Strand Comparison

[Pearl Dreams]

Ok, so it sounds like maybe you do prefer pinked strands, at least on the cloth in front of you. How did the Miki strands look against your skin?

I used to think I would want natural white akoyas, but I really like the look of my baroque akoyas against my skin, and they are pinked.

 

[LadyBratFace]

Thank you Pearl Dream!

Have a look at the two strands above the image with the ends showing. I should have done it one at a time to not be confusing.

I like both against my skin at that size. It's hard to notice much difference when they are on. I guess I might just have to arrange to show up for the exchange to pick. After this little comparison shopping and seeing the trays even at Miki's showroom, it's very obvious the range of color.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Okay, so I did the same color correction on the photo with the AA Miki.

I'm just looking at the center 2 rows of pearls as the pearl on the far right are a bit out of focus. A few pearls in the pinked strand on the left looks very slightly more lustrous to me, but the primary difference I see, as in the other photo, is the contrast caused by the rosy tone. I can see why akoya pearls have traditionally been pinked.

 

[LadyBratFace]

So, for the end of the poll, the bottom/right strand is the Hanadama pearls.

Price-wise, I think it's a good deal, but to put them up against Mikis....well....the Mikis show their quality.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Remember, every strand is unique, because the pearls are made by oysters, not by machines. That goes for the hanadama strand and it goes for the Miki strands.

If that particular hanadama strand doesn't make you happy, I think you can probably find another one that does. It is too much to spend not to get something you love. My opinion anyway.

 

[MK Fine Pearls]

So the winner is a Miki A? Or AA? Wow.
Maia, can you please show us the Hanadama certificate?

 

[LadyBratFace]

So the winner is a Miki A? Or AA? Wow.
Maia, can you please show us the Hanadama certificate?

Well, I would say that the Miki A and this strand of Hanadamas are close with the A being much pinker. I think the Miki AA is better than the Hanadamas. Of course the price is roughly 6x more for the Miki AA (But as the appraisal lists it for the same price of Mikis AA...I don't think that's right....)

Taken with a grain of salt, the MIki sales person pointed out several of the pearls she thought were off-round at the ends, but it was so slight, it wasn't something I noticed. Still, it bothered me that this cert clearly says 'perfectly round'...and a pro can tell they're not just by rolling them in their fingers. I counted the pearls and they match but I still think it would be /real/ easy to have a cert and toss any strand with it so long as the pearl count matches. It's not like anything is stamped with that matching number. Just like any pearls can be strung to a Miki clasp....doesn't mean they are 'really' Mikis'.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

6x more, yikes!

Thank you for posting the certificate. Were these the regular (pinked) hanadamas, or the natural whites?

I suppose it might be even more interesting to see a number of hanadama strands compared with a number of Mikis. The sample size here was very small-- only 1 hanadama and 2 Mikis-- so broad conclusions are not warranted.

That said, you did find one hanadama strand that you liked less than several Mikis, if I read you right. And that matters, because you only have the one strand, and you deserve to have a strand you absolutely love.

 

[LadyBratFace]

6x more, yikes! .

Right??!! It's amazing the cost of the Mikis! So, best to keep in mind what is spent during this comparison.

Thank you for posting the certificate. Were these the regular (pinked) hanadamas, or the natural whites?

These are the Natural Whites.

I suppose it might be even more interesting to see a number of hanadama strands compared with a number of Mikis. The sample size here was very small-- only 1 hanadama and 2 Mikis-- so broad conclusions are not warranted.

You're right, I didn't intend to claim that this is ALL hanadamas and I would LOVE to do an experiment with a number of different pearl strands. Even at Mikimoto, they didn't provide a number of AA strands to select from, they just pulled one out that they thought matched best with the color. But having the expectation that hanadamas stand up to AAA Mikis -- I really thought the hanadamas would outshine.

I have been very happy with the customer service with the hanadamas and the return policy to be able to give a second strand a try. Unfortunately, I'm not close enough to a Mikimoto store to do a comparison, so I'm going to need to get creative.

That said, you did find one hanadama strand that you liked less than several Mikis, if I read you right. And that matters, because you only have the one strand, and you deserve to have a strand you absolutely love.

Yes, and thankfully the company is agreeable to doing a swap to try again. I obviously feel awful about sending it back.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

...
I obviously feel awful about sending it back.

Don't feel awful! The whole reason there is such a great return policy is that pearls need to be tried on, because people have such differing skin tones. But most of us don't have access to a wide selection of pearls anywhere near where we live-- and B&M prices are often out of sight anyway, even if it's not Mikimoto brand. So online is the way to go, for most of us.

 

[Katbran]

. But having the expectation that hanadamas stand up to AAA Mikis -- I really thought the hanadamas would outshine.

