[PearlFinderCharles]

Hello Everyone !
I recently found 3 pearls in 3 months. I Have a Rare Channel Whelk Pearl that is Up For Offers. I went to New York yesterday to get more information on it. My story is linked here http://www.eastbayri.com/story/290011024545429.php

I do know my stuff on these.I am the finder & owner of this Spectacular Piece. It measures 6.91mm and is Salmon Colored. The odds on finding this beauty in GEM Quality is 1 in 120,000 ! Serious inquiries only. I have the Shell in which it came as well. I will take offers in 4 digits or more. Please understand this is The Most Rare Pearl in the World.
I can be reached at reptilemancharlie@verizon.net

This was found in Bristol, Rhode Island....It's not like the ones found in Florida.

More Info On Whelk Pearls below :


Conchs and whelks are often confused. Both of them are essentially large snails. Both are mollusks with one shell (gastropods, or univalves, as opposed to bivalves, or double-shelled mollusks, such as clams and oysters). The muscle, or part that is eaten, of each, resembles a foot. Both have a tendency to be tough, and are usually tenderized by vigorous pounding. The big difference — and you heard it here first — is that conchs inhabit tropical waters and live off of vegetation, while whelks generally live in somewhat colder waters and are carnivorous, terrorizing smaller mollusks, breaking through their shells with the hard knobs of their own shells, and reaching their greedy, extensible, toothy proboscises right into their victims' shells for a feeding frenzy. Sorry, got a little carried away

CONCH SHELL PEARL (Shanka Mani)

Spirit: Generally improves good luck, business, social standing, personal charisma, attractiveness, intuition, all-around healing, ****** strength, and peace with envious creatures. The Conch Shell, especially the Turbinella Pyrum, are said to be sacred to Lakshmidevi, the Goddess of Wealth. So possession of such a Conch Pearls would provide vast riches. Especially if it's a pearl from a Valampuri Dakshinvarti Lakshmi Conch which open on the right side, just opposite of the normal shell. We have never heard of a Lakshmi Conch Pearl in anyone's possession, but we feel certain there are some in existence.

[Slraep]

Originally Posted by PearlFinderCharles

Please understand this is The Most Rare Pearl in the World.

Oh wow Charles, yet another one!!!

Nice find.

Slraep

[Caitlin]

Hi Charles
I am taking the liberty of posting that picture for the record. What kind of mollusk is a whelk shell? It is a melo melo pearl?

[jshepherd]

A whelk pearl... very similar to a conch. A high grade pearl is a rare find indeed. But I really think you are going to be hard pressed to find a buyer for a small pearl in the 4+ digit range. Even those with the most intense flame rarely leave the 3s as single pieces...



Have you considered setting it in a fine piece of jewelry to increase the value?

[Caitlin]

Did the shell look like this one?

[jshepherd]

Originally Posted by Caitlin Williams

Hi Charles
I am taking the liberty of posting that picture for the record. What kind of mollusk is a whelk shell? It is a melo melo pearl?

The whelk is very closely related to the conch. The phylum and class are the same, and they are both marine gastropods. The whelk is even often mistakenly referred to as a conch. But they come from the order Neogastropoda while the conch comes from Meogastropoda.

I am not familiar with pearls specifically from the whelk, but one would assume they would trade in the same circles with conch as they are also calcareous concretions with flame, and basically indistinguishable from other conch pearls.

We sold a salmon-color conch last month: http://www.pearlparadise.com/detail.aspx?ID=1260

[jshepherd]

I would assume it looked more like this.

[PearlFinderCharles]

WOW ! What a great response !
It was a Horned Whelk to be exacting.

[PearlFinderCharles]

Thank You for The Photo !

[PearlFinderCharles]

Originally Posted by jshepherd

A whelk pearl... very similar to a conch. A gem-grade pearl is a rare find indeed. But I really think you are goingto be hard pressed to find a buyer for a small pearl in the 4+ digit range. Even those with the most intense fire never leave the 3s as single pieces...

Attachment 2043

Have you considered setting it in a fine piece of jewelry to increase the value?

I was told yesterday that doing so would decrease the value.

[jshepherd]

How would it decrease the value? Maybe if you were to drill the pearl, sure. But a proper setting for a conch would be one where no drilling is necessary. It is so dangerous to drill a conch pearl. I imagine the whelk is very similar.

But as is your only real way of selling it is wholesale - to someone who sells or makes jewelry. Unless there is something about the whelk I am missing, as it is the pearl would be lucky to fetch more than a couple thousand dollars (if it has flame, of course). But in a piece of jewelry it could be sold retail.

[PearlFinderCharles]

I was offered $2500.00 on this already. I was told by a few people in New York's diamond district, not to let it go cheap. I will never find another in my lifetime. I recently sold a Quahog Pearl for $250.00, it was nice, but not as nice as this. Any which way, i'm accepting offers on it. I figure like this " If the odds are that high on finding ( 1-10,000 ), then 1 in 120,000 in GEM Quality is worth the money i'm looking for.

[Valeria101]

Hm.... could this be in demand as a collectible as is? Inasmuch as collectors of unusual pearls with known (biological) origin are more than one can count on fingers

Isn't there some Conchology crowd in the US?

[Slraep]

Originally Posted by PearlFinderCharles

I will never find another in my lifetime.

Hi Charles,

Yes, but others will. That's the problem.

Slraep

[Valeria101]

Originally Posted by Slraep

Hi Charles,

Yes, but others will. That's the problem.

Slraep

A 'pearl-rush', you mean ?

Reminds me of the Quahogs surfacing in the news: more came along from occasional finds, but barely enough of them to keep the news going and people wanting them. And Quahogs are harvested allot more, I suppose.

What am I missing?