Quick Mikimoto question

evinz

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Feb 15, 2024
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Did Mikimoto ever spell out the full name as a mark? I'm looking at a brooch in sterling silver, pearls look high-quality and the back is signed "K Mikimoto Tokyo" and then there are the M and S marks. But I haven't seen it spelled out like that before and other brooches just have the M and S. Thank you so much!
 
It's not letting me save the images so I'll just give you the listing:
 
I don't know either but according to an Australian antique jewellery website, K. Mikimoto Tokyo was an early mark. Here is the link https://emprades.com.au/blog/identifying-vintage-mikimoto-pearl-jewellery/

My concerns are more that the name has been applied rather than impressed and I wonder why because there appears to be sufficient room on the design to impress the name. Additionally, I note that this ebay site has 101 Mikomoto items for sale, a lot of which I haven't seen before and some of the designs just appear a bit clumsy.
 
Thank you for the reference, Pella. This clasp looks like it has the rounded lock and hinge. It appears Mikimoto created quite a few circle brooches.
I feel this piece is probably authentic. The seller does have a 2 week return policy.
Evinz, in person you'd find it easy to tell if the signature is impressed properly. The pearl cross on the site has the same signature.
 
You guys are always so helpful, thank you very much! Does anyone else prefer the brooch that StarryPearl mentioned in post #5?

I fear I am in over my head, I suspect I bought a fake Miki pendant already (pearls arranged in a circle, but the craftsmanship is not good). I also picked up a pair of Mikimoto earrings secondhand (4 tiny pearls arranged in a square, set in sterling silver) that took my breath away when I saw them in person, and I have never doubted that they are real. I think they are probably fakes if they don't do that.

Anyway, I kind of haunt the eBay listings, but with rapidly increasing skepticism after the non-returnable pendant incident. I may go with StarryPearl's brooch because there seems to be less of a question about its authenticity. (I want to stay with a sterling silver setting.)

Thanks again 🩷
 
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You guys are always so helpful, thank you very much! Does anyone else prefer the brooch that StarryPearl mentioned in post #5?

I fear I am in over my head, I suspect I bought a fake Miki pendant already (pearls arranged in a circle, but the craftsmanship is not good). I also picked up a pair of Mikimoto earrings secondhand (4 tiny pearls arranged in a square, set in sterling silver) that took my breath away when I saw them in person, and I have never doubted that they are real. I think they are probably fakes if they don't do that.

Anyway, I kind of haunt the eBay listings, but with rapidly increasing skepticism after the non-returnable pendant incident. I may go with StarryPearl's brooch because there seems to be less of a question about its authenticity. (I want to stay with a sterling silver setting and not make the price jump to gold, am on a strict budget which is why I'm on eBay in the first place.) Thanks again 🩷
Glad you think that one looks better, too. I by no means meant that one was authentic though, I was just using it as a comparison to show how clumsy the other one was. Would you like to share the pics of the pendant and earrings with us?
 
Taken just now in indirect sunlight. Apologies for my crummy iPhone XR camera, i honestly can't get the images sharper than this.

Anyway, I am dumb, the more I look at this pendant. Also I don't know how to tell stamped from impressed from applied (any advice?) but I can tell whether the mark looks correct or not. The M and S are correct on the earrings, but the M just looks wrong somehow on the pendant (too small, for starters, and too deeply stamped, if stamped is what I mean)

Edit: fixed formatting, added phrase

) IMG_8584.jpegIMG_8582.jpegIMG_8586.jpegIMG_8589.jpegIMG_8588.jpeg
 
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