Morning Dew Akoya Cultured Pearl Earrings in 18K White Gold. $4,550.
Akoya Cultured Pearl Circle Pendant with Diamonds in 18K White Gold. $4,450.
Golden South Sea Cultured Single Pearl Pendant. $3,150.
M Collection Akoya Cultured Pearl Pendant in 18K Yellow Gold. $3,900.
Classic Circle Akoya Cultured Pearl Earring with Diamonds. $5,800.
Morning Dew Akoya and Golden South Sea Cultured Pearl Earrings with Diamonds – 18K White Gold. $7,700.
M Collection Akoya Cultured Pearl Earrings in 18K Yellow Gold. $2,350.
Morning Dew Akoya Cultured Pearl Pendant – 18K White Gold. $3,800.
Mikimoto didn’t stop there. He sent skilled craftsmen to Europe to learn the latest design techniques and jewelry styles, including Art Deco and Art Nouveau, because he wanted to present his pearls in the finest way possible. He didn’t want to just show pearls as they were, but in the context of very fine jewelry. Mikimoto spent decades blending traditional Japanese metalworking craftsmanship with European manufacturing techniques to create what became the distinctive Mikimoto style. His work built the foundation for modern jewelry production in Japan. Mikimoto has continued to refine and expand upon his techniques, culturing many different types of pearls, including black and white South Sea cultured pearls. Today, 95% of all pearls on the market are cultured, meaning that humans played a role in their formation. High-quality natural pearls are very rare and have a premium price, but even among Akoya pearls, top specimens are rare. The top grades - AAA - represent less than 3% of the world’s pearl harvest. Only a small percentage of these pearls would meet the standard and quality set by Mikimoto. The difference is obvious if you know what to look for. Akoya pearls are graded according to several factors, including the following factors.
LUSTER The sharpness and amount of light reflected off the pearl’s surface. SHAPE The more perfectly round a pearl is, the more rare and prized it is.
COLOR Pearl color is graded on the depth and saturation of the color. The more strongly colored pearls will be more rare and valuable. Certain overtones or exotic body colors command premium pricing at auctions. SURFACE BLEMISHING Pearls with clean surfaces without inclusions like pin-pricks, scoring marks, chalky spots and wrinkles will be much more highly valued than pearls with multiple blemishes. SIZE Large pearls are rare. The majority of cultured pearls harvests consist of pearls under 10.0mm and wild pearls in very large sizes are the rarest of the rare, so the bigger they are (all other things being equal) the more valuable they are.
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