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Undoubtedly, pearls are one of the most popular and best-selling gemstones in the world, and among them, Miki Moto jewelry brand, which all its luxury and expensive jewelry are made in combination with pearls, is the most famous brand of pearl jewelry. This luxury Japanese brand has designed the world’s rarest pearl jewelry by creating rare South Sea pearls, pink conch pearls, Tahitian pearls and white pearls. In this article, we will examine the efforts of “Kukichi Miki Moto”, the king of the world’s reviews, and the successful story of the establishment of the famous Miki Moto brand from the beginning to the present day.
Briefly about the founder of pearl jewelry brand Miki Moto
The Miki Moto brand was founded by Kokichi Miki Moto, who was born on January 25, 1858 in Toba, a small town on the Shima Peninsula of Japan. He was the eldest son of a hardworking noodle shopkeeper. When Kokichi’s father fell ill, he had to drop out of school to help support the family financially. Meanwhile, international trade entered Japan in the early 1850s, and in the port city of Toba, pearls were the most valuable local commodity.
Kokichi Mikimoto pursued this business seriously and achieved success, but as the years passed, natural pearls became more and more rare. Concerned about the extinction of pearl-producing oysters, Miki Moto began cultivating pearls in protected oysters.
“My dream is to adorn the necks of all women around the world with pearls.” This is a famous quote from the founder of Mikimoto luxury jewelry brand, Kokichi Mikimoto, who dedicated his life to pearls and was named the king of pearls. In 1893, Kokichi Mikimoto made history when he successfully created the world’s first cultured pearl. Since then, her lifelong dream to “adorn the necks of all women around the world with pearls” has continued through Mikimoto, a company that has dedicated more than a century to creating luxury pearl jewelry.
cultured pearls; The result of a Japanese dream
In fact, a new chapter in the history of luxury jewelry began when Kokichi Mikimoto, as a person who could only read and write, managed to create the world’s first cultured pearl. The importance of this issue becomes more apparent when we know that natural pearls are very rare. In nature, less than one in a thousand oysters may produce pearls in their lifetime. Therefore, before the creation of cultured pearls by Miki Moto, pearls were a luxury and expensive commodity only for the rich. Kokichi Mikimoto decided to cultivate pearls that were loved by people all over the world. Perhaps we should owe the creation of cultured pearls to the dreaming of this hardworking Japanese who did not let his dream remain half-finished.
Miki Moto cultured pearls; From dream to reality
In 1888, Kokichi Mikimoto established the first pearl farming site in Shinmei, Shima City, Japan. After establishing this place, he still doubted whether he could cultivate pearls or not. Of course, Miki Moto knew the fact that only 1 to 2 natural pearls can be found in thousands of oysters.
So the first necessary and basic step was to study about oysters. In this way, there were many problems from the point of view of biology and sea. In an exhibition held in April 1890 in Japan’s Yuano Park, Miki Moto exhibited the live oysters he had cultivated along with pearls and their products. It was at this exhibition that Miki Moto met Professor Kakichi Mitsukuri from the University of Tokyo. At that time, the professor was in charge of marine biology studies in Japan. According to his explanation, if a foreign object penetrates into the shell of the oyster and does not come out, the mother oyster tries to hide this foreign object and thus a pearl is formed over several years. placed and the shell of the oyster torn open, these small particles are not hidden by the mother oyster and can be found.
What are cultured pearls?
For those who may not know, a cultured pearl is a real pearl created under controlled conditions with human intervention, while a natural pearl is created organically in the wild by Mother Nature. Natural pearls are very rare and expensive and it is very difficult to discover new natural pearls. It is for these reasons that most of the pearl jewelry you see today uses cultured pearls. Cultured pearls can come in many shapes and colors, but are usually white or black.
Cultured pearls are produced in both freshwater and saltwater and are formed after a pearl grower inserts a stimulating substance, such as a small bead, into the shell of an oyster. Saltwater pearls are often more valuable than freshwater pearls and come in three main types: South Sea pearls, Tahitian pearls, and Akoya pearls.
The birth of the first cultured pearls of Miki Moto; In praise of the sea
Although Miki Moto was aware of the difficulty of the path he was on, he decided to begin his experiments in the field of cultured pearl production. In the first experiments, he placed a basket full of oysters in the sea and placed a small part of the mother of pearl (a small white object in the shell wall) in the belly of the oysters. Miki Muto then placed the basket in Shin Mei Bay in Agobi near Taba, now known as Pearl Island. Miki Moto repeated this every day hoping for results. Of course, there was a difficult road ahead because he was not going to find a pearl in one or two months. Miki Moto tried to open the shell of the oysters once a month, but the result was not promising because most of the foreign materials had been removed from the shell, and no promising changes were observed in some of the ones that were not removed.
