Mikimoto Crown

The Phoenix Mikimoto Crown, (Kanji: 御木本不死鳥王冠) also informally known as the Mikimoto Crown, was a pageant crown worn by Miss Universe titleholders.

The crown was made by the Mikimoto Pearl company in Toba, Mie Prefecture, Japan used by the Miss Universe Organization. Its usage was preceded by a modernised variant design of the traditional ''Lady Crown'' used since the 1960s. Among beauty pageant connoisseurs, the crown was regarded as the most elegant of the ten different crowns used by the organization to date.

History

The Mikimoto crown was designed by Japanese artisan ''Tomohiro Yamaji'' in 2000 and was created with the sponsorship of the Mikimoto Pearl company in 2002 for the commemorative 50th anniversary and as the official jewel sponsor of the Miss Universe Organization. It accompanied a similar diadem which was given to the winner after her reign. It was first unveiled and worn by the 50th Miss Universe at the Fifth Avenue Mikimoto store in New York City by former Miss Universe Organization owner Donald Trump and former brand president, Toyohiko Miyamoto.

The crown was used for the coronations of 2002–2007. Due to inconsistent payments for copyright use by the Czech-based Diamond International Corporation to the Miss Universe Organization, along with the desire to re-establish lost branding prestige, the crown returned in January 2017 (press photography), November 2017 (coronation night) and December 2018 (coronation night).

During the national homecoming parade of the 67th Miss Universe in Araneta City, Philippines in February 2019, a feather of the crown fell out. The Mikimoto crown was last used at the 68th Miss Universe pageant, the last time being worn by the 67th Miss Universe on 8 December 2019 (coronation night).

Description

The Mikimoto crown is made of both yellow and white gold, measuring from three to eighteen millimetres. It has a traditional Asian design based on the seven auspicious feathers of a Fenghuang phoenix using a ''mandorla'' flame design derived from traditional Japanese Buddhist iconography. The crown is decorated with diamonds totalling to 18 carats, with 120 naturally white pearls obtained in Japan, both South Sea and Akoya, giving a grand total weight of 29.7 carats. Due to its delicate nature, a security detail was attached to the crown wherever it traveled and insured for $250,000 USD against the risk of loss or damage.

List of Miss Universes (Mikimoto)

The following winners are certified by press release or official publication to have worn the Phoenix Mikimoto Crown as designated by the Miss Universe Organization:

See also

* Mikimoto Pearl Island

Notes

References

{{reflist

Crowns (headgear)
Miss Universe