Global Gemology is an NAJA Accredited Gemological Laboratory. All gem and jewelry items have been examined by a Graduate Gemologist & Certified Master Appraiser.
ABOUT THE ITEM
Conch pearls are amongst the rarest gems in the world.
A conch is a medium to large-sized marine gastropod from the Strombidae family, known as the Lobatus Gigas (formerly known as Strombus Gigas), or Queen Conch. Queen Conchs are found off the coast of the Bahamas, Florida Keys, Caribbean Islands and Bermuda where they're harvested for their delicious meat. Popular conch dishes include conch fritters, conch salad and conch chowder. Very rarely, a natural pearl will be found inside a conch shell. These natural conch pearls are produced when an irritant, such as a parasite, enters the mollusk. As a defense mechanism, the conch will coat the irritant with a calcium carbonate, over time producing a porcelain-like pearl. Approximately 1 out of every 10,000 to 15,000 conchs will produce a pearl. Only 1 out of every 100,000 to 150,000 conchs will produce a gem quality conch pearl! Conch pearls can range in color from pink to red, orange, brown and white, sometimes displaying a characteristic known as flame structure that appears as a fire burning on the pearl's surface. This flame-like or silk-like appearance is due to a phenomena known as chatoyancy. It's unusual for a conch pearl to exceed 3mm in diameter. Conch pearls over 10mm are considered exceptionally rare, especially in pink to red hues with visible flame.
This extremely rare natural conch pearl weighs 2.12 carats and measures approximately 11.00 x 5.50 x 5.30mm! It is a gorgeous pink and white color with gem flame patterning which is visible to the naked eye! It does have brown discoloration at both tips, as well as surface-reaching fractures.
