If it weren’t for Kokichi Mikimoto, we might be living in a world without pearls. As a young man growing up in a seaside Japanese village, Mikimoto observed the diminishing supply of natural pearls ...

Every item on this page was chosen by a Town & Country editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. If it weren’t for Kokichi Mikimoto, we might be living in a world without ...

The pearl farmers who make a living from the sparkling waters of Mie Prefecture owe a huge debt of gratitude to the patience and perseverance of locally born Mikimoto Kōkichi (1858–1954). The oldest ...

Whilst natural pearls can only be produced by a freakish accident of mother nature, her artistry can be mimicked. This son of a noodle-maker replicated nature’s occasional masterpieces and paired them ...

The magical lustre of pearls has for centuries been a source of mystery and the subject of legend. The ancients believed pearls were teardrops of mermaids, or dew drops swallowed by oysters that swam ...