History of Mikimoto
In 1893, Kokichi Mikimoto, also known as “the Pearl King,” was recognized as the only person to successfully create the world’s first cultured pearls. Mikimoto had a dream to “adorn the necks of all women around the world with pearls.” For over 100 years, this dream has lived on through the Mikimoto legacy.
Natural pearls are incredibly rare to find in the wild, so they were once only worn by people of significant wealth and status. Kokichi Mikimoto began his journey culturing pearls so that people all over the world could enjoy the elegance of pearl jewelry. HE sent his most skilled craftsmen to Europe to study modern jewelry design techniques. When they came back and relayed this information to Mikimoto, he spent most of his time trying to find a way to seamlessly blend established Japanese metalwork with European production techniques. That’s how the iconic Mikimoto style was born.
Kokichi had a unique way of always promoting his pearls in international exhibits with extravagant creations. It wasn’t long before he had established his place as the world’s leading cultivator, processor, and distributor of pearls. The Mikimoto brand has maintained its reputation, internationally, as the industry gold standard for elegant hand-crafted pearl jewelry for sophisticated women all over the world.