This 1950s cultured strand was produced by Mikimoto, the Japanese company founded by Kokichi Mikimoto, who in 1893 created the world's first cultured pearl and spent decades perfecting the technique until fully spherical, natural-looking pearls became commercially viable in the 1920s, earning him the title "Pearl King."
Graduating from 3.5mm to 7.2mm, the strand follows the traditional graduated stringing method, in which pearls increase in size from the clasp toward a larger central pearl, a technique that became the standard solution in the era before uniform strands of cultured pearls were reliably available in bulk. This "coronation style" naming nods to the elegant, single-strand pearl necklaces that defined red-carpet and royal glamour in the early 1950s, a period when Audrey Hepburn-style simplicity made a single graduated strand the definitive elegant accessory of the decade.
At 50cm, the necklace sits at a generously long length for the period, since 1950s pearl strands were typically kept short for daywear but occasionally extended to a longer, waist-grazing length for evening glamour, making this a versatile piece for both casual layering and dressier occasions. The sterling silver clasp, rather than gold, reflects a practical and stylistically fitting choice, as ornate box-style clasps were the dominant closure for fine pearl strands throughout the 1940s and 1950s.
Pearl Size: 3.5mm - 7.2mm
Length: 50cm
This is an estate item and comes with a one year guarantee.
