Hallmark Rabbit Hole! Mitsukoshi co-brand with Mikimoto or another maker

[sauin]

Hello! Hope your expertise and opinions can help me get insight into my pretty pearl ring's provenance and value. AI has been both helpful and confusing...low trust in query results that seem too contradictory. Purchased via Ebay for $200 in 2012, the ring is K18 yellow gold, split shank, two 7mm pearls (akoya?), two 0.03ct diamonds, and Mitsukoshi, "MR" marks. It is in beautiful shape. I have worn it minimally; it's just part of my ring collection, which I am now downsizing. Have you ever seen this sort of marking before?

 

[jshepherd]

That's a beautiful ring and you got a great deal on it!

I think there are two hallmarks on it, but that could make sense. The one on the left in your first image is an old Mitsukoshi mark. The character is "koshi" and it was their "maru ni koshi" mark, which really just means koshi inside a circle.

The second mark looks like an MP which is probably Mori Pearl. They sell (or at least sold) pearls through Mitsukoshi.

The ring is 18 karat according to the K18, and the diamonds are probably only .015 cts each. There are two of them and it is typically the total diamond weight that is etched in, not per diamond.

The pearls are akoya, and $200 is definitely a good buy, even back in 2012.

 

[sauin]

jshepard! Wow! Very informative and you are a credit to human expertise v. ai slop. Thank You! Two questions: 1) Era; 2) Ballpark current value range?

 

[jshepherd]

Mori Pearl has been around since the 1960s, but that doesn't date the ring. I'd guess it from the 70s or 80s based on the style, but that's definitely not definitive.

The provenance doesn't have the same brand premium as one like Mikimoto, so if you're just looking at the value for what it is, it would depend a lot on the gram weight of the ring. It's 18K, so that's definitely a bump - especially with the price of gold today. If someone were asking my opinion on a ballpark, I'd put it around $500 in the secondary market, give or take. Maybe a bit more because of the provenance. Appraising older jewelry isn't my specialty though since we only deal in new.

 

[sauin]

Again! Thank you Jeremy! This is so informative and matches what I suspected (Era) and my own research this afternoon, per your response to my original post (brand premium and value). Looks like my pretty little ring will stay in my collection for its beauty and now interesting background only.

 

[ennui]

Looks like my pretty little ring will stay in my collection for its beauty and now interesting background only.

I like the setting -- from the top, it looks like the two pearls are embracing each other, like dancing. Little arms. And, no, I haven't been drinking.

 

[sauin]

Ennui, Sweet description for my pretty little ring and... lol re drinking. Thank you for making me smile and being a human (AI could never!)