Where are these pearls from! So confusing

[chapman]

I have a pearl strand in my possession that I have little to no background information on. I got them from my grandma and she received them from a close friend but we have no information on them.

Ill start by saying the pearls are definitely real (cool to the touch, gritty against teeth, pearl powder residue etc.)

they are between 5.5mm-6.5mm in size which is consistent with Mikimoto pearl strands.

they came in a Mappin & Webb box which I investigated and the only pearls they sell are Mikimoto but upon some research I now know that Mikimoto has a stamp on the clasp (this one does not) and rarely comes in 9ct gold. But it does have a beautiful gold pendant with a large pearl, 3 little diamonds and a stamp on the gold that says 0.04 which I assume is the carat of the diamonds.

I did read something about some Mikimoto clasps from WWI not having a stamp but obviously authentication can't be proven so perhaps these were re-strung (I don't know if the knotting gives anything away).

Also not sure if its worth noting that I saw a previous Auction from an Auction site from 2013 and the pearls looked almost identical to mine and had the exact same clasp!!! they were sold as Mikimoto! but again the pictures weren't clear enough to see a stamp on the clasp.

I would love as much info on them as possible and possibly how much you guys think the necklace and pendant would be worth separately or together.

And also is there any way I can tell if the clasp is Mikimoto

Thanks and sorry about the long post!

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Lovely overtones on those pearls, certainly real akoyas. Cool looking pendant too!

There are others here who know more about Mikimoto than I do-- hopefully BWeaves will post-- but one option you have is to take/send the necklace to Mikimoto to be certified.

 

[pattye]

Welcome, Chapman,

Lovely Akoya pearls and a beautiful pendant/enhancer. Looks like 3 pearls may have been added to lengthen the necklace at some point. If possible, have Mikimoto authenticate the clasp and pearls, as Pearl Dreams suggested.

 

[chapman]

Hi there,

Thanks so much for your prompt replies!

is there any way to tell the difference between Mikimoto pearls and regular akoya without an "M" stamp on the pendant?

Thanks!

 

[BWeaves]

They look a bit uneven to be Mikimoto pearls. And the clasp looks like a generic clasp that's supposed to look a bit like a Mikimoto clasp without being a direct copy. It does not look like the Blue Lagoon clasps, either.

It looks like a very nice akoya strand that has been lengthened. I doubt that it is Mikimoto, though.

 

[BWeaves]

Hi there,

Thanks so much for your prompt replies!

is there any way to tell the difference between Mikimoto pearls and regular akoya without an "M" stamp on the pendant?

Thanks!

No. Even if the clasp has the correct logo, the pearls may still not be Mikimoto. I know because my mother had two Miki strands restrung as one necklace and reused the extra clasp on other pearls. But she's an exception.

If the pearls are really good quality and the clasp isn't a Mikimoto clasp, then there's no way to know.

If the pearls are not top quality, then it's usually obvious they are not Mikimoto.

Keep in mind that even Mikimoto has lesser quality brands like Blue Lagoon, which are still way nicer than a lot of regular pearls.

And online vendors have amazing quality pearls that rival Mikimoto, without the brand name price tag.

The pendant is gorgeous, too.

 

[GemGeek]

I'm going to agree with BWeaves that the color matching is not up to Mikimoto standards. But -- they are great pearls. Someone should be wearing and enjoying them.