GoldenM- you didn't compare them to the AAA though did you ? I guess no reason to as they didn't stand up to the AA ... don't feel bad about returning something that disappointed you . A different strand might fare better. It's too much money to not get exactly what you love.

 

[cmd2014]

Having been to a Mikimoto store in NYC, the strands in each grade range tend to be quite uniform in terms of luster and blemishing, with the main difference between the grades being reflected by greater or lesser amounts of luster, rather than number of blemishes. And the AAA strands are really something to be seen (with a $$$ price tag to match, I'm afraid).

I think it's tough because the expectation is that hanadama grade pearls should compare favourably to other top of the line pearls like Mikimoto AAA pearls, based on the information given to people. There have been lots of discussions here and on other forums where people have been advised that you're just paying for the Mikimoto brand name, and that the pearls themselves aren't any better than the top of the line hanadama strands offered by the reputable vendors (for much less money) - so I can see why from the OP's perspective, it would be disappointing to have a strand that reveals that this might not be the case. I can really see the luster difference in the pictures, and would pick the Mikimotos as well, if I was choosing a strand based on the photos. Does it represent all hanadamas? Probably not. But it *is* a flaw in the grading system IMO that there seems to be such a variability of quality in pearls that have all met the standard for this designation.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

LOL, here is my take, and my disclaimer is that I have not seen either AAA Mikis nor any hanadamas in person!
So take it for what it's worth.

1. If you buy Miki AAA I think it's a given that you are getting top of the line quality, with the top of the line price. Part of the high price tag is the name. Let's face it: people do value brand name prestige, be it pearls, watches, or cars. And Mikimoto is a brand with prestige. I am not saying the brand name is the only price factor, but it is not insignificant IMO.

2. I don't recall anyone here making the claim that hanadamas sold by online vendors are equivalent to Miki AAA pearls. One simply cannot make that kind of comparison from vendor to vendor. On P-G we tell our readers that there are no universal grading standards for pearls. Every vendor has their own way of grading, and buyers should familiarize themselves with the grading standards stated on the vendor's website.
Hanadamas are the best akoyas on the online vendors' websites, but one cannot make broad assertions about the quality of one vendor's hanadama akoyas (or any other pearls) with those of another vendor, or brand, including Mikimoto. People will, of course, have their individual experiences, such as the OP had, but we can't rightly extrapolate from that.

3. Mikimoto has vast quantities of akoya pearls at their disposal with which to make up strands. One would hope that Mikimoto could control for nearly-uniform quality within each grade. If they can't, who can? Probably we should not expect this degree of uniformity from online vendors.
I own a copy of the coffee table book Pearl Necklace (which is solely photos of Mikimoto pearls) and the photos are stunning.
Would I love to own a Miki AAA strand?
Does the Queen have corgis?

4. I think comparing luster of pinked and non-pinked strands adds a level of difficulty. I'd rather see a comparison of like strands-- both pinked. Then I would be less likely to confuse the more vivid and deeper colors seen in the dark circle of the pinked pearls with luster.

5. (and this is just my opinion on buying stuff in general) I think there is a law of diminishing returns. There's a point (which only each one of us can decide) where it is no longer worth it to us to spend more in order to get more.
I also know that if it were not for the online vendors, I would own very few pearls.
If I ever win the lottery, I may visit Mikimoto.

 

[CathyKeshi]

May I add one more point, Pearl Dreams ... with no disrespect to any poster here:

6. This is why our trusted, reputable online vendors all offer such generous guarantees. If you as the consumer, receive ANY pearl purchase from a trusted source that you are not completely satisfied with, just ... send it back. Refund, exchange, etc. .... just return it and look for something that suits your ideals and your budget.

 

[LadyBratFace]

. But having the expectation that hanadamas stand up to AAA Mikis -- I really thought the hanadamas would outshine.

GoldenM- you didn't compare them to the AAA though did you ? I guess no reason to as they didn't stand up to the AA ... don't feel bad about returning something that disappointed you . A different strand might fare better. It's too much money to not get exactly what you love.

If the strand was closer to, or better than, the AA I would have asked to have them show me the AAA strand, but I didn't feel as though it stood up to the AA.

This is the conversation that I read to believe that the Hanadamas are equal to the Miki AAA (A bold statement but...it was stated here.)

Are mikimotos worth the price?

