is this a real vintage mikimoto pearl necklace? is it worth anything broken?

[azheart75]

I got this from my mother in law she is 76. One side was broken already then when I was looking at it today I broke the other side still has all the pearls. The thread is brittle. Someone please let me know what it is worth and if its real? She gave it to me in a bag. Lol
Thx

 

[Caitlin]

Yes, I think it is most likely a genuine Mikimoto. Ask your mom if there is any paperwork on it like a receipt. If you can find one, if will enhance the provenance and thus, the value. It is worthwhile to get it restrung ASAP. It is an especially nice necklace. The best way to get a sense of its value is to search for mikimoto necklaces on Ebay, then scroll down on the left side column. Click on completed offers. A page will come up with all completed listings of Mikis and the green ones will be the ones that sold, the red weren't sold. This always gives me a good sense of the value of the strand. If you have the receipt, it is probably worth at least what was paid for it in the first place.

http://www.ebay.com/csc/i.html?_sacat=0&_from=R40&_nkw=mikimoto+pearl+necklace&LH_Complete=1&rt=nc Here is the link.

 

[Caitlin]

this one looks the most like yours though I saw some for 990.00 and 1k respectively. The graduated ones seem to be worth less than all the same size pearls. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mikimoto-ne...82067?pt=Designer_Jewelry&hash=item19d4439833

 

[AMc]

Isn't that funny? You'd think it would be the other way around since the graduated style is so much closer to that classic vintage look- but the non-graduated strands are harder to put together, so we end up with a somewhat higher price. This still goes true for today's pearls- mostly South Sea and Tahitians. Simply lovely strand, btw- you got very lucky!

 

[Caitlin]

I wouldn't have known that without looking at completed sales on eBay. The ones with little graduation sell for more. I know that graduated is the classic look, but maybe some people regard it as too ordinary or something. I know I went through a long stage where the graduated pearls were boring and even when my mom gifted me a graduated necklace of natural pearls, I took it apart and used about 1/3 of the pearls in other projects. Ahhh, the folly of youth!!! I now wear what is left of it, about a choker's worth with extreme graduation and love it for being natural! though I wish to get more Bahraini pearls to extend it back to what it was- about 22".

 

[azheart75]

Thx guys!!! for the response. My mom found the original box it came in too. She is bringing it to me tomorrow. I'm so happy. The thing is she can't remember when she got it. She don't know if it was her moms or if it was a strand my brother in law got her from Korea. So she don't know the year its from.

 

[willeyi]

Hi...if you want to be 100% sure it's genuine, I would send it in to Mikimoto and they will restring and appraise it. Plus, you are then guaranteed it is Mikimoto and know what the current value is. You should send it in to the Mikimoto New York store as that is where the repairs are handled. They are open. Restringing is $4.00 per inch, and an appraisal is $50.00 (you will get an official Miki appraisal, not a generic one). I highly recommend an appraisal for piece of mind. And they do not charge high prices for the restringing and appraisal. I also prefer to send jewelry USPS via Registered Mail.

Hope this was helpful and congratulations on your pearls!