Does IWI or IMI on a clasp mean "low grade Mikimoto"?

[PhillyPearlPhanatic]

Hi, I have seen a few postings on Ebay for tin cup style or pearl strands with clasps marked either 10K or 14K IWI, which can also be read as IMI -- which, I guess, can be interpreted as an M in brackets, such as [M]. Is this an indicator of Mikimoto?

I ask because people seem be go Gaga when they see this, and they bid up the auctions more. (Or, ok cynically, maybe the seller's buddies bid up the auctions more for them. )

I used to own a necklace purchased at Best around 1995 or 1996, when they went out of business in Colorado. They were sold to me as Mikimotos, possibly from the Blue Lagoon line or other lower line, white 7mm to 7.5mm pearls of what I would call (in layman's terms) so-so quality and luster (medium luster and surface blemishes) but nice overtones (silver-greenish and pink), 23".

What had always bothered me was the clasp. Unlike the other Mikis at the store (30" 6mm pink pearls with the distinctive Miki clasp set with a pearl), mine was the bottom-of-the-barrel, small, 14K yellow gold filigree marquise shaped clasp with the markings 14K IWI (which also looked like IMI or MM depending on how you looked at it) -- in other words, very disappointing. Is and was this mark used by Mikimoto?

 

[Caitlin]

I am clueless what that mark means, but I thought the Miki trademark is an M in a clam shell.

 

[Mka4972]

"IWI" was Imperial World Inc. also known as World Pacific both no longer exist

 

[Caitlin]

Thanks! I always love new information!

Does that listing have Mikimoto anywhere in it? Maybe IWI is a coveted brand?

 

[Mka4972]

IWI usually dealt with lower end goods as far as I know. I wouldn't think anything would be coveted other than for sentimental value.

 

[pattye]

Good to have this info here, bound to come up again in time---

 

[BrendaKY]

Well here ya go. Almost 15 years later and I asked seri the same question on my cell phone and look what came up! I purchased a necklace and set of pearl earrings and it had 14k and IWI on the clasp. I to wondered what the IWI meant. Thank you all again for this forum. I paid $5.00 for the set. I think I came out pretty good. What are your thoughts on the pearls? Are the necklace pearls freshwater and the earrings look pretty round and have a high luster. Could they be Akoya? They were described as 14k pearl and diamond. They are marked 14k but I have no way to tell if they are diamond. I tried my Diamond tester but they are so small I kept hitting the side of the gold prongs so could not get a reading. Either way I think I did well at $5.00.

 

[A Breaker]

The earring pearls look like Akoyas to me. My experience is that with Akoya earrings in 14k, it is usually a diamond at that size. That was a steal! But the next time you are in a jewelry store, they might test for you. The strand is freshwater. Is that 14k or 925 clasp on the necklace? If it is gold, (It looks sterling to me) with that much gold, you got a fabulous deal. With silver, it is still a sweet deal!

 

[BrendaKY]

The earring pearls look like Akoyas to me. My experience is that with Akoya earrings in 14k, it is usually a diamond at that size. That was a steal! But the next time you are in a jewelry store, they might test for you. The strand is freshwater. Is that 14k or 925 clasp on the necklace? If it is gold, (It looks sterling to me) with that much gold, you got a fabulous deal. With silver, it is still a sweet deal!

Thank you A Breaker for your evaluation. The clasp is marked 14 k. It is yellow gold. The picture was dark at the bottom so it looks like a silver clasp in picture. The beads in between the pearls are gold color as well. I don’t know if they are gold fill, plated or what. They are several tiny beads looks like sewn together with a tiny clear line like fishing line I think. Looking through a loupe that’s what I think they are. The beads are really small maybe 1mm or so wide. Maybe 6 beads sewn together and wrapped around the thread between each pearl. Someone spent a lot of time doing it. Very tedious work. The pearls were pretty grimy when I got it but with some patience with cleanup it sure came out nice. Thanks

 

[Pella]

On the CFW necklace, the beads in between look like daisy rondelles to me. They can be made in vermeil, plated or in gold I found out today. I doubt that they would be so generous with gold daisy rondelles but you never know.

 

[BrendaKY]

On the CFW necklace, the beads in between look like daisy rondelles to me. They can be made in vermeil, plated or in gold I found out today. I doubt that they would be so generous with gold daisy rondelles but you never know.

Interesting. Thank you for the information. I will look up daisy rondelles

 

[A Breaker]

Oh, I see how they were made now. I would try a very strong magnet to see if they were gold filled or plated. (Gold isn't magnetic). Are you going to restring them?

 

[BrendaKY]

Oh, I see how they were made now. I would try a very strong magnet to see if they were gold filled or plated. (Gold isn't magnetic). Are you going to restring them?

A magnet does not stick to them. I have been wearing them. They feel pretty strong. The only thing I can see wrong with them is the coating has worn off of the French wire on the ends. I will probably wait a while before restringing. After looking at the tiny gold color beads again I can see a gold color tube between 2 of the beads in each set of beads between each pearl. It is very weird. They are not between all of them. The rest of them are strung with the clear thin line. I was beginning to think they were the daisy beads but they are not.