Gift is latest in company’s history of providing major contributions to Institute

By Larne Boyles

Cultured pearl pioneer Kokichi Mikimoto’s history as a longtime benefactor of GIA can be traced as far back as the 1930s, when he donated cultured pearl specimens to the Institute. His generosity enabled GIA to make great strides in cultured pearl research, and also lent credibility to him for sharing his work.

Years later, Mikimoto made a major financial contribution of $500,000 to help build GIA’s Robert Mouawad Campus in 1996. The company has once again continued its philanthropic tradition with another financial donation – this time $120,000 to establish the Mikimoto Pearls Course Scholarship, a first for GIA.

The program will provide 10 scholarships to Distance Education students each year beginning in 2006. Mitsuhiro Mitsui, president of Mikimoto (America) Co., Ltd., said he was honored to establish this first-ever pearls scholarship so more individuals, especially retail sales associates, could have the opportunity to take GIA’s course.

“We value GIA as the industry leader in education,” he said. “Mikimoto is always expanding its training in the quality of pearls, so we look to GIA for teaching what we value the most – quality.”

The Pearls course covers GIA’s 7 Pearl Value Factors™, natural versus cultured pearls, and treatments, among other key points – all of which help set industry guidelines, said Robert Artelt, senior vice president of Retail and
Marketing for Mikimoto (America) Co., Ltd.

“We feel these standards can, and will, work to improve all cultured pearl jewelry, both in production and design, and that it will benefit consumers worldwide,” he said. “Mikimoto has been a leading force in establishing pearl quality standards and we look forward to working with GIA to expand these standards for our industry.”

GIA and Mikimoto also have a history of working together to resolve industry issues. During the 1990s, researchers from both organizations studied unusually large (10+ mm), near-spherical, freshwater cultured pearls from China that were causing many to question their nucleation process. The joint investigation concluded, however, that they had been created through traditional tissue nucleation.

“Mikimoto’s long standing dedication to the Institute and to the quality assurance of cultured pearls aptly culminates in their new Pearls course scholarship opportunity,” said GIA President William E. Boyajian. “By supporting GIA’s efforts to teach a greater part of the industry about cultured and natural pearls, Mikimoto is helping us uphold our public service mission.”

For more information on the Mikimoto Pearls Course Scholarship, go to www.gia.edu.