Introduction of Cultured Pearls
At the turn of the twentieth century, the world of pearls was irrevocably transformed. By putting a little bit of membrane into the shell of an oyster, Japanese pearl farmer Kokichi Mikimoto and his wife devised a way of having oysters produce pearls on demand. The oyster then secretes a mother of pearl nacre covering over the membrane, resulting in a pearl. Two other individuals in Japan, Tokichi Nishikawa, a government researcher, and Tatsuhei Mise, a carpenter, developed pearl-culturing methods independently of Mikimoto. Each of these three men acquired patents for their pearl-culturing processes in the early 1900s. Pearl cultivating techniques improved, making pearls more accessible to the general public. Pearls are now available in a variety of shapes and hues thanks to the work of these men. Pearl purchasers who are savvy realize that the cultural significance of a pair of pearls is determined by a variety of factors, including the hue of the pearls.