The widely known version of the origin of pearl farming is that Japanese pearl merchant Yukichi Mikimoto realized pearl farming...
However, as early as the Song Dynasty, the Wenchang Miscellaneous Records had already recorded the pearl culture method of throwing pearls into oysters to cultivate pearls. Later, during the Southern Song Dynasty, people in Huzhou also used metal Buddha statue molds to place pearl oysters, and cultivated the world-famous "Buddha statue beads" attached to the shell . This shows that cultured pearls actually originated in China.
As for the round pearl farming technology, it was not until the end of the 19th century that the British biologist William Saville Kent developed it . He was a pioneer in the concept of sustainable fisheries. In addition to pearl farming, he also successfully experimented with artificial lobster farming at the Brighton Aquarium . He was determined to cultivate some commercially valuable aquatic products as sustainable resources.
From 1884 to 1895 , he supervised local fisheries for the British in Tasmania, Queensland and Western Australia. During this period, he successfully experimented with breeding round pearls. Later, Tokichi Nishikawa applied for a patent for the experimental results and brought them to Japan, where Kokichi Mikimoto invested in the development of aquaculture.
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