post as well. And metal (750). And double notched. Very small sample size, but maybe helpful if the “authentication” is, y’know.

I’m so sorry. Always a red flag when a vendor who says “no returns” is suddenly amenable to a return when called out on being a fraud.

In similar vein, I bought what I thought was a decently nice baroque strand from a vendor in China with a really remarkable number of followers, and what seemed to be a long history of Knowing What She Was Doing. When it arrived it was obvious that she’d both photoshopped and filtered all semblance of reality out of her listing pictures, and had switched out some of the nice pearls for crap. When I called her on it and demanded a refund she had the gall to ask me if I wouldn’t like to “choose some nicer pearls instead, for free” - like no you lunatic that’s not how this works…

Honestly I would call eBay customer service and open a case, if you haven’t already. I’ve found them to be helpful in a couple of WTF Did I Just Get scenarios.

Mine definitely don't have that on the posts (granted there's weird discoloration that I don't want to mess with, but I just used a 10x loupe and cant see anything). They are double notched though, so that's weird.

 

[lovedogs]

I'll need to look again tomorrow, because on my pics I see a 750 stamp on the posts but couldn't see it tonight with my loupe under kitchen light. But maybe it's bc I'm exhausted.

Maybe these are miki but just A quality (and bad ones)? Either way, if they're AAA I'll eat my hat so-to-speak

 

[NY_Resonant]

I'll need to look again tomorrow, because on my pics I see a 750 stamp on the posts but couldn't see it tonight with my loupe under kitchen light. But maybe it's bc I'm exhausted.

Maybe these are miki but just A quality (and bad ones)? Either way, if they're AAA I'll eat my hat so-to-speak

Just based on the dots on the surface from your photo, no way it’s AAA miki.

 

[yssie]

I see marks on your posts too, in a couple of those pics.

I suppose they could be old. So old that the epoxy is failing. And if the pearls weren’t treated well... But it’s also very very easy to glue random pearls onto authentic posts. Even if the posts are authentic.

Certainly they’re not in any condition that could be considered Mikimoto’s finest now. And that’s really all we need to know.

 

[lovedogs]

I see marks on your posts too, in a couple of those pics.

I suppose they could be old. So old that the epoxy is failing. And if the pearls weren’t treated well... But it’s also very very easy to glue random pearls onto authentic posts. Even if the posts are authentic.

Certainly they’re not in any condition that could be considered Mikimoto’s finest now. And that’s really all we need to know.

Good point. It doesn't even really matter beyond the obvious fact that they aren't AAA miki quality, and therefore aren't as described.

 

[lovedogs]

Just based on the dots on the surface from your photo, no way it’s AAA miki.

Exactly. And the luster isn't good at all, plus the pearls don't match in tone/overtone