Mikimoto’s trials and errors continued for months without any results. Now, Miki Moto had spent all his money on buying oysters, but the situation was so hopeless that even his supporters and relatives no longer took his work seriously, and some wanted him to give up this futile effort. After years of research, testing and overcoming nature’s obstacles, such as oyster-eating octopuses and repeated damage to the Akoya pearl oyster beds by red algae, Mikimoto finally won. On July 11, 1893, Ume, Miki Moto’s wife, brought a basket of oysters from the sea to check, as was customary every day. Unlike other days, the glow of a small light caught his attention. The little light was nothing but a semi-spherical pearl. Yes, it wasn’t a perfect pearl, but it was a pearl nonetheless. Miki Moto’s dream had become a reality and now the world’s first cultured pearl was shining in his hands.
It was after this that Miki Moto continued his efforts to breed different types of pearls, including black and white cultured South Sea pearls. Following this path, Kokichi Mikimoto sent skilled jewelry designers to Europe to learn the latest techniques and styles of jewelry design, including Art Deco and Art Nouveau. Using the experience and knowledge they brought with them from Europe to Japan, he spent decades combining traditional Japanese metalwork and European jewelry making techniques to create the distinctive Mikimoto jewelry style.
Beyond being the inventor of cultured pearls, he managed to build the foundation of modern jewelry production in Japan and revolutionized jewelry culture not only in Japan but throughout the world. He didn’t just show the pearls as they were, but always made detailed presentations of his handmade pearls at prestigious international exhibitions around the world to make sure that the pearls caught the eye of the traders in the industry. The result of these efforts was that Miki Moto established a strong presence as a pioneer in the cultivation, processing and sale of cultured pearls in the world.
Registering Miki Moto pearl jewelry brand and establishing chain stores
A few years after patenting cultured pearls, Miki Moto opened his first pearl boutique in Tokyo’s Ginza district in 1899. Chain stores in London, Paris and other major cities soon followed. After World War II, Mickey Moto opened stores in major cities around the world, including New York, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Shanghai, and Mumbai, which strengthened the international recognition of this luxury jewelry brand.
Were Miki Moto’s pearls not real pearls?
In the middle of this, in 1921, an article appeared in an English newspaper claiming that “cultured pearls sold by a Japanese merchant are only imitations of real pearls, and it is misleading to call them pearls, when pearls are not”. The attack on cultured pearls as fake pearls intensified and later turned into a lawsuit known as the “Trial of Paris”. Miki Moto finally won a legal battle in a French court. It was after the “Trial of Paris” that Miki Moto and his cultured pearls became world famous.
A tribute to Thomas Edison, the inventor of electricity, from Mickey Moto’s pearls
The greatest American inventor, “Thomas Edison”, was surprised by Mickey Moto’s cultured pearls and called it a miracle. In 1927, Kokichi met Thomas Edison during a trip to the United States and Europe. “This is not a cultured pearl, it’s a real pearl,” Edison told him during the meeting. There are two things that cannot be made in my lab: diamonds and pearls. It is one of the wonders of the world that you were able to grow pearls. This is something that is biologically impossible.” It was after this trip that Kokichi was encouraged by the words of a man who truly understood the value of his innovation and gave his business a boost.
Kokichi Mikimoto devoted his life to pearls, lived to be 96 years old and died on September 21, 1954 in Japan. The luxury pearl company and his artistic vision of the jewelry industry are still alive and thriving today.
The quality and value of Miki Moto pearls
Today, more than 130 years after the introduction of the first cultured pearl, the Mikimoto brand is the premier producer and designer of the highest quality pearls and pearl jewelry in the world. The overall quality of a pearl is ultimately determined by various criteria including its size, shape, surface, color and luster.
Shine: One of the most important features to look for in pearls is luster. Luster is the amount of light that a pearl reflects, both from its surface luster and from the deep, mirror-like reflection of its inner light.
level: The fine spots and dimples and ridges are part of the pearl’s natural texture and a document of its original origin. However, fewer defects on the surface of the pearl indicate a higher quality and more valuable pearl.
Shape: In general, the closer a pearl is to a perfect sphere in shape, the rarer and more valuable it is. Of course, today pearls in any form, like baroque pearls, are welcomed for their unique charm.
