Mikimoto Necklace 16 Inch

Find the exact mikimoto necklace 16 inch you’re shopping for in the variety available on 1stDibs. Each design created in this style — which was crafted with great care and often made from gold, 18k gold and white gold — can elevate any look. You can easily find a 4 antique edition and 19 modern creations to choose from as well. If you’re looking for a mikimoto necklace 16 inch from a specific time period, our collection is diverse and broad-ranging, and you’ll find at least one that dates back to the 19th Century while another version may have been produced as recently as the 21st Century. Creating a mikimoto necklace 16 inch has been a part of the legacy of many jewelers, but those produced by Mikimoto are consistently popular. While most can agree that any mikimoto necklace 16 inch from our collection can easily elevate most outfits, but the choice of a pearl version from the 20 available is guaranteed to add a special touch to your ensemble. Today, if you’re looking for a round cut version of this piece and are unable to find the perfect match, our selection also includes uncut alternatives. When shopping for a mikimoto necklace 16 inch, you’ll find that there are less available pieces for unisex or men today than there are for women.

The price for a mikimoto necklace 16 inch starts at $680 and tops out at $5,200 with these necklaces, on average, selling for $1,650.

Born to a noodle-shop owner, Japanese jeweler Kokichi Mikimoto (1858–1954) worked in the seafood business before shifting his focus to pearl cultivation. In 1893, he successfully developed the world’s first cultured pearls with a semispherical specimen. His further experimentation would include black and white South Sea pearls. This development gave Mikimoto a supply of what had once been a notoriously rare natural element and earned him the nickname “The Pearl King.” As he once said, “My dream is to adorn the necks of all women around the world with pearls.”

In 1899 in Tokyo’s Ginza district, Mikimoto opened his first, eponymous store in a white-stone building reminiscent of the color of pearls. He quickly earned a reputation for dazzling designs that blended Japanese craftsmanship and European influence. Mikimoto sent his jewelers to Europe to study the latest trends in jewelry and design; they brought back knowledge of Art Deco and Art Nouveau styles, which were incorporated into designs featuring Mikimoto’s pearls.

But Mikimoto’s creations were not met with enthusiasm by all. In 1921, a London newspaper called the designer’s jewelry “only imitations of real pearls” and claimed the company was “misleading” its customers. It developed into a lawsuit in the French courts, which ruled in Mikimoto’s favor, and raised the jeweler’s global profile.

He also brought his work international acclaim through exhibitions and world’s fairs, including the 1926 Sesquicentennial Exposition in Philadelphia where he unveiled a replica of the Liberty Bell covered with pearls. In 1927, Mikimoto met with Thomas Edison, who gave the jeweler’s invention probably its best compliment: “It is one of the wonders of the world that you were able to culture pearls. . . . This isn’t a cultured pearl, it’s a real pearl.”

Following World War II, Mikimoto opened stores around the world, with locations now in Paris, New York City, Los Angeles and Shanghai. Though its founder died in 1954, the Mikimoto company has continued to build on the legacy he established, producing collections of pearl necklaces and other pearl-centric jewelry that span a wide range of styles.

In 2017, the brand reopened its flagship Tokyo store, tapping architect Hiroshi Naito to design a new glittering facade whose 40,000 tiny glass plates are meant to evoke the movement of the ocean as they catch the light. The place where Mikimoto had his legendary success over a century ago is now known as Mikimoto Pearl Island and includes a museum on his life and pearls. A highlight is the “Boss’s Necklace,” which was the first made by Mikimoto and is the model for all the brand’s classic strands that have followed.

Find Mikimoto pendant necklaces, choker necklaces and a range of other jewelry on 1stDibs.

We are fortunate to know much of the world’s long and dazzling history of necklaces, as this type of jewelry was so treasured that it was frequently buried with its owners. Today, Van Cleef necklaces, Tiffany necklaces and Cartier necklaces are some of the most popularly searched designer necklaces on 1stDibs.

Lapis lazuli beads adorned necklaces unearthed from the royal graves at the ancient Iraqi civilization of Sumer, while the excavation of King Tut’s burial chamber revealed a sense of style that led to a frenzy of Art Deco designs, with artisans of the 1920s seeking to emulate the elegant work crafted by Ancient Egypt’s goldsmiths and jewelry makers. 

In ancient times, pendant necklaces worn by royalty and nobles conferred wealth and prestige. Today, wearing jewelry is about personal expression: Luxury diamond necklaces exude confidence and can symbolize the celebratory nature of a deep romantic relationship, while paper-clip chain-link necklaces designed by the likes of goldsmith Faye Kim are firmly planted in the past as well as the present. Kim works exclusively with eco-friendly gold, and these fashionable, fun accessories owe to the design of 19th-century watch fobs. 

For some, necklaces are thought of as being a solely feminine piece, but this widely loved accessory has been gender-neutral for eons. In fact, just as women rarely took to wearing a single necklace during the Renaissance, men of the era layered chains and valuable pendants atop their bejeweled clothing. In modern times, the free-spirited hippie and counterculture movements of the 1960s saw costume-jewelry designers celebrating self-expression through colorful multistrand necklaces and no shortage of beads, which were worn by anyone and everyone. 

Even after all of these years, the necklace remains an irrefutable staple of any complete outfit. Although new trends in jewelry are constantly emerging, the glamour and beauty of the past continue to inform modern styles and designs. In a way, the cyclical history of the necklace differs little from its familiar looped form: The celebrated French jewelry house Van Cleef & Arpels found much inspiration in King Tut, and, now, their Alhambra collection is a go-to for modern royals. Vintage David Webb necklaces — whose work landed him on the cover of Vogue in 1950, two years after opening his Manhattan shop — were likely inspired by the ornamental styles of ancient Greece, Mesopotamia and Egypt. 

On 1stDibs, browse top designers like Dior, Chanel and Bulgari, or shop by your favorite style, from eye-catching choker necklaces to understated links to pearl necklaces and more.