We celebrate our heritage as the originator of cultured pearls
In 1893, our founder, Kokichi Mikimoto, successfully created the world's first cultured pearls. Ever since then, Mikimoto has been seeking to harness the allure of pearls, keeping alive his dream of “adorning the necks of all women around the world with pearls.” We are proud to introduce amazingly elegant Mikimoto pearls created by the originator of cultured pearls.
The most luminous of all, “Mikimoto Pearl”
The quality of a pearl is determined by several criteria, including its size, shape, color, and luster. An important factor to look out for is the thickness of the nacre as this determines the pearl's luster. Only the Akoya cultured pearls with the highest quality and luster can be bestowed with the name “Mikimoto Pearl.”
The quality of Mikimoto Pearl
No two pearls would be the same, even if they came from the same ocean or the same species of mollusks. To maintain the quality of Mikimoto Pearl, we only use the finest pearls that meet our strict standards, which are, on average, less than 10 percent of all the pearls we go through. We determine the quality of a pearl using several criteria, and require that every Mikimoto Pearl meets our high standards.
Luster
One of the most important things to look for in a pearl is luster. The luster of the pearl is affected by the surface quality and the thickness and evenness of the nacre. Typically, the thicker the nacre, the finer the luster will be on the pearl.
Nacre thickness
For nucleated pearls, the thickness of the nacre is often a reliable measure of how long each pearl has been cultured, how long it will last, and its quality. Generally, the longer pearls are left to grow, the thicker the nacre.
Shape
In general, the closer the pearl is to a perfect sphere in shape, the better it is considered to be. However, pearls in various forms are also embraced. For example, baroque pearls are loved because of their irregular and intriguing shape, which gives them a unique charm, and teardrop pearls hang down daintily.
Size
Pearl size is a diameter measured in millimeters. Make sure you choose the right size to fit your mood and outfit.
Color
Pearls occur naturally in white and cream shades. Pink, white, green, cream, and gold Akoya cultured pearls can be encountered. It is generally considered that the more even the color, the better quality a pearl is.
Akoya cultured pearl
Akoya cultured pearls are the specialty of Japan's pearl farms. Pearls from Akoya oysters are widely admired for their air of elegance and beautiful luster and are the most popular pearl on the market. They are mostly sized from 3 to 8mm, and seldom larger than 9mm.
Black South Sea cultured pearl
Black-lipped oysters, found only in French Polynesia, are cultivated for their prized black pearls. Black South Sea cultured pearls exhibit a broad spectrum of colors, ranging from black, green, blue, grey, brown, red to yellow. The rarest color is “peaco*ck,” with an intense, iridescent overtone and the highest luster reminiscent of a peaco*ck feather.
White South Sea cultured pearl
White South Sea cultured pearls are produced by silver-lipped oysters mainly in Australian, Indonesian, the Philippine, and Burmese waters. They tend to be larger than 10mm in size. Near perfectly round pearls can be found, as well as fancy shapes such as drop shapes.
Golden South Sea cultured pearl
The colors of South Sea cultured pearls range depending on whether they are grown in a silver-lipped oyster or a gold-lipped oyster. The latter is named for the honey-colored mother of pearl lining inside its shell. Those grown in gold-lipped oysters are called golden pearls, with radiant hues of fine champagne that create an air of opulence.
Conch pearl
Conch pearls are produced by the Queen conch mollusk, which is found and eaten mainly in the Caribbean. Most often pink in color and normally oval-shaped, the finest examples display a wave-like “flame” structure on their surface.
Types of pearls
Beautiful pearls are found in various oceans and lakes around the world. Their elegant luster and mysterious colors depend on the oysters in which they are born and the environment they formed within. That's why each pearl is elegantly unique. We offer a fantastic range of jewelry flaunting a wide variety of pearls.
Until a pearl is formed
The first step in the pearl production process entails growing baby oysters until they have grown large enough to be nucleated. It normally takes two years of hard work. The most critical stage of pearl production is the process of nucleation.
Oysters are nucleated using a small piece of mantle tissue taken from another oyster and a bead made from a freshwater shell.
After nucleating, the oysters are placed in oyster beds inside a bay with tranquil waters to recover from the surgery. Then, they are moved further off the coast to areas with good currents and tidal exchanges where they will be tended as the pearls develop.
During the winter months, the metabolism of the oyster naturally slows down, and therefore the nacre of the pearl is formed in much tighter and richer layers. When the time comes for harvest, the oysters are taken ashore, where they are carefully opened, and the pearl removed by hand. These pearls are then sorted and graded, and only the very finest gems are ever used to create Mikimoto jewelry to ensure the highest standards and quality.
Our unparalleled commitment and dedication to quality
Mikimoto is one of a few leading jewelry brands in the world with an integrated system for design, production, sales, and after service. We pride ourselves in our commitment to bringing the finest pearls to our customers. From the moment pearls are formed in the sea, transformed into beautiful pearl necklaces until our customers put them on, we strive for our customers' satisfaction. Our pieces are meant to spread happiness and joy to those who wear them. We offer first-class quality achieved through our true understanding of the beauty of pearls.
Making Mikimoto Pearls shine all the brighter
It takes countless hours of work and dedication to assemble a single pearl necklace. Our highly skilled experts sort through and select the pearls to ensure that each bead in a strand matches in color, size, shape, and luster. At Mikimoto, we attach particular importance to the quality of how well the pearls are matched.
Choker
A pearl choker, about 40 cm long, is appropriate with everything from casual to formal eveningwear. It is one of the most popular lengths.
Matinée
The Matinée length of about 60 cm is suitable during the day. Mikimoto was the first to call it “Matinée” for it being the French word for a musical or dramatic performance held in the daytime. It's long enough to sway subtly with every move you make.
Opera
Also named by Mikimoto, the Opera length is about 80 cm long. As it is double the length of a choker, it offers many attractive options; for example, you can double the strand. This length of the necklace is best for formal evening attire.
Rope
A Rope is about 120 cm, which is triple the length of a choker. This length offers the greatest flexibility in your style, allowing for doubling or tripling around the neck or knotting.
A wide range of designs that underline the individuality of the wearer
We offer a variety of designs and lengths to suit any occasion for you to enjoy the elegant shine of a pearl necklace that matches your outfit. Please feel free to let us know if you need to change the length of your necklace.