Size: The size of the pearl is determined by its diameter in millimeters. While size does not affect the quality of a cultured pearl, it does affect its price.
Color: It is generally accepted that the more uniform the color of the pearl, the higher the quality of the pearl.
Each Mikimoto Pearl must meet all the criteria listed above to be recognized as a “Mikimoto Pearl”. To maintain the quality of Miki Moto pearls that customers have come to expect, only the highest quality pearls are used that meet the strictest standards.
All kinds of Miki Moto cultured pearls
Akoya cultured pearls
Akoya cultured pearls are specialized examples of Japanese pearl farms. Akoya oyster pearls, named after the oyster that produces them, the Akoya oyster, native to China and Japan, are the original, classic and timeless pearls, and are the most popular pearls on the market. Admired by gemologists for their breathtaking brilliance, Akoya pearls typically range in size from 3 to 10 mm and range in color from white to cream. Their outer surface usually has a pale cream, rose or silver tone. It is important to know that Akoya pearls are graded as A grade (low quality) and AAA grade (high quality). AAA grade pearls are known as Hanadama Akoya pearls.
Cultured black pearls of the South Sea
South Black Sea cultured pearls, also known as “Tahitian pearls”, have a modern sophistication and elegance, and are prized for their rarity and exotic natural colors. It is not bad to know pearls Tahiti Or black pearl is one of the rarest types of pearls, which is obtained from the black-lipped pearl oyster (Pinctada Margaritifera) in the waters of French Polynesia. This pearl was destroyed in the 1900s, but it was saved. Although these dark and luxurious pearls are usually black, they range in color from mirror-like gray to black with iridescent shades of green, blue, brown, red and yellow. These pearls produced by black lip oysters, their size starts from 8 mm and have different shapes; including round, oval, teardrop or baroque.
South sea white cultured pearls
With a minimum culture size of 9 mm and a diameter of up to 22 mm, these luxurious and lustrous white pearls have an iridescence that changes with light and movement. This pearl is produced by the silver oyster of the South Sea, which is found in deep and offshore waters. The rarity of this type of pearl is due to the sensitive and difficult nature of its cultivation.
Golden cultured pearls of the South Sea
South Sea “golden pearls” are rare and highly sought after by jewelers. These pearls can be cultured in silver lipped or gold lipped oysters and their color will ultimately be influenced by such oysters. Pearls grown in gold-lipped oysters will have a deep, rich luster that ranges from a soft champagne color to a mesmerizing gold.
What is the distinguishing feature of Miki Moto jewelry?
Miki Moto jewelry brand usually uses 18 carat gold, platinum, colored gemstones and silk thread to string its pearls in making its accessories and pearl jewelry. In general, these factors are considered the most important and well-known features of Miki Moto jewelry all over the world. In fact, Miki Moto created a legendary jewelry house dedicated to cultivating the most intricate and detailed pearl jewelry the world has ever seen.
A few facts you should know about Mikimoto pearls
1- The term “Mikimoto pearl” is a bit wrong. Mikimoto pearls are not actually a type of pearl, but a brand name of a jewelry house that produces pearl jewelry using a variety of cultured pearls. Mikimoto specializes in breeding the finest and most brilliant Japanese Akoya pearls. Akoya pearls are obtained from the pearl oyster Pinctada fucata martensii, which is native to the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean around Japan.
2- While the Miki Moto brand is famous for its Japanese aqua pearls, this jewelry house excels in creating stunning jewelry with other types of high-quality pearls. Exotic black Tahitian pearls (black South Sea pearls) and white and gold South Sea pearls also feature prominently in the brand’s collections. In fact, some of their best work is made with these exotic pearls (see the Ombré necklace below).
Another exotic pearl that Miki Moto started working with is the delicate “pink conch pearl” found only in the Caribbean. Miki Moto has also expanded its natural pearl collections to include the delightful orange to gold Melo-Melo pearls from the South China Sea.
3- What is the price of Miki Moto pearls?
Akoya Mikimoto pearls can range from $300 for a pair of 7mm Akoya pearl earrings to $500,000 or more, depending on the pearls and the set you’re considering. You can expect to pay as little as $3,000 to $7,000 or more for a classic Japanese aqua pearl strand of excellent quality from 5.0 to 8.5 mm. Exotic pearl varieties such as Tahitian pearls and South Sea pearls start at a base price of around $8,000 for their simple pearl necklaces. For example, this gorgeous crown necklace features 12.0-13.0mm white South Sea pearls from Australia, surrounded by pear-shaped, round brilliant-cut diamonds weighing approximately 53.98 carats and set in 18K white gold. This exquisite work is priced at $700,000.
