Pearls - Mikimoto Pearls

Yeah! I love pearls and I use them a lot in my wire wrapped jewelry. If you have been following, you know I have done lots of wire wrapped pearl pieces. But, none of them is comparable to what I discovered recently.

Mikimoto Pearls, the Originator of Cultured Pearls also synonymous with the finest quality pearls. The pearl house was founded by Kokichi Mikimoton in 1893, more than a century ago. With such long history, it is not surprising when only the best 3-5% of cultured pearls are deemed worthy to carry the Mikimoto's name? Just awesome!

Anyone who loves pearls should also know that Mikimoto invented the proprietary grading system of sorting and grading pearls (I just found out actually :)). This grading scale is the only qualified system which accurately and consistently defines six factors for grading pearls - luster and nacre quality, surface perfection, color, shape and size. Since then, many other companies have adopted this system. However, be extra careful when a company graded its pearls AAA or A+ as it does not mean they compare to MIKIMOTO's grades. It can be very misleading. So check your pearls before purchase.

Mikimoto has 4 Grades: A, A+, AA and AAA (highest quality) and 4 Sub-grades: A1, A+1, AA1 and AAA1 the '1' means a slightly more blemished surface.

Feast your eyes on some of Mikimoto's elegant pearl jewelry.