The Phoenix Mikimoto Crown, also informally known as the Mikimoto Crown is 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 1970s. Among beauty pageant connoisseurs, the crown was regarded as the most elegant of the ten different crowns used by the pageant as of 2017.
History
The crown was designed by Japanese artisan Tomohiro Yamaji in 2000 and was created out of 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 at the Fifth Avenue Mikimoto store in New York City and was first officially worn by the 50th Miss Universe, Denise Quiñones, at the Intercontinental Hotel located in San Juan, Puerto Rico on 25 May 2002 by former Miss Universe Organization owner Donald Trump and former brand president, Toyohiko Miyamoto. The crown was used between the coronations of 2002–2007. Due to inconsistent payments of copyright use from the Czech-based Diamond International Corporation to the Miss Universe Organization, along with the desire to re-establish lost branding prestige, the crown made an unprecedented return in January and November 2017.
Description
The Mikimoto crown is made of both yellow and white gold, measuring from three millimeters to 18 millimeters. It has a traditional Asian design ascribed to the seven auspicious feathers of a Fenghuangphoenix, a mandorla flame design derived from traditional Japanese Buddhist iconography. The crown is adorned with diamonds totalling to 18 carats, with both 120 naturally white South Sea and Akoya pearls obtained in Japan 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 US$250,000 against the risk of loss or damage.
The following placement winners are certified by notability of official press release or publication to have worn the Phoenix Mikimoto Crown as designated by the Miss Universe Organization:
