Mikimoto Paris joaillerie de la perle de culture, accueil


	MIKIMOTO QUALITY


	Mikimoto's Standards of Excellence: Quality First
	Since cultured pearls were one of the first commercial products that many Westerners saw from Japan, Mikimoto initiated a strict quality control system to ensure that only the finest quality pearls would be associated with his name.
The Tree of Life	Approximately half the pearls harvested in Japan are approved for export. Of these, only ten percent will meet Mikimoto's exclusive standards of excellence. The foundations of these standards are lustre, colour, shape, surface perfection and size.

Lustre. This is the most important feature of the pearl. The intensity with which the light is reflected on the surface of the pearl gives it lustre, depth and brilliance. The lustre depends on the fineness, uniformity and thickness of the layers of mother of pearl (nacre). Colour. Distinctive colour is proof of high quality. Pearls have a wide range of colour although the difference in shade is very subtle. Colours are broadly categorised as pink, white, silver white, creamy white, gold, blue and black. Shape. Generally speaking, the rounder the pearl, the better it is. However, pearl oysters rarely produce pearls which are perfectly round. Often they are flat or irregular in shape. Even those with perfect shape are not necessarily of a high quality in colour or lustre. Surface Perfection.-Pearls are not artificial, they are the products of nature. A pearl will therefore often display a minor flaw on its surface. Noticeable flaws reduce the value considerably, but small marks are a sign that the pearl is genuine. The cleaner the pearl, the better the quality. Size -The larger the pearl, the higher its value, since it is difficult to cultivate a pearl of more than 9 mm in diameter within the shell of a pearl oyster. Japanese cultured pearls are available from 2-10 mm and South-Sea pearls are available from 10-15 mm.
	Pearls in the Jewellery Market Before Mikimoto developed his method of culturing the perfect pearl, all pearls were natural. Because a perfectly spherical, beautifully hued pearl was rare, pearls were as expensive as diamonds. Mikimoto's success in culturing quality pearls made the jewels more accessible to the public. Today, pearls have become a fashion necessity, as well as an important precious gem in the jewellery industry. Japan alone produces over 77 tons of pearls each year, accounting for roughly 70 to 80 percent of the world's total pearl production. Over 100 Years of Mikimoto Since Mikimoto cultivated his first pearl over 100 years ago, his progressive spirit and creativity continues unchanged as the basis of Mikimoto corporate policy, As well as the Paris place Vendôme store there is a store in Tokyo, as well as stores on 5th Avenue in New York, and on Bond Street in London.