What Other Jewelry Brands Do You Buy/Wear?

[Notorious Pink]

I have pretty wrists today.
Yesterday, I stopped off at Bloomies to see the multicolor bracelet. I brought the Vine Amulet that I bought but had not worn to see if I could exchange it for the bracelet. I could. Not only that, Bloomies extended the 20% discount that was applied to the amulet to the bracelet!!! I did not expect that.

On my other wrist is an Irene Neuwirth Peruvian Opal Candy bracelet and pink/purple Sapphire and Aquamarine tennis bracelets.

View attachment 5314446View attachment 5314447

I bought the Rainbow bracelet expressly to go with the Tolomeo. Plus, I’ve always wanted a bracelet like this. In the past I’ve been drawn to Reinstein Ross Sapphire bangles, but I wanted a bangle with a clasp. Needless to say, I’m thrilled to own this.

I also had a big career win this week. I led BD efforts that led to a $5Million contract. So it’s a big win. The bangle is a nice way to celebrate. The best thing about the win is that I will be working with some of my favorite people in the world.

I love your beautiful, colorful stacks -and HUGE congratulations on the win!!

 

[cafecreme15]

The sapphire halo earrings are very pretty, so nicely proportioned. And the sapphire bangle is just lovely. Looks understated and cool. Could be worn super casually. I'm looking them up! Thanks for sharing.

If you end up wanting to go let me know and I’m happy to make an introduction!

 

[EpiFanatic]

If you end up wanting to go let me know and I’m happy to make an introduction!

Thank you cafecreme. So sweet of you. I’ll DM you if I need to.

 

[BigAkoya]

Hi @eletons!
This is for you and any others who are interested in akoya pearls and want to better understand how size and grading affect price.

I just remembered JRDunn, a jeweler in South Florida, carries a lot of Mikimoto on their website (most websites only carry a few pieces). Here are pearl stud earrings which you can select grade and size to get an idea of pricing. Mikimoto 9.5mm AAA White Gold Akoya Pearl Stud Earrings (jrdunn.com)

As a recap on akoya pearls...
Akoya pearl sizes vary from 5.5mm to 9.5mm, the largest akoya is 9.5mm.
Pearl grades vary from A to AAA. The highest pricing will be 9.5mm, AAA. Pearl overtone does not affect pricing.
You can click on the website to price out some pearl studs to see pricing.
I've listed three examples of pearl earring stud for a quick summary.

1. Pearl size of 7.5mm - For Grade A, price is $670.00. For Grade AAA, price is $1,590.00.
2. Pearl size of 8.5mm (8.5mm begins the jump in price). For Grade A, price is $1,730.00. For Grade AAA, price is $4,250.00. Notice how for only 1mm increase, from 7.5mm to 8.5mm, the price increase is over 2.5 times.
3. Pearl size of 9.5mm (largest akoya size and the rarest). For Grade A, price is $6,060. For Grade AAA, price is $21,740. Notice how for another 1mm increase, from 8.5mm to 9.5mm, the price increase is much more significant, over 3-5 times. This is due to the rarity of the pearl.

@eletons
You can see how pricing varies greatly. Therefore, I highly recommend getting a certificate if you plan to purchase Mikimoto. By the way, JRDunn is a reputable jeweler. They are based in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, which is a city north of Miami (I grew up in Miami ). I checked for you, and they ship to Europe! I also noticed on their website it's 15% off the first purchase.

I wanted to share this as it might help you decide what strand/earrings you want. I also thought this might be helpful to any others interested in purchasing Mikimotos.
I recall you were looking at a long strand. Here is the link to a 32." You can play with pearl size and grade. There are other shorter lengths too on the website, 18", 20", etc... You can have fun surfing and playing!
Mikimoto Akoya Pearl Necklace 32 Inch - Opera Strands (jrdunn.com)

Hope this helps. Good luck to you on your Mikimoto hunt!

 

[cafecreme15]

Hi @eletons!
This is for you and any others who are interested in akoya pearls and want to better understand how size and grading affect price.

