Mikimoto

Got an amazing set of pearls and diamonds here in 2010. Went back this weekend to get a pair of everyday studs.
The sales people here are simply fantastic. First class service regardless of what I’m in the market to buy. From $ 10k+ down to a few hundred dollar purchases, the service is always impeccable. Fun conversation, no pressure, just gorgeous pearls that make me feel like I’m a million bucks! Go in and ask for John. You won’t be disappointed.

Great service but horrible refund policy. I mean you are spending thousands of dollars here and refund policy is 14 days? You would think at least 30 days. Minus 1 star for this.
Parking is horrible here. I was parked at an hour meter a few blocks away and it took longer than an hour. I had to rush through my exchange then realize I wanted the other necklace but I kept it in the end bc I really would hate coming back here and 14 days doesn’t give any wiggle room to come back for the exchange.

I contemplated getting some pearl studs for a couple of years. I spend so much money eating out and traveling every year that fine jewelry is not on the top of my list of things to consider buying for myself. My friend and her mom were visiting from out of the town (her mom from out of the country) and we decided to hit up Rodeo Drive along with the gazillion tourists who were there on the day of New Year’s Eve.
Mikimoto is world renowned for their fine pearl jewelry… that much I knew. My friend looked at several strands of pearls that were in the case. A very friendly and knowledgeable associate in the store named John was so gracious in educating us about the quality of pearls. He let us try on anything and everything we wanted.
You won’t find pearl studs in the display case. You have to ask for them. I knew I wanted something in the range of 7 to 8 millimeters. After picking the size I wanted to go with (via trying them on), John so kindly pulled out all of the 8 mm inventory for me to go through to help me get the biggest bang for my buck. I ended up with a pair that measured 8.2mm. I have to say I was zoning in and out of the education part about luster, etc., etc., but I trusted him. They’re beautiful. I wore them for the first time today to a business meeting and was surprised they caught the eye of one of the ladies in the meeting. She asked me what kind of pearls they were (Akoya was the answer).
My mom, in true Chinese fashion, asked John for a discount when he told us the price in the beginning. Hahaha. She asked a few times, I think, and he was so nice about it despite how embarrassed I was that she would ask. (Side note: Believe it or not, she has managed before to get a store manager to deduct the sales tax on a piece of fine jewelry years ago with her «cute» persistence). I picked out my earrings, paid for them, John very nicely wrapped them up and taught me how to care for them, and he gave my mom a gift! It was a beautiful Mikimoto candle.
Ask for John… he’ll take good care of you.

So I should make it clear that this is a review of Mikimoto itself (and, actually, one product) rather than the Beverly Hills store.
Like others have said, there’s really no comparison to a Mikimoto pearl. It’s where you go for the best. My fiancée gave me the Morning Dew ring as an engagement ring this past weekend and I’m absolutely in LOVE with it. I told him I wanted a pearl ring because I wanted something a little more unusual.
The pearl is efferfescent and has a slight pink hue to it that’s absolutely gorgeous. The diamonds act really just as accents, but shimmer the way high quality diamonds should. The pearl isn’t too heavy, so it feels wonderful on my finger.
I’d definitely recommend this ring for people looking for an engagement ring that’s a little unusual and not too expensive.

I absolutely love the guys that work here! They always make me feel welcome unlike the Miki at South Coast Plaza. Even though they know I’m not going to buy a $ 60 thousand pearl necklace they don’t mind letting me try it on everytime I go. They’re awesome.

i personally LUV pearls even tho i’m not an old lady&don’t have occasion to wear them out much. to me, pearls go w/everything&it’s HOW u wear them. i recently started incorporating them into my ‘casual’ wardrobe, just so i can wear them out more often. i luv their dark pearls&ring as well as their many variety of shades of pink pearls, which i actually wear sometimes as a bracelet&at times as as necklace…

Well what really needs to be said about Mikimoto? If you are reading this review you probably already know that Mikimoto is to pearls as Tiffany’s is to diamonds. A Mikimoto pearl is the penultimate, it is the best. So why write a review???
Because an experience this good deserves some recognition.
I must say, there are few things in life that feel as good to me as shopping in the finest of stores. The service you get, the attention, the bending over backwards (LOL, yes when you see the prices you feel a little bent over too ;)). Mikimoto however in my opinion has perfected the customer experience.
Just one example… I bought my girlfriend some Tahitian pearl earrings there — she loved them but wanted to see what others they had insofar as different color, luster, etc. We went to the store and after about an hour of looking she didn’t see any that really caught her eye — so what the sales person said was for her to look at all their Tahitian pearls — no matter the price, style, etc — and if she found a pearl whose color and luster she loved they would FedEx it back to their store in New York and have them find a pair of the earrings I gave her that matched the pearl she picked out.
How does one even respond to service like that, except to be in love?
Another little example — and this amazed me — I had bought my girlfriend a pearl necklace — and 8 months later when we went back for the earrings not only did the salesman remember me, he even remembered that my girlfriend was a «pearl purist» and didn’t like diamonds with her pearls.
As far as I’m concerned, if you are in the market for the best pearls around and can pay top dollar for them then go to Mikimoto’s. You will end up with the pearl and experience of a lifetime.