History of Japanese Pearl Cultivation - Mikimoto Kokichi

Overseas trading between Japan and the western world flourished in the late 1800s, with the emphasis falling particularly on Japan's natural pearl industry. However, in consequence to the increase in demand, Japan's naturally occurring pearl oysters, suffered greatly from over exploitation.

Enter a man by the name of Mikimoto Kokichi. From an early age Kokichi, the son of a noodle seller, had been fascinated by China's ancient techniques of pearl cultivation. This archaic technique consisted of placing a fragment of shell within an oyster to produce an imperfectly shaped pearl; these pearls were often used as offerings at temple shrines. This basic seeding technique formed the foundation of Mikimoto Kokichi's quest to create a perfect spherical cultured pearl, which could match Japan's naturally occurring pearls so in demand by the western world.

In July of 1893, after many years of trial and error, Mikimoto Kokichi managed to produce perfectly formed hemispherical (half round) Mabe pearls. Mikimoto cultured these Mabe pearls by using a hemispheric dome-shaped nucleus and placing it against the oyster's shell. Mikimoto then went into large scale farming of these Mabe pearls, journeying to Europe to sell and network markets for his new product.

Around the same time two Japanese men, Tokishi Nishikawa and Tatsuhei Mise, returned from Australia where they had learnt a new grafting technique from the British marine biologist William Saville-Kent. Kent's technique involved the placing of a small shell nucleus into the mantle tissue of a donor oyster, this was then grafted into another oyster, this foreign body would cause the oyster to form a pearl sack, producing nacre, covering the nucleus and thus producing a spherical pearl similar to those that occurred naturally.

Although this technique, patented as the 'Mise-Nishikawa' method in 1908, had proved itself to be successful, it only became a viable business venture when in 1916 Mikimoto Kokichi took over the patent to produce round pearls. This ground-breaking procedure marked the beginnings of Japan's pearl industry, and by 1935 Japan was producing more than 10,000,000 cultured pearls every year. Mikimoto didn't stop there; he advanced his experiments from producing cultivated Akoya pearls using the Akoya (Pinctada fucata) oyster to cultivating the silver lipped and black lipped pearl oysters.

Aside from the farming itself, the major problem facing Mikimoto Kokichi was the eradication of the negative connotation that cultivated pearls had when compared to their naturally occurring cousins. He succeeded in changing peoples perceptions by his steadfast traveling and marketing of his products at expositions and then establishing Mikimoto stores in London, Paris, New York, Shanghai, and Bombay. These stores were his showcases, offering up the latest designs and sophisticated fashions, and at the highest quality possible affordable to people aside from nobility and the higher echelons of society.

Buying Guide for a Mikimoto Pearl Necklace

The highest quality cultured pearl necklaces are those produced and created by Mikimoto. These pearls are known for their unparalleled beauty and brilliance. It is said that once you wear Mikimoto pearls, any other kind of pearl will seem second-rate. Mikimoto pearls are so refined in quality that its fans include the royal families of Britain and Japan, Marilyn Monroe and Monaco's Princess Grace.

Here are some information on what Mikimoto cultured pearls are, where they came from and how to buy them.

How pearls are formed

A pearl is the result of an oyster or mollusks' reaction to an irritant that invades its shell. To try to protect itself, the mollusk secretes a crystalline substance called nacre which builds up in layers upon layers, surrounding the irritant. When this happens, a pearl is born.

Pearls have been cultured for centuries not just in Japan, but in other countries as well. Much of the products result to semispherical pearls, also called mabe pearls from the oyster that grew them, and not in the more coveted spherical pearls. It was Kokichi Mikimoto who developed a special technique to induce oysters to create a round pearl.

The man behind the name

Cultured pearls as we know them, owe a lot to Kokichi Mikimoto, the man who perfected the pearl culturing method that is still used today. Contrary to popular belief, he did not invent the industry although he did play a very significant role in advancing the techniques which contributed to the improvement in cultured pearl quality.

Mikimoto, the son of a noodle restaurant owner, was born in 1885 in Toba City, Japan. He was first introduced to pearls when he started raising oysters. Around this time, Japan was already trading pearls with other countries and pearl oysters were in danger of becoming over-harvested. Mikimoto decided to concentrate on experiments in seeding oysters and producing pearls.

The first endeavors were failures. Mikimoto and his colleagues repeatedly encountered disappointing results, due in part to uncontrollable factors like water temperature and red tide. But this did nothing to dissuade Mikimoto from his dream.

His efforts paid off eventually. On July 11, 1893, with his wife Ume, he discovered a beautiful pearl in one of his oysters. He never looked back since. By the time he died in 1954, the highly honored Mikimoto had successfully advocated and promoted cultured pearls and opened markets all over the world. Today, his name is synonymous to the highest quality cultured pearls.

Buying your Mikimoto pearl necklace

Pearl necklaces come in several lengths. From the shortest to the longest, they are: collar (10"-13"), choker (14"-16"), princess (18"-20"), matinee (20"-24"), opera (28"-34") and rope (37" and longer). The length of the pearl necklace will depend on the woman's age, body composition and neck size, although an 18 to 24-inch pearl necklace is a good length for anyone. Generally speaking, the longer the necklace, the more it 'elongates' the neck.

The mark of "M"

Every jewelry created by Mikimoto including pearl necklaces, has an "M" stamped on its setting. This is a guarantee of quality. However, in some cases, the mark of "M" will only guarantee that the setting is genuine and not the pearls, which can be replaced and restrung.

A caveat: there is a black market for Mikimoto clasps, where original Mikimoto clasps are used for cheaper or imitation-quality pearls. Beware also of 'closeout' Mikimoto sales, even if they come in 'new' 18k gold.

The best way to distinguish a true high-quality Mikimoto pearl from other pearls is to look for a unique road map or line pattern on the surface of the pearls under a 10x magnifying lens. Experienced jewelers can recognize this. On your own, you will want to find genuine Mikimoto pearls to compare with your intended purchase. Once you see the difference, true Mikimoto pearls are easily recognizable.

You might also encounter pearl necklaces that are labeled 'Mikimoto quality'. This is misleading. These are not pearls produced under the patented Mikimoto process. True Mikimoto pearl necklaces are those produced under stringent conditions in Ise in Honshu, Japan.

Akoya vs. Mikimoto

Another fine quality pearl is akoya pearls, although this is a general term used to refer to saltwater pearls. These are not Mikimoto pearls and they don't cost the same.

Grading method

Mikimoto pearls are rated using four grades, with AAA being the highest. There are 4 sub-grades starting with AAA1. Highest-grade pearls are those with the best luster and reflective quality, almost mirror-like, while lower-grade pearls are those with reasonably clear reflection.

When buying your Mikimoto pearl necklace, be sure to ask for grading certificates. This is not only good for insurance, but it is also a guarantee that what you are paying for is a true Mikimoto pearl necklace.