| Dear Marebear,
Mikimoto pearls are very high quality. However, pearl farmers have been cutting down on culturing time for a long period. My mother in law, for instance, bought a AA 7mm strand of Mikimotos in 1980 that she rarely wore and they are now dull and blinking but still pearls rather than beads. My mother bought a AA 7mm strand at a local jewelry store (non-Mikimoto) in 1988 that she also only wore rarely (less than once a month) and they are just about to be shell beads. I guess it all depends on how old you are when you get married and how early you grey whether akoyas will last until a bride's first grey hair appears.
Zeide
PS.: I may clarify here, if Mikimoto corresponds to Mercedes cars and PearlParadise to BMW, I am the Rolls Royce gal. In sports car terms, Mikimoto may be the Viper, and PearlParadise the Porsche Boxter, and I stick with my humble Maserati.
Last edited by Zeide Erskine; 03-21-2006 at 03:17 AM.
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