My first Mikimoto

[Pearliewhite]

Hi all, i am getting a mikimoto Pearl necklace in the size 7.5mm in grade AA (Q2 equivalent in Japan) and I would like to understand what I should look out for as this will be my first Pearl jewellery.

1. I would like a necklace that is more white (than pink overtone), but I read somewhere that the more pink/green the pearl is, the more reflective/lustre it is? I haven’t been able to make much comparison due to limited stock options I have, so I can’t tell if this is accurate.

2. I have noticed some scratches and blemishes on the pearls I have been shown and I understand that this is natural given that all pearls are unique. But are there major flaws which I should avoid? I have seen one which it was scratched and showing some whites of the pearl - is this acceptable or would it get worse over time?

I appreciate all the comments as I am still new to pearls. Thanks in advance!

 

[pattye]

Welcome to P-G! How exciting for you, Pearliewhite! Will you be buying online or in person? Miki AA will be very lustrous and high quality. There should be no scratches and very few tiny blemishes. One way to look for blemishes and natural imperfections is to lay the piece of jewelry out straight on a protected surface and slowly roll it back and forth. Miki's are "pinked" as part of the process preparing the pearls for jewelry. The pearls look white when worn; the tint is subtle.
If you are looking at lower quality pearls, yes, you will likely see more blemishing, but to many of us who love pearls, there is a level we find acceptable, natural and just as beautiful.

 

[CortezPearls]

Hi there @Pearliewhite !
These are some questions that would require some time to answer...but I truly believe that the #1 thing to look in pearls is HOW THEY MAKE YOU FEEL. By this I mean: Did you fall in Love with them? You don't like them?

But, for your questions, some answers:

1. I don't believe that orient or overtone colors convey more lustre to a pearl. There are pearls that are highly lustrous, despite any given overtone.
2. If the imperfections make you feel queasy or uneasy: stay away from the pearls! You can learn a lot about a pearl's "perfection" if you take the Pearls as One course! Let me know if you would like to take it!

I personally dislike "chalky spots" on pearls, as well as some dark protein spots. This is a photo of the dark spots on a pearl...and it has way too many for my taste!

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Are you buying your pearls directly from Mikimoto or an official Mikimoto seller?
The reason I'm asking is that it seems to me the blemishes you are describing should not be visible on a AA strand.

 

[CortezPearls]

Are you buying your pearls directly from Mikimoto or an official Mikimoto seller?
The reason I'm asking is that it seems to me the blemishes you are describing should not be visible on a AA strand.

I agree!

 

[Pearliewhite]

Welcome to P-G! How exciting for you, Pearliewhite! Will you be buying online or in person? Miki AA will be very lustrous and high quality. There should be no scratches and very few tiny blemishes. One way to look for blemishes and natural imperfections is to lay the piece of jewelry out straight on a protected surface and slowly roll it back and forth. Miki's are "pinked" as part of the process preparing the pearls for jewelry. The pearls look white when worn; the tint is subtle.
If you are looking at lower quality pearls, yes, you will likely see more blemishing, but to many of us who love pearls, there is a level we find acceptable, natural and just as beautiful.

Hi there @Pearliewhite !
These are some questions that would require some time to answer...but I truly believe that the #1 thing to look in pearls is HOW THEY MAKE YOU FEEL. By this I mean: Did you fall in Love with them? You don't like them?

But, for your questions, some answers:

1. I don't believe that orient or overtone colors convey more lustre to a pearl. There are pearls that are highly lustrous, despite any given overtone.
2. If the imperfections make you feel queasy or uneasy: stay away from the pearls! You can learn a lot about a pearl's "perfection" if you take the Pearls as One course! Let me know if you would like to take it!

I personally dislike "chalky spots" on pearls, as well as some dark protein spots. This is a photo of the dark spots on a pearl...and it has way too many for my taste!
View attachment 469006

Are you buying your pearls directly from Mikimoto or an official Mikimoto seller?
The reason I'm asking is that it seems to me the blemishes you are describing should not be visible on a AA strand.

Thank you all!

I am actually buying it in person directly from the mikimoto boutique, so I am not worried about authenticity, but more of quality/things to look out for.

I do have to admit that the AAA and AA pearls I have seen so far didn’t make me go WOW and it felt wrong to settle on a piece which didn’t make me fall in love. I actually preferred the A+/A (Q3/Q4) strands which I tried on, those made me feel happier, partially cause they were definitely much whiter and matches my skin tone better. But I do prefer the shine of the AA strands more and this is likely a once in a long while splurge that I’ll have for myself, hence I’m hoping for an AA strand (to fit my budget as well).

As for blemishes, the AA and AAA strands I saw both had quite a bit of indentations and light scratches, but none of the chalky spots shared thankfully. I’m not sure if I’m being too overly picky, but it did have such indentations here and there for about 5-10 pearls. There was a pretty AA strand I saw that had superb shine, almost like an AAA, but it also had visible scratches on one of the pearl, whereby the white underlayer was showing, and other blemishes along the strand. I was pretty conflicted about this because it truly was one of the prettiest shine I have ever seen, just that the scratches are slightly bad. Not sure if it was due to mishandling because it didn’t look like a natural scratch given how deep it shows.

I am not looking for a perfect blemish free pearl but just wondering what kind of blemishes and frequency of blemishes on an AA strand will be normal?

 

[BWeaves]

An AA strand, even an A strand from Mikimoto should have no blemishes and the pearls should be perfectly matched.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

@Pearliewhite, Listen to your gut. Something is wrong there. I would not pay AA prices for scratched pearls.
The scratches will always bother you.

 

[pattye]

Somehow I got the impression she was looking at other pearls in person and online, and perhaps hadn't seen Miki AA in person.

 

[Pearliewhite]

Could it be because it’s so popular now so the quality is not as well controlled? I have also tried to search different forums and social media for more information and some people were complaining about how even their AAA has blemishes too.. but I will be heading down to the Miki boutique to see more AA strands later, hopefully I’ll see one that really makes me fall in love (and lesser blemishes)!

 

[Pearliewhite]

Just an update and also to share my joy with the community - I found a lovely whiter pearl necklace in AA and 7.5mm which I have hoped for! While there are still some visible blemishes when I inspect each pearl (e.g little indentations, little lines etc), this strand made me go “awww I love it”. My husband commented how they look like little light bulbs under sunlight and how they shine so differently from my faux pearl earrings under natural light. Funny enough, the Miki SAs couldn’t tell that they are fake and even commented that it’s nice - I guess real akoya pearls perform brilliantly once the right lights hits!

 

[pattye]

Congratulations, Pearlywhite, it's very beautiful!

 

[CortezPearls]

Congratulations! Those are luminous orbs of Love!

 

[CatMom]

Congratulations, it's beautiful!!

 

[Pearliewhite]

Thank you all!

 

[BWeaves]

Wow, that's a gorgeous necklace! Enjoy!!!