I have never seen high-level mikimotos in person. I have seen some of their lower-end pearls at a local Zales store (i think), and was pretty impressed with the quality, especially compared to other local stuff i've seen. However, the prices they list on their web site seem pretty extreme...

www.pearl-guide.com

My frustration remains with the lack of standard grading. I wish the industry would make a standard like other gemstones. The current system seems to benefit the sellers who can slap on their own rating for AAA+ grade sold at Sears/QVC (just making up something here, not pointing fingers), that wouldn't classify as B grade Mikis for example. Wishful thinking, but imagine how liberating it would be to know you could get a AAA quality pearl from any source and it would be within a certain standard across the board, like buying a diamond.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Universal grading would be great, but pearls have so many more variables affecting value than diamonds have. With diamonds you have the 4 Cs, but with pearls the value is affected by luster, surface qualities, nacre thickness, shape, color (including overtones, aurora etc.), size, treatments, type of pearl, natural vs. cultured, etc. And then there's the "make" of a strand-- how well matched the pearls in a strand are. So it gets complicated!

Even if a universal grading system were agreed on, how would you get all pearls sellers to adhere to it?

In the absence of universal grading, it behooves buyers to become as well informed as they can be about pearls before buying. I would like to suggest an excellent book that explains and illustrates these various value qualities: Pearl Buying Guide by Renee Newman. The 6th edition became available last year and is well worth getting, as pearl farming continues to evolve:

https://www.amazon.com/Pearl-Buying...s=renee+newman+pearl+buying+guide+6th+edition

I want to add that no matter how well informed a buyer may be about pearls, one must also acquaint oneself with a store's or vendor's return policy before buying. Last year a man posted about how he had bought his wife a pearl strand at a Mikimoto store, and when she didn't like it, he made the unhappy discovery that he could only get store credit, not a refund!

PP allows returns, refunds and exchanges, so hopefully you can find something you like better. Good luck, and I hope you will post whatever strand you find that you love, regardless of the source!

 

[GemGeek]

For the money, the PP Hanadama pearls are an outstanding value. I can't tell you how much I love mine. I hope you find a pinked strand that you love as much as I love my natural whites.

Another thing that is important to me -- the worry involved in procuring, wearing and protecting a top strand of Mikimoto pearls would take a lot of enjoyment out of owning them.

 

[JerseyPearl]

Like any piece of designer jewelry, there is a premium to be paid for the name. That does not make the pearls any less gorgeous, but it impacts their value. I can't help but wonder if the vendor has a strand much closer to the Miki strand what they would charge for it (my guess is it would be a much better value). I think it's great to have a certificate, but really you wear the pearls not the certification. If it were me, I'd show the vendor the photos and ask to see what they have.

And just a note on grading...you would have to have different scales for different types of pearls. For instance saltwater pearls have different characteristics than freshwaters. You'd be comparing apples to oranges.

 

[LadyBratFace]

For the money, the PP Hanadama pearls are an outstanding value. I can't tell you how much I love mine. I hope you find a pinked strand that you love as much as I love my natural whites.

Another thing that is important to me -- the worry involved in procuring, wearing and protecting a top strand of Mikimoto pearls would take a lot of enjoyment out of owning them.

Oh my gosh, GemGeek, this was my thought too. If I had a strand of AA Mikis (Not even thinking about an AAA strand), I don't think I'd wear it except for once a year, if that. I would be freaked out about getting sweat on them. LOL! There is a lot to say for a nice strand of pearls that you can /use/.

I have no problem with my vendor of choice though and I'm very happy with their customer service. I want to point out they have been stellar about the return and had no issues at all. I would have no problem buying there again.

 

[LadyBratFace]

Like any piece of designer jewelry, there is a premium to be paid for the name. That does not make the pearls any less gorgeous, but it impacts their value. I can't help but wonder if the vendor has a strand much closer to the Miki strand what they would charge for it. I think it's great to have a certificate, but really you wear the pearls not the certification. If it were me, I'd show the vendor the photos and ask to see what they have.

That's a good idea. I will show the Miki strand and see what is said.

And just a note on grading...you would have to have different scales for different types of pearls. For instance saltwater pearls have different characteristics than freshwaters. You'd be comparing apples to oranges.

The standard grading would have to separate each type of pearl. Freshwaters, Akoya, WSS, Tahitians, and whatever other pearl would each need to have its own grading. I understand it would be a huge task to do, but I still think it would be nice to have at least some sort of attempt made. There cold be a +/- scale of quality in percentage just like individual sellers have now except it would be an agreed on system across the industry if people wanted to be involved in it. Sure, the variables would be staggering and as with the strand I had, someone can see the pearls are off-round, the difference is so small an untrained person wouldn't notice, but diamonds are like that too. No one looking at my diamond earrings knows by looking what color/clarity it is, but I can get it appraised and it's standard grading. How in the heck do I get my pearls graded with this sloppy slanted system?

I fear that might sound harsh and I want to say that I'm not angry or upset, just feeling passionate about the debate I enjoy learning new things and this is all very interesting to me. I'm so into this pearl-thing now.