The
Mise-Nishikawa The
Mise-NishikawaThe technique used to "culture" pearls is known worldwide as the "Mise-Nishikawa Method" and sometimes also as the "Part-of-the-cells technique Patent". The act of using this technique is known or refered to as the "Seeding Operation".
The basis of this technique (attributed to Japanese researchers Mise and Nishikawa) can be found in the work of Australian researcher William Saville Kent -who was commissioned to study Australia's great barrier reef- and who, during the process, formulated the "pearl sac theory", which is the basis for understanding the process of bio-mineralization in a mollusk's mantle: the biological process responsible for pearl formation.
The seeding operation is rather simple (in words) but it requires great skill from the technician. The procedure varies from farm to farm, from one pearl oyster species to another, and from technician to technician.
According to Japanese specialists, the "Winged
Oysters" (genus Pteria) are "a nightmare to operate" and thus, cannot grow loose cultured
pearls. Down here at Perlas del Mar de Cortez we have been
able to prove them wrong by producing the loose
cultured pearls utilizing our native "Rainbow-Lipped" (Pteria sterna) oyster.
The list of people that have contributed to the present state of pearl culture have been many and from many nationalities: Unknown Chinese Monks in the 8th Century (for primitive "Budha" half-pearls), Gastón Vivčs (Mexican) in the late 19th century (for Commercial Pearl Oyster Culture), William Saville Kent (Australian) in 1893 (for discovering the "pearl sac theory"), Kokichi Mikimoto in 1914 (for starting the modern pearl culture era), Tatsuhei Mise and Dr. Nishikawa in 1904 (for the patent of the "Mise-Nishikawa method"), and C. Denis George (Australian) for his work for helping to promote pearl culture development and being the first Gaijin (non-japanese) pearl technician.
Thanks to researchers and businessmen like them, owning pearls is a reality...and not a dream reserved just for Kings and Queens.
Copyright 1998-2007 Perlas Únicas S.A. de C.V.
Last Updated 05/2007
All Page Design, text, photos and content by Douglas McLaurin.