Authentic Vintage Mikimoto Pearls?

[Youngwriter16]

Hi everyone! I am new to the forum and would be very grateful for any thoughts on whether a pearls are authentic Mikimoto (pics attached). I purchased them ebay from an allegedly reputable seller and had them authenticated by ebay. They are supposed to be vintage Mikimoto pearls, AA, from 1971. The luster is beautiful, and I have confirmed that they are indeed real pearls, but the re-threading job and slight misshaping of some of the pearls (alson with slightly inconsistent sizes) make me question their authenticity. I think they are beautiful and would like to keep them if they are real Mikimoto, but if they are not, I would like to return them. Something of them feels off in comparison to other vintage MK strands that I have (albeit they are from Japan), but I am also a novice at pearls and could be overthinking. Any advice? Thanks a bunch!

 

[A Breaker]

Someone else who knows more will jump in..The clasp looks fantastic & correct.....but Mikimoto has different grades A, AA, AAA... Yours are in the middle. If you want a higher AAA, these (according to the authenticator) are only AA. It might be the grade that is throwing you off? Others can tell you about the stringing... it is in the American style, not Japanese...but Mikimoto america could do that for the US market? Pattye would know.

 

[Youngwriter16]

Someone else who knows more will jump in..The clasp looks fantastic & correct.....but Mikimoto has different grades A, AA, AAA... Yours are in the middle. If you want a higher AAA, these (according to the authenticator) are only AA. It might be the grade that is throwing you off? Others can tell you about the stringing... it is in the American style, not Japanese...but Mikimoto america could do that for the US market? Pattye would know.

Ahh that is super helpful to know! I really appreciate your insight. I think the luster is beautiful, and I would be fine with AA, but the shape of some of the pearls looked a little off. What are your thoughts on the shape of the pearls themselves?

If they are authentic, I will gladly keep them and have them restrung in the Japanese style, which I prefer.

 

[Youngwriter16]

@pattye I would love and appreciate your insights

 

[BWeaves]

The clasp looks legit, but I'm not sure about the pearls. The knotting does look a bit wonky, and the strand is missing the "M" dangle, although older strands did not have the "M" dangle.

Mikimoto pearls have the "A" quality being the LOWEST quality. They go from A-, A, A+, AA-, AA, AA+, AAA-, AAA, AAA+. My mother had a double strand of AA and they were perfectly round with no blemishes. Most strands of Mikis you'll see will be in the A quality, which is also amazing. I'm not if sure these pearls look like A quality. They might be Mikis and just be dirty and worn and have been restrung by someone other than Mikimoto.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

At Bailey Banks & Biddle I saw Miki A1 grade pearls (which was the grade lower than A). Don't know if they are now called A-.

 

[BWeaves]

OH, I totally forgot about Miki grade A1. Yes, A1 is lower than A-.

Grades A will have minor blemishes you can barely see. Grades AA will have minor, minor blemishes you can barely see with amazing luster. Grades AAA will be perfect and the luster is off the charts.

Miki grades pearls like the FDA grades eggs. The best eggs are grade AA, followed by A, B, C. Nobody in a grocery store would buy grade B eggs, so the second grade is grade A. Grades B and C are used at factories that make food with eggs, and they don't care what the eggs look like.

I'm curious what size these pearls are, since most Mikis I've seen have been fairly small (6-7mm). 8mm pearls would be hugely expensive. The photo of the pearls in your hands makes them look very large. Can you measure the mm diameter of the pearls?

 

[Pearl Dreams]

As an aside on the A1 pearls I saw, I had brought my then-new Freshadamas (PP's highest end non-bead nucleated FWP) to compare.
The luster of the A1s was similar to that of the Freshadamas.