On July 11, 1893, the first semi-spherical cultured pearl was created using Kokichi Mikimoto's techniques. He later refined this method to produce a perfectly round pearl from the Akoya pearl oyster in the Sea of Japan in 1905. His pearl-culturing technique was officially patented in 1916, and he was one of Japan's greatest inventors. Even the legendary American inventor, Thomas Edison, expressed deep admiration for these cultured pearls.