Marilyn Monroe pearls to go on display

For one week only and in conjunction with the Bond Street Culture and Heritage Week, Mikimoto will be exhibiting Marilyn Monroe’s Mikimoto pearl necklace in its original oval, leather, velvet-lined box. In 1954 Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio travelled to Japan for their honeymoon, where Mikimoto presented Marilyn with an Akoya pearl necklace. The Mikimoto pearl necklace was one of the only pieces of fine jewellery Marilyn owned, as most of her jewellery was costume. Mikimoto was the first to develop a technique for the cultivation of pearls. Today, almost all pearls sold worldwide are cultured pearls. The family-run business remains a world leader in superior-quality Akoya and South Sea cultured pearls and the company is respected for its product design, crafting techniques and strict quality control. The Bond Street Culture and Heritage Week runs from 7-13 June 2010.

Bond Street Culture & Heritage Week launches in June

In celebration of its unique history, Bond Street is to launch Culture & Heritage Week this June (See DIARYdates). Timed to coincide with the key London art fairs, the week brings together fashion, jewellery, art and antiques in a demonstration of Bond Street’s unique heritage and culture. During Culture & Heritage Week Bond Street will be transformed into a living museum where visitors will have the chance to view vintage collections, in-store exhibits and demonstrations of craftsmanship. There are also opportunities to attend private views, art and fine jewellery tours, art lectures and exclusive events. Asprey will host in-store tours showcasing select heritage pieces and unique products; fine jewellers Boucheron will display important museum pieces, while Cartier will host a series heritage tours to pre-book. Fashion brand Burberry will tell the history of their world-famous trench coat and exclusive shoemaker Church’s will hold demonstrations on the art of shoemaking. Other brands taking part in Culture & Heritage Week include: Sotheby’s, The Halcyon Gallery, Smythson, Richard Green, De Beers, DAKS, Harry Winston, Polo Ralph Lauren, DKNY, Adler, Michael Kors, Chaumet, Mulberry, Georg Jensen, Mappin & Webb, Lindley, Jaeger-LeCoultre, The Albemarle Gallery, Longchamp, Bally, AKRIS, Nicole Farhi, Prada, Boodles and Tiffany & Co. Culture & Heritage Week is supported by The Royal Academy of Art, who will be previewing their Summer Exhibition, which launches on the 14 June. The event also partners with Art Antiques London, the new Haughton art and antiques fair taking place at Kensington Gardens from 10-16 June. Courtesy cars will be on hand to whisk Culture & Heritage Week invitation holders between Bond Street and the art fairs and visitors will gain complimentary entry into both the Art Antiques London event and London International Fine Art Fair at Olympia in June. To apply for your invitation to Culture & Heritage Week or to find out more information on all of the activities and events taking place during the week click here.