Conch Pearls
Conch pearls are one of the most rare and valuable of all natural pearls. It has been estimated that approximately 10,000 conch must be harvested before a single pearl is found. An exceptional piece (pearls over 10 carats and exhibiting strong chatoyant like flame pattern) may take as many as 50,000.
Though pearls are found in a variety of conch, it is the pearl from Strombus Gigas or Queen Conch that has become the most widely known and collected. This is due in part to the wide variety of colors it produces.
Pearls can be found in colors of white, brown, beige, yellow, orange, pink, and red. The latter two being the most sought after. By standard, these pearls are sold by carat weight, not per pearl, and a single small pearl may start from over £1000 (approximately $2000).
Abalone Pearls
Abalone pearls, from the gastropod mollusc, Haliotis, are not only some of the rarest pearls in the world, but also considered by many to be some of the most beautiful pearls in the world. The inner mother-of-pearl shell of the abalone has intense luster and a mixed color palate of blues, lavender, orange, green, pink, silver, and nearly every conceivable combination. The beauty of the abalone pearl is reflection of this color potpourri in its typical irregular shape.
Abalone pearls are rarely (but occasionally) symmetrical. A common shape is the "horn" shape. This is due to the anatomy of the abalone. A large, brilliant, symmetrical pearl is a nearly 1 in 100,000 occurrence.
Although abalone pearls are desired and sought after, culturing these gems has been a very difficult venture. Abalone are hemophiliacs, and if they are nucleated in a fashion similar to a mollusc, they will bleed to death quite quickly. Because of this, only abalone mabe pearls have been successfully harvested on a large scale. The culturing process is distinctly similar to that of other pearl producing molluscs, except that much more care must be exercised so that the abalone sustains no internal damage.
Like Conch pearls, Abalones are sold by carat weight, and one can expect to pay upwards of £300 for a small pearl, up to £1000’s for a single finer, larger abalone pearl.
Article by Vanessa Frisbee
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