Mikimoto is the world-renowned Japanese empire founded by Kokichi Mikimoto in 1893. The legendary Mr. Mikimoto, “The Pearl King”‚ was the first to develop a technique for the cultivation of pearls. Today, almost all pearls sold worldwide are cultured pearls, cultivated by the same technique that Kokichi Mikimoto invented. This include Japanese Akoya pearls, as well as South Sea pearls from Australia, Indonesia and The Philippines and black South Sea Pearls from Polynesia. The family-run business remains the world leader in superior-quality Akoya and South Sea cultured pearls and the company is internationally respected for its product design, crafting techniques and strict quality control.