I just remembered JRDunn, a jeweler in South Florida, carries a lot of Mikimoto on their website (most websites only carry a few pieces). Here are pearl stud earrings which you can select grade and size to get an idea of pricing. Mikimoto 9.5mm AAA White Gold Akoya Pearl Stud Earrings (jrdunn.com)

As a recap on akoya pearls...
Akoya pearl sizes vary from 5.5mm to 9.5mm, the largest akoya is 9.5mm.
Pearl grades vary from A to AAA. The highest pricing will be 9.5mm, AAA. Pearl overtone does not affect pricing.
You can click on the website to price out some pearl studs to see pricing.
I've listed three examples of pearl earring stud for a quick summary.

1. Pearl size of 7.5mm - For Grade A, price is $670.00. For Grade AAA, price is $1,590.00.
2. Pearl size of 8.5mm (8.5mm begins the jump in price). For Grade A, price is $1,730.00. For Grade AAA, price is $4,250.00. Notice how for only 1mm increase, from 7.5mm to 8.5mm, the price increase is over 2.5 times.
3. Pearl size of 9.5mm (largest akoya size and the rarest). For Grade A, price is $6,060. For Grade AAA, price is $21,740. Notice how for another 1mm increase, from 8.5mm to 9.5mm, the price increase is much more significant, over 3-5 times. This is due to the rarity of the pearl.

@eletons
You can see how pricing varies greatly. Therefore, I highly recommend getting a certificate if you plan to purchase Mikimoto. By the way, JRDunn is a reputable jeweler. They are based in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, which is a city north of Miami (I grew up in Miami ). I checked for you, and they ship to Europe! I also noticed on their website it's 15% off the first purchase.

I wanted to share this as it might help you decide what strand/earrings you want. I also thought this might be helpful to any others interested in purchasing Mikimotos.
I recall you were looking at a long strand. Here is the link to a 32." You can play with pearl size and grade. There are other shorter lengths too on the website, 18", 20", etc... You can have fun surfing and playing!
Mikimoto Akoya Pearl Necklace 32 Inch - Opera Strands (jrdunn.com)

Hope this helps. Good luck to you on your Mikimoto hunt!

This was very educational, thank you!

 

[etoile de mer]

Hi @eletons!
This is for you and any others who are interested in akoya pearls and want to better understand how size and grading affect price.

I just remembered JRDunn, a jeweler in South Florida, carries a lot of Mikimoto on their website (most websites only carry a few pieces). Here are pearl stud earrings which you can select grade and size to get an idea of pricing. Mikimoto 9.5mm AAA White Gold Akoya Pearl Stud Earrings (jrdunn.com)

As a recap on akoya pearls...
Akoya pearl sizes vary from 5.5mm to 9.5mm, the largest akoya is 9.5mm.
Pearl grades vary from A to AAA. The highest pricing will be 9.5mm, AAA. Pearl overtone does not affect pricing.
You can click on the website to price out some pearl studs to see pricing.
I've listed three examples of pearl earring stud for a quick summary.

1. Pearl size of 7.5mm - For Grade A, price is $670.00. For Grade AAA, price is $1,590.00.
2. Pearl size of 8.5mm (8.5mm begins the jump in price). For Grade A, price is $1,730.00. For Grade AAA, price is $4,250.00. Notice how for only 1mm increase, from 7.5mm to 8.5mm, the price increase is over 2.5 times.
3. Pearl size of 9.5mm (largest akoya size and the rarest). For Grade A, price is $6,060. For Grade AAA, price is $21,740. Notice how for another 1mm increase, from 8.5mm to 9.5mm, the price increase is much more significant, over 3-5 times. This is due to the rarity of the pearl.

@eletons
You can see how pricing varies greatly. Therefore, I highly recommend getting a certificate if you plan to purchase Mikimoto. By the way, JRDunn is a reputable jeweler. They are based in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, which is a city north of Miami (I grew up in Miami ). I checked for you, and they ship to Europe! I also noticed on their website it's 15% off the first purchase.

I wanted to share this as it might help you decide what strand/earrings you want. I also thought this might be helpful to any others interested in purchasing Mikimotos.
I recall you were looking at a long strand. Here is the link to a 32." You can play with pearl size and grade. There are other shorter lengths too on the website, 18", 20", etc... You can have fun surfing and playing!
Mikimoto Akoya Pearl Necklace 32 Inch - Opera Strands (jrdunn.com)

Hope this helps. Good luck to you on your Mikimoto hunt!

