Signature Case Study · Mikimoto
When failure was not an option: restoring the Rose Queen crown
The official Tournament of Roses Rose Queen crown was created by Mikimoto. When it was damaged in transit and there was no time to send it back, George was trusted to make it whole again — and to make the repair almost impossible to find.
The official Tournament of Roses Rose Queen crown, created by Mikimoto and restored by George Necula.
The piece
The Rose Queen crown is one of the most recognizable pieces in Southern California ceremony — a historic icon created by Mikimoto and worn at the Tournament of Roses. It is exactly the kind of object where the margin for error is zero.
The damage, and the clock
The crown was damaged in transit. Ordinarily a piece of this significance would go back to its maker — but time did not permit its transport back to Tokyo, or even to Mikimoto in New York. The repair had to happen here, correctly, and quickly.
The standard: an almost invisible repair
On a historic icon, a repair that merely holds is not enough. The goal was a repair you could not see. George took the time necessary to return the crown to its rightful condition with a join that reads as though it had never happened.
In Mikimoto’s words
“Dear George, Thank you for the excellent work you performed on the official Tournament of Roses Rose Queen crown. Due to damage caused in transit, the crown needed to be repaired. Time did not permit its transport back to Tokyo or even to Mikimoto in New York. You took the time necessary to complete an almost invisible repair to the historic icon. We appreciate your care and concern for this precious item.”
Mikimoto (America) Co. LtdReproduced with permission. A historical professional reference; not a current partnership or endorsement.
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