Grace + Kate

I arrived at the Mikimoto sale around 9:30am yesterday. They did not ask to see the invitation but did ask for a driver’s license or ID to check in. The check-in guy wrote down first and last names along with state of issue. Coat check was mandatory but everyone can hang out to their purses. There was about 75 people on line. The wait to get in was 1 hour. The line was much shorter than last year where the line was out the door, into the building and up the stairs. It took me 3 hours to get in last year. Tighter wallets or are people skiing in Aspen?

A lot of the pieces are the same as last year but I did see a few new styles. Blue Lagoon – Mikimoto’s lower end line – was cast off to a separate showcase booth on the side. Discounts ranged from 50% off to 75% off retail prices. Most strands were only 50% off. However, a few of the eccentric pieces could be had for 75% off. Each piece was tagged with a colored sticker: red = 50% off, blue = 60% off, green = 70% of, yellow = 75% off. Don’t expect a box unless you do some damage – like $5,000. Otherwise, your jewelry will go in an unmarked pouch. The most extravagant piece I saw was a two strand 13MM golden South Sea pearl necklace with diamond detailing for $275,000 on the retail sticker. It was tagged with a red sticker; that’s $137,500 in savings!!!

Here are a few photos from the sale: