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Visit the London Mikimoto Pearl ShopSit back, relax and enjoy a visit to the Mikimoto Pearl Shop in London...let me do the walking.
Mikimoto London, England
I've anticipated visiting this Mikimoto pearl shop in London for a long time...and here I finally was, on New Bond Street, an area in London I'd never been acquainted with before, but a street I also will never forget. After all, it isn't every day one is invited to attend a Sotheby's auction. Sotheby's is also on Bond Street...but that's another story.  Honestly, Mikimoto employees often don't know what to do with me. I often get the usual, "Oh, that's nice. Here's our brochure. Feel free to have a look around," treatment. That's what happened here while I tried to pry deeper into the workings of this Mikimoto pearl shop London. I realize this can be quite intimidating for clerks, but it's funny, the "higher" up they are in management, the warmer, more helpful and more attentive they are.
I'm regularly greatly relieved when a manager or assistant manager shows up on the scene. People in management seem to have a natural inner knowing that publicity is good...even if it's a farmer's wife from Iowa (me) who has some silly website about pearls...It means some sort of advertising for them and they usually take notice. I appreciate that a lot...after all I did make the effort to cross the pond, and track them down in London.
Know who gave me the very most alert and professional attention on my visits to Mikimoto pearl shops? If you guessed the manager at Ginza, Tokyo, the main Mikimoto pearl shop, you’re right! He didn't just give me some Mikimoto pearl shop brochure, but went so far as to look immediately, in my presence, at my website and the page with their address on it, plus, he presented me with a $50 book called, "People and Pearls." To say I was flabbergasted is putting it mildly. So, if you ever try this scheme of writing a page about each store in some swanky chain, ask to see the manager...the attention may surprise you.
I don't ask to see managers, however, because I want the same reaction that someone coming in off the street would get, but had I to do this over (that is, writing about Mikimoto stores), I think I'd ask to see managers.
My first contact in this Mikimoto Pearl Shop London was Paula, cordial, and professional. I noticed she was wearing one white and one black earring. After I commented on that, she explained who started this fad (sorry I don't remember what she said) and commented that "Really, people can do whatever they want now, can't they?" Since then I've noticed pairs like this for sale in jewelry store windows.
I was glad the assistant sales manager, Christel, came out from the back. I sensed relief in Paula, as well. I've learned to show my interest by asking specific questions about certain pearls on display. "How many millimeters is that single pearl ring?" "What are some of the latest designs?"
Christel, after sensing my sincere desire to learn about their business on New Bond Street showed me the latest collection which had just arrived. The "Elements of the Universe," display. She pointed out the graduated color of diamonds, white for air, blue for water, pink for fire, yellow for earth. Each set naturally includes pearls, Tahitian, Akoya or South Sea. Christel pointed out one graduated necklace where the clasp of colored diamonds was to the upper side of the necklace. She said first of all she strung it with the clasp in back, then realized that the clasp would be bulky in back, plus, it's a beautiful piece of jewelry in its own right and should show in front, so she restrung the necklace. Christel also demonstrated opening and closing the clasp. Interesting,...I should have asked her, if all the items came to them unstrung and left for the local store to finish off.
I appreciate that Christel helped me understand how to finish off silk thread. She took a necklace out of the case and showed how she doesn't knot the last three pearls, but attaches the clasp and returns back through those remaining pearls and tries knots going backwards, adding a tiny drop of glue on the final knot.
 Mikimoto Store Sign London
Christel was very patient with me as I asked her repeatedly exactly how to do this...I wanted to make sure I really understood.  Mikimoto London Storefront
This bit of information helped avert embarrassment when later on in the week a friend of mine living near Sloane Square asked me to make her a triple stand pearl necklace. I wasn’t able to use the new technique on all the strands....but at least I knew what she was requesting. I'll have to practice. Mikimoto pearl shop London, obvious by the photos, was under renovation. That is, at least the upper part of the building, causing the front of the store to be adorned store with not too beautiful scaffolding....but that's progress. I forgot to even ask about it.
 Mikimoto London with Scaffolding
And so, yes, I've visited the Mikimoto Pearl Shop London. A most amazing pearl necklace was in the front window, one that folded back and forth over itself. Incredible!
Thank you Paula and Christel for your helpful tour of your store and knotting instructions.
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