Mikado Pearl?

[camillia]

I have a necklace that came in a small case/bag that has Mikado Pearl Ginza Tokyo in gold written. Has anyone heard of Mikado Pearl? I got this from my grandmother and I'm despereate to find its history b/c she has memory loss from a stroke.

 

[jshepherd]

This is a very difficult question. I am not familiar with Mikado Pearl of Ginza, and I do not believe one is in existence today. It is very possible this was a small pearl shop that went out of business years ago.
I did a few searches, found nothing in any of the comprehensive pearl books I have on hand, but there are a few tidbits I can share with you that may help you out in your search.
First:
There is really no record of 'Mikado Pearl' on Google - at least none that helps you.
I then used Google.co.jp, the Japanese Google search engine and did a search for: 真珠 帝, which if your computer can read Kanji, means pearl Mikado. You can find the result here:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=+真珠+帝
I scanned several and only found one reference that listed a company name in partnership with a design which won second place at a Kobe Pearl show. I searched the company and found they do not deal in pearls directly. So this tells me that the company does not currently exist.

There is a Jewelry company in Dubai that goes by the name:
Mikado Intl Jewellers L.L.C.
You may want to contact them and see if they are at all related to Mikado of Japan: +971-4-3527480, fax +971-4-3527817.

There is another company that registered the name 'MIKADO CULTURED PEARL JEWELRY' in 1994. But the name was abandoned in 1996. This is the only address I found on file for them.
JewelMak Inc. CORPORATION NEW YORK 7 West 45th Street New York NEW YORK 10036

The word Mikado is an old Japanese word for Emperor - but specifically 'Emperor of Japan' - that is not used much today. But because it is a famous old word, unfortunately it is used in many company names today.

Sorry I could not have been of more help. I hope this information can lead you in the right direction.

 

[sanja]

Hello. I am in the exact same situation. A red and gold zippered bag? My grandmother passed away years ago and I googled the writing on the inside of the bag and your post came up. Unbelievable. I hope you get this. My grandmother's pearls have a certificate of guarantee with the date feb 27 1966.

 

[Sylviah]

Hello. I am in the exact same situation. A red and gold zippered bag? My grandmother passed away years ago and I googled the writing on the inside of the bag and your post came up. Unbelievable. I hope you get this. My grandmother's pearls have a certificate of guarantee with the date feb 27 1966.

Hi Sanja, I also have pink pearl graduated necklace of Mikado Pearl Inc, dated on certificate Oct. 14, 1967.
I would like to know the current value. I can’t find any information on the search engines.
Do you have any updat?
thank you, Syl

 

[jshepherd]

This thread is from 17 years ago, so I don't think there are any updates. Do you have a photo of your pearls? We should be able to determine what they are.

 

[jolerrs]

I have the same query regarding Mikado pearls. The pearls were given to me by my aunt in about 1991. The box already looked old and tattered. See photos attached. I expect they came from my Grandmother, so could well be dated to 1960s

 

[pattye]

Jolerrs, the strand of pearls isn't showing up well in the photo. Please show us a photo of the complete necklace against a white paper towel. We may be able to help you.

 

[jolerrs]

Jolerrs, the strand of pearls isn't showing up well in the photo. Please show us a photo of the complete necklace against a white paper towel. We may be able to help you.

These are the pearls. Sorry was more interested to know if the box helped with identification of a company called Mikado. I have no idea if the pearls came in the box originally or if they were an addition before I received them.

 

[A Breaker]

Hmm...it seems as though many pearl jewelers marked their boxes...even if they were a small company. (You can get that done today as well.). It looks like a pearl necklace... Akoya (as long as it is real) from Japan in the 1950's-70's...I can't remember the Japanese name for the graduated necklaces. They were often sold to service members... sometimes unstrung to avoid tariffs...then knotted in the US. In another thread...someone else said their father bought a branded box of pearls at his hotel.... so they could have had a small shop/kiosk even in a hotel. If the clasp is white gold, not sterling, the strand is newer...toward the end of the 60's-70's or strung in the US. I hope that helps!

 

[Pearl Dreams]

The term you are thinking of is momme or 3.5 momme.

 

[jolerrs]

Hmm...it seems as though many pearl jewelers marked their boxes...even if they were a small company. (You can get that done today as well.). It looks like a pearl necklace... Akoya (as long as it is real) from Japan in the 1950's-70's...I can't remember the Japanese name for the graduated necklaces. They were often sold to service members... sometimes unstrung to avoid tariffs...then knotted in the US. In another thread...someone else said their father bought a branded box of pearls at his hotel.... so they could have had a small shop/kiosk even in a hotel. If the clasp is white gold, not sterling, the strand is newer...toward the end of the 60's-70's or strung in the US. I hope that helps!

Thank you. I’ve attached better photos of the clasp.

 

[A Breaker]

Well that clasp is signed! Looks like a WMn? or uWM?. There is something on the rim too. But I don't think that is the original Japanese clasp that would have been in the box. It could have been changed when it was restrung or it could be a different pearl strand. The box clasp would have been engraved or had designs on it, but Not filigree. And usually had a pearl attached to the center of the clasp. It would also help to know if there is a metal mark. (That could be on the rim & I just can't read it.) Sometimes on the hook. If that is gold, it is an American or European clasp.. again could have been changed in restringing. All the old faux pearls 1930-1940's I have seen have gold clasps..and were American or Eurpoean....Gold was just more highly prized in western culture & the Japanese were master silversmiths.

Yes, it is the momme or 3.5 momme.... But there was a time post WWII that the Japanese were only allowed to sell pearls to Americans and then later there were tariffs that involved paying more for a finished necklace (around 50%) and only 2-5% for a partially finished necklace... I don't know that dates on all of those, but I do know that pearls might have been sold in a box (the pearls could be original) and the clasp lost or removed in restringing. (I have seen some tariff directions that say the clasp had to be stored in a separate bag outside the box...so the clasp could easily have been lost.) All jewelers back then had people who restrung...many places had home restringing kits...many people knew how to restring & knot. So many different things could have happened.

The company...I haven't run across them before. I have run across: Tasaki (still in business) Mikimoto (original pearl culture & still in business) Seiko (yes, the watch company..branched out into pearls) Fuji Pearl (Some marked clasps later & closed in the late 1950's) Sakata (not sure when they closed...but they did Not mark their clasps as far as I can tell.) Maruwa (I haven't seen their marked clasp) and a couple others. You might contact a company Vintage Valuables... the specialize in Vintage pearls and if anyone would have run across Mikado...She/that company would be the one. (She is on EBay & has her own site) I am always super excited when I can find out about vintage companies... but it is just hard...My dream is that someone will write a book about the Japanese pearl jewelers of the 1930-1980's...