Thanks so much! Appreciate all the info, and I love the functionality of the JR Dunn website. So easy to see how changing the parameters affects the price. From your experience, what kinds of things might one notice moving between grades A-AAA?

 

[BigAkoya]

Thanks so much! Appreciate all the info, and I love the functionality of the JR Dunn website. So easy to see how changing the parameters affects the price. From your experience, what kinds of things might one notice moving between grades A-AAA?

I'm glad that was helpful. On grading...
First, all pearls come from the oyster as-is. Pearls are not like rough gemstones (eg. diamond, emerald, turquoise, agate) where it needs to be formed, shaped, faceted, polished, etc.. before a finished gemstone is produced.

With that in mind, a pearl's grade is based on several factors. They include shape (perfectly round is the most desired), surface blemishes (the fewer the more valuable), and luster (a mirror-like luster is the most prized).

For me, luster is the most important of all. I want as much of a mirror finish and glow as possible. When I buy strands, I never inspect each pearl for blemishes or measure each pearl to see how round they are. I look at the glow of the strand and the mirror finish. I see how it pops and makes my skin light up. Luster is also the most subjective.

Of the four grades, from what my eyes have seen on luster...
I cannot see much difference from A to A+. I see more of a mirror finish with AA. I see a big jump with AAA. AAA is perfection, like staring into a mirror and seeing your reflection. AAA is so beautiful it looks fake. For natural gemstones, a stone so beautiful and perfect that it looks fake is the best compliment that can be given to that stone. That's what I see, but different eyes may see bigger jumps at each grade.

I want to add Mikimoto pearls are the top 5% of all pearls. They are the best of the best. Looking at it that way, trying to judge a Mikimoto by grade is splitting hairs... it would be like judging which is the "best best" of the best. My point here is every strand is beautiful in its own way, from grade A to grade AAA.

 

[etoile de mer]

I'm glad that was helpful. On grading...
First, all pearls come from the oyster as-is. Pearls are not like rough gemstones (eg. diamond, emerald, turquoise, agate) where it needs to be formed, shaped, faceted, polished, etc.. before a finished gemstone is produced.

With that in mind, a pearl's grade is based on several factors. They include shape (perfectly round is the most desired), surface blemishes (the fewer the more valuable), and luster (a mirror-like luster is the most prized).

For me, luster is the most important of all. I want as much of a mirror finish and glow as possible. When I buy strands, I never inspect each pearl for blemishes or measure each pearl to see how round they are. I look at the glow of the strand and the mirror finish. I see how it pops and makes my skin light up. Luster is also the most subjective.

Of the four grades, from what my eyes have seen on luster...
I cannot see much difference from A to A+. I see more of a mirror finish with AA. I see a big jump with AAA. AAA is perfection, like staring into a mirror and seeing your reflection. AAA is so beautiful it looks fake. For natural gemstones, a stone so beautiful and perfect that it looks fake is the best compliment that can be given to that stone. That's what I see, but different eyes may see bigger jumps at each grade.

I want to add Mikimoto pearls are the top 5% of all pearls. They are the best of the best. Looking at it that way, trying to judge a Mikimoto by grade is splitting hairs... it would be like judging which is the "best best" of the best. My point here is every strand is beautiful in its own way, from grade A to grade AAA.

Thanks so much, more great info, very helpful!

 

[WingNut]

So I'm only 1/3 of a way through this thread, starting from the beginning a few days ago. Holy moly all the pieces are gorgeous! I'm copiously taking notes. @Notorious Pink you have posted some amazing pieces from a designer I'd never heard of (Pasquale Bruni) and am now thinking of unloading a lot of other items just so that I can carefully up the ante on my jewelry collection. Don't want anyone to feel left out, you are all inspiring me! I still have a long way to go reading through this thread, hope to get to the end so I can share a few of my items (mostly Roberto Coil, Mikimoto, Cartier, and some un-branded pieces).

Craving some Bvlgari, more Cartier, and a lot of other gorgeous pieces.

Out of curiosity, has anyone ever heard of Sloane Street Jewelry? I picked up a ring from them in early December. When I get a chance I'll upload a photo.

 

[Deleted member 626500]

I have pretty wrists today.
Yesterday, I stopped off at Bloomies to see the multicolor bracelet. I brought the Vine Amulet that I bought but had not worn to see if I could exchange it for the bracelet. I could. Not only that, Bloomies extended the 20% discount that was applied to the amulet to the bracelet!!! I did not expect that.

