The name Mikimoto was born over a century ago and their world famous pearls have been stunning buyers ever since. Pearls in the Mikimoto range are extremely high quality pearls which are referred to as hanadama, or flower pearls. They make a stunning range of pearl jewellery and in particular the Mikimoto Pearl Necklace is a real eyecatcher.

Mikimoto were also the pioneers of the first cultured pearl over a hundred years ago in 1893. Mikimoto can back up its claim of only using the highest quality pearls, as it only harvests the top three to five percent that meet their strict quality control standards. The pearls they use vary and the main types of pearl are Akoya pearls, South Seas Pearls, Conch pearls and black pearls. Akoya pearls are produced in Japan by oysters. The size of the oyster will determine the size of the pearl. These pearls are renowned for their high lustre and colour. South Sea pearls are large and colourful and unique
to one another. Conch pearls are harvested in the Caribbean and Mexico from the Queen conch. Black pearls come from Tahiti and their colours range from blue to green to violet. A necklace made from black pearls cannot be rushed at it can take up to twelve years to match pearls in size, shape and colour.

Mikimoto pearls are graded using several characteristics, which include lustre, surface, colour, shape and size. Lustre refers to the amount of light that is reflected from the surface of the pearl. Surface refers to the natural texture of the pearl, the less surface imperfections, the more valuable the pearl. Colour is self explanatory, with the most popular colours being white and pink. Shape refers to the rotund shape of the pearl and the more rotund the pearl the more valuable it is. The oyster determines the size of the pearl and pearls are measured in millimetres according to their diameter. So now you know what to look for it should be no problem to pick up a fantastic Mikimoto pearl necklace.