[ejc]

I purchased a Mikimoto Blue Lagoon necklace 10-15 years ago and paid $1,500.00 for them at Service Merchandise. The below URLs are pictures of the necklace. The pearls are light pink in color and are 6.5-7mm in size.

Looking around on the internet, all the blue lagoon pearls I see now are white and the most expensive I have found is $800.00.

Did they use a better grade of pearl back when I bought mine, did I pay too much for mine, or am I missing something?

Thanks.



http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o...i/100_0849.jpg
http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o...i/100_0848.jpg

[Zeide Erskine]

Hi EjC,

Did you replace the clasp? Without the proper Blue Lagoon clasp, a Blue Lagoon necklace is just a mystique-free akoya necklace. The color should have nothing to do with quality, though, because the pink in akoyas is just dyed after all.

Zeide

[Valeria101]

No reason to believe pearls changed, the brand's policy might have: after all, the seller doesn't promise that their merchandise will be worth more later or that they will maintain their price structure, or whatever.

Besides, there are so many more akoya pearls out there every day. No wonder even a top brand needs to acknowledge that their label in not irreplaceable after all.

The treatment of the day (overtone, say) comes and goes with fashion and customer surveys...

IMO.

However, the price you paid will stay on record, if you ever wanted to sell them (there are some papers with it on, no?). And potential buyers of your vintage Mikimoto pearls may wonder the same and find their own answer that may equate purchase price with value as often as not. Sure, signed estate jewelry comes with enough discount to make the point moot... mostly.

Other than that, they are worth what they are worth to you. Few jewelry is excepted from disappointing re-evaluation after purchase. Aside some rarefied items with very patient owners, everything is way more expensive to buy than to sell.

If memory serves...


PS:
It really is funny to see brands trashed and pumped on the Net. Is there a forum with Miki fans, Zeide? There seem to be enough out there, or mustn't' they speak with each other?

[Zeide Erskine]

Hi Ana,

I assume that there is a forum for brand collectors but the problem with Mikis is the disparity between purchase price and durability. Most Miki owners encounter wear too soon to really grow into Miki fans.

Zeide

[ejc]

Zeide, the clasp has not been changed unless it was changed in the store before I purchased them.

Actually, I am not interested in their value, I was just curious as to why Blue Lagoon pearls are now about half of what I paid for mine. My wife is happy with them and that is all I care about.

Thanks for the input.

[Zeide Erskine]

Hi Ejc,

I was only asking because the clasp did not look like any Blue Lagoon clasp I am familiar with. As such, you may have gotten a higher-quality but non-branded strand in a Mikimoto box.

Anyway, prices have come down due to changes in the distribution structure, i.e. more retailers buying stock for cash payment discounts rather than on memo credit. That created price competition and brand erosion.

Zeide

[ladykemma]

that clasp does not look right....

anyway blue lagoons nowadays are really cheapo crud. your pearls probably were higher quality then than blue lagoon now.

[jshepherd]

The Blue Lagoon line is akin to Tiffany and Iridesse (for the most part). It is their low-end product line. 15 years ago (especially if the pearls are still nice) they likely carried a superior product.