Word: mikimoto
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Dates: during 1950-1959
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Died. Kokichi Mikimoto, 95, onetime noodle merchant who became the world's largest producer of cultured pearls; of a kidney ailment; in Nagoya, Japan. Perfecting by trial and error a method of seeding oysters known since the 13th century (a fleck of sand or a tiny bead is forced into the oyster, which seeks to counteract the irritant by coating it with layer upon layer of pearl-making nacre), spry, fun-loving Mikimoto (who entertained his employees with feats of magic and parasol-twirling) scandalized Paris in 1913, when he first brought his quarter-price pearls to the international...