On my other wrist is an Irene Neuwirth Peruvian Opal Candy bracelet and pink/purple Sapphire and Aquamarine tennis bracelets.

View attachment 5314446View attachment 5314447

Congratulations on your new bracelet(s).
I love the tennis bracelets, the aqua, sapphire and candy are fabulous together. Truly excellent.
Wear them well and in good heath and happiness!

 

[lynne_ross]

So I'm only 1/3 of a way through this thread, starting from the beginning a few days ago. Holy moly all the pieces are gorgeous! I'm copiously taking notes. @Notorious Pink you have posted some amazing pieces from a designer I'd never heard of (Pasquale Bruni) and am now thinking of unloading a lot of other items just so that I can carefully up the ante on my jewelry collection. Don't want anyone to feel left out, you are all inspiring me! I still have a long way to go reading through this thread, hope to get to the end so I can share a few of my items (mostly Roberto Coil, Mikimoto, Cartier, and some un-branded pieces).

Craving some Bvlgari, more Cartier, and a lot of other gorgeous pieces.

Out of curiosity, has anyone ever heard of Sloane Street Jewelry? I picked up a ring from them in early December. When I get a chance I'll upload a photo.

I have 2 Pasquale Bruni pieces on my list due to this threat (due to Nortorious!) and a friend of mine bought earrings after I pointed her to brand. Dangerous thread.

 

[DS2006]

I have pretty wrists today.
Yesterday, I stopped off at Bloomies to see the multicolor bracelet. I brought the Vine Amulet that I bought but had not worn to see if I could exchange it for the bracelet. I could. Not only that, Bloomies extended the 20% discount that was applied to the amulet to the bracelet!!! I did not expect that.

On my other wrist is an Irene Neuwirth Peruvian Opal Candy bracelet and pink/purple Sapphire and Aquamarine tennis bracelets.

View attachment 5314446View attachment 5314447

LOVE the new multi-color bracelet! I love this design with the sapphires and the diamonds! But the multicolor will make an incredible set with the Tolomeo pendant! I've been looking at bezel tennis bracelets and really might consider one of these instead if they fit me right. Are those bangles round or oval? I can't tell on her site. Please post the new bracelet on the TSC thread! It's a fabulous piece and works so well with the Astrid bracelets, too!

 

[jennlt]

Family’s can be so weird and jealous it’s normally the older females in my family. It irritates me when they ask price of something and then make slick comments. My MIL is so jealous it’s unreal. Whenever she sees me with something she tries to ask DH to get her something similar. Mind you she doesn’t have fabulous taste or anything it’s just your wife has new earrings so I want new earrings. We laugh at her together

You are so right, it is always the females that make the snide comments in my family, too. My MIL wouldn't let DH and I sit together at family dinners. She would insist on sitting between us so that she could monopolize the conversation and have all DH's attention, while simultaneously criticizing everything on my plate and how much or how little I ate of it. And this self-appointed "food police" was the one who always insisted we order pizza with absolutely no cheese on it

 

[jennlt]

Does anyone else like Marco Bicego? I saw this Lucia long convertible necklace and it's really beautiful and versatile. HIs IG shows 12 different ways to wear it and I love having options. I may need to go try it on. @880 , I know you were looking at the incredibly gorgeous VCA Liane necklace and one configuration of this bears a very slight resemblance to me (minus the gorgeous gemstones) for a fraction of the price.
I'd love to hear about anyone's experience with this brand!

 

[Cool Breeze]

Does anyone else like Marco Bicego? I saw this Lucia long convertible necklace and it's really beautiful and versatile. HIs IG shows 12 different ways to wear it and I love having options. I may need to go try it on. @880 , I know you were looking at the incredibly gorgeous VCA Liane necklace and one configuration of this bears a very slight resemblance to me (minus the gorgeous gemstones) for a fraction of the price.
I'd love to hear about anyone's experience with this brand!

View attachment 5317331

I love this brand and have pieces in both white gold and yellow. They are very well made and durable. I find that you need to match his necklaces with his earrings so the gold alloys are complimentary. The necklace you’re looking at is gorgeous. Best wishes.