4- Miki Moto pearls; Favorite of male and female celebrities
Fashion world famous designer Marc Jacobs bought his first Mickey Moto pearl necklace a few years ago and later said that he wears it every day. He is one of several stylish men who have recently been using pearls to create a stylish men’s style. Marilyn Monroe is one of the most famous celebrities who used Miki Moto pearls. Marilyn Monroe didn’t just love diamonds. On her honeymoon in Tokyo in 1954 with Joe DiMaggio, she received an Akoya cultured pearl necklace from Miki Moto. “This necklace was one of the few pieces of jewelry that Marilyn Monroe actually owned,” says jewelry historian Beatrice Chador Sampson. Her favorite accessory was clothes and diamonds. This pearl necklace is currently on public display at the brand’s Fifth Avenue store in New York.
Also, famous figures such as Kate Middleton, Jennifer Lopez, Salma Hayek, Angelina Jolie, Sarah Jessica Parker and Hilary Swank are among others who like Miki Moto pearl jewelry. It is not bad to know that Miki Moto was the official jeweler of the Miss United States pageant between 2003 and 2008 and also the jeweler of the Miss World pageant between 2002 and 2007.
In the second wedding ceremony of Jennifer Lopez with Ben Affleck, Jennifer wore a 7-meter cathedral-style wedding dress and a hand-embroidered wedding dress with a ski neck model from the brand “Ralph Lauren” and for wedding jewelry, she wore a pair of 53,000 dollar earrings, a combination of pearls and The 39,000 dollar diamond and ring, a combination of diamonds, white gold and pearls, both from the Mickey Moto brand, surprised everyone.
5- The simple life of the creator of Miki Moto brand
Despite his great fame and fortune during his lifetime (Mickey Moto died in September 1954), he remained a humble and simple person. His favorite foods were fresh seafood and root vegetables. His philosophy for daily life was “three bowls of rice for breakfast”, “two bowls for lunch” and “one for dinner”, as well as sleeping well with a flat stomach.
6- a string of pearl necklaces; Pattern of Mickey Moto designs
At the Miki Moto Museum, on Pearl Island, where the first cultured pearls were made, there is Miki Moto’s single strand pearl necklace. Known as the ‘Taisho Ren’ or ‘Boss Necklace’, this pearl consists of 49 large, highly polished and perfectly matched pearls, with the central pearl measuring 14mm in diameter. All these pearls were selected by Miki Moto himself over a period of 10 years. This string of pearl necklaces has remained the model for all of Miki Moto’s classic pearl strings over the years.
7- Grading of Miki Moto pearls
We said that Mikimoto pearl jewelry brand offers some of the best luxury pearls in the world. Since its inception, the brand has taken turns wowing the jewelry and fashion worlds and shows no signs of stopping. Miki Moto offers designs in every type of pearl: cultured aqua, Tahitians from French Polynesia, South Sea pearls and even exotic natural pearls like Conch and Melo-Melo, but the brand is primarily known for its first offering, the aqua. Japanese is known.
Keep in mind that Mikimoto sources its cultured pearls from the top 5% of each annual pearl harvest in the world and uses its own proprietary pearl grading system. Mikimoto grades their pearls as follows: A, A+, AA and AAA, which is their highest/best pearl grade. For example, AAA quality Akoya pearls are so rare and expensive that only one or two strands are produced each year.
final word
The Greeks believed that pearls came from the tears of the gods. In Hindu culture, the pearl was associated with the moon, which symbolized wisdom and purity. According to a Chinese tradition, a pearl was placed in the mouth of a dead person as a protection to ease his journey to the afterlife. All these show that the pearl had long fascinated mankind with its power and beauty. The Miki Moto jewelry brand, all of which luxury jewelry is designed and produced based on pearls, was founded in the late 19th century by a Japanese person named Kokichi Miki Moto. The importance of the work of the world’s largest pearl brand becomes more evident when we know that only 1 to 2 natural pearls are found in thousands of oysters. On the other hand, cultured pearls do not differ from natural species in terms of chemical structure and appearance, and of course, they are produced at a much lower cost and easier. In this way, Miki Moto brand was able to deliver the pearl, which has always been a symbol of purity and innocence, to the lovers of this eye-catching jewel with high quality and an affordable price.
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