Mikimoto Pearls

The iconic house of Mikimoto has over a century of history behind it. It was founded in 1893 by the legendary artist Kokichi Mikimoto, who responded to a growing scarcity of pearl-producing oysters by growing the world’s first ever cultured pearl, after years of work on his own private Akoya pearl oyster beds. Through a spirit of experimentation combined with a perfectionist vision Mikimoto went on to develop many varieties of pearls and to turn his Japanese jewelry store into the most famous, well-respected pearl brand in the world.

Today Mikimoto pearl necklaces - and the whole range of Mikimoto pearl jewelry - are more in demand than ever, for their elegant design but most of all for their uncompromising commitment to superior quality, through which Mr. Mikimoto’s legacy lives on. Each Mikimoto pearl is subjected to the brand's own proprietary grading system - the only such system in the pearl industry - and only the top 3 to 5% of the cultured pearls grown each year in Japan meet the Mikimoto standards of excellence. The same dedication to excellence and respect for heritage is exemplified in Mikimoto’s design and jewelry-making practices: jewelers training with Mikimoto spend 18 months learning traditional Japanese artwork techniques before they get anywhere near creating pearl necklaces.

No brand combines the enduring, elegant appeal of South Sea pearls with eye-catching modern design quite like Mikimoto: these pearls are cultured in every sense of the word. Mikimoto’s dream was to ‘adorn the necks of all women around the world with pearls’ - and it’s hard to imagine a woman who would say no to such simple, timeless beauty.