01-30-2012, 11:32 PM
Pearls used to be known as the jewelry of Queens and royalty for the simple reason that they were so expensive to produce and find. Pearl diving was and is a dangerous occupation and the quality of wild specimens was rarely high enough quality to use. That all changed when Kokichi Mikimoto invented cultivation of pearls in the Edo period. His flawless pearls became an instant hit and remain the finest even to this day. His brand pearl necklaces are sought after to this day.