The Miss Universe Crown ( Mikimoto)

The long standing symbol of pageantry, such as Miss USA and Miss Universe, has always been the ornate and opulent crown. In fact, the crown is so central to the titles that often the women who is chosen as the winner of one of the pageants is commonly said, especially by the media, to have "won the crown," rather than to have "won the title". The elusive crown is the one constant in the Miss Universe Organization - a partnership with Donald J. Trump and National Broadcasting Company, Inc. As the titleholders change every year and continue on to other pursuits, the crown stays with the Organization, waiting patiently for the next titleholder to proudly wear it.

In 2002, master pearl designer Mikimoto became the official jewelry sponsor of the Miss Universe Organization, creating all three crowns and tiaras since then, which includes the crown for Miss Teen USA, Miss USA and Miss Universe. The radiant and lustrous Miss Universe crown, shown here, features one 18mm size pearl, the most rare and largest pearl created by any oyster. The crown also has 500 diamonds, totaling almost 30 carats and 120 Akoya and South Sea pearls and is valued at $250,000. The design takes inspiration from the phoenix, the gorgeous and majestic bird with breathtaking gold and red plumage. In mythology, the phoenix has been associated with immortality and rebirth because of stories that it regenerates when wounded by a foe and that at some point the bird will ignite its nest and both nest and bird will burn fiercely and be reduced to ashes, from which a new, young phoenix arises. Following that association, Mikimoto used the plumes of the rising phoenix to symbolize eternal beauty, status and power. The crown was designed and created on Mikimoto Pearl Island in Japan. The length of the Mikimoto sponsorship is unknown, however, based on its sophisticated elegance and the grace it bestows on the titleholder the breathtaking beauty of the crown has already become memorable.

For Miss Universe 2008 a new crown was unveiled. Valued at $120 thousand dollars, it is made of 18K white and yellow gold. It is composed of over 1,000 precious stones; including 555 white diamonds (30 carats), 375 cognac diamonds (14 carats), 10 smoky quartz crystals (20 carats) and 19 morganite gemstones (60 carats). The colors of the jewels chosen for the crown have great significance. The yellow luster of the gold represents the prosperous thriving economy in Vietnam. White, light pink and cognac are the main hues in the crown which represent inspiration and feeling. Each piece of the crown was designed to represent an important attribute of the Miss Universe Pageant. The curves of inlaid precious stones represent the strong development and potential of each country. The image of the crane (Lac Bird) symbolizes Vietnamese spirit and culture. The image of the heart represents unified breath, rhythm and vision, which are powerful internal forces that stress faith, hope and unity. But this Vietnamese crown will only be used in the 57th edition of Miss Universe Pageant and the Mikimoto crown will return in 2009.

Queens from 2002-2007 wearing Mikimoto crown.








Photo credit: MissUniverse.com