With his keen, instinctive sense of beauty, Kokichi Mikimoto was the most enthusiastic of jewelers, a man who devoted his life to the pearls that he loved and set his hopes upon.
Born in 1858 as the first son of an udon shop owner, Kokichi Mikimoto left school at the age of 13 and sold vegetables to support his family. Seeing the pearl divers of Ise unloading their treasures at the shore in his childhood, started his fascination with pearls.
In 1888, Mikimoto obtained a loan to start his first pearl oyster farm together with his wife and partner, Ume. On July 11, after many failures and near bankruptcy, he was able to create the first semi-spherical cultured pearl. Twelve years later, he created completely spherical pearls that were indistinguishable from the highest quality natural ones.
"I would like to adorn the necks of all the women of the world with pearls," Kokichi Mikimoto said shortly after he succeeded in culturing a perfectly round pearl. It seemed an unachievable dream. However, the elegant beauty of Kokichi's pearls was recognized by women throughout the world, and his wish was fulfilled, as the name "Mikimoto" has become indelibly known around the globe.