[Fai]

Hi everybody,

I am posting this tridacna pearl cause I wanna hear from you guys. Can this pearl be a rare considering its shape and good luster ? It is measuring 12.72 x 13.27 x 13.26mm and 15.48 ct. weight.

Many thanks,

Fai

[Caitlin]

There is not much of a market for Tridacna pearls- there are too few of them and the species is protected

[Valeria101]

Originally Posted by Caitlin

... the species is protected

What is the situation with this? All 300-something species of Tridacna are?

[Fai]

Originally Posted by Caitlin

There is not much of a market for Tridacna pearls- there are too few of them and the species is protected

Hi Caitlin,
I have a friend who stay in one of the islet of Sulu, Philippines. His business is buying dried tridacna meat. And tridacna pickers sometime got a chance of getting pearl in the meat and you can't believed they are holding hundreds of tridacna pearsl. Sulu archipelago is reach in marine resources, korean and Taiwanes are making good profit in marine products from abalone to tuna to mention a few.

May be this pearl is just a collectors item but their luster is also good and the surface is 100% free from blemish I think it can also be use for jewelry set.

[Caitlin]

No not all species are protected, but so far I haven't seen anything but pearls from giant clams. The size of that one seems large.

It is very similar to the ones Tom Stern has gotten from the same neighorhood. Maybe he could say what species his are from- they were all recently certified by the GIA lab.

Does anyone know what happens when they are drilled? I doen't think the non-nacreous pearls are very good to drill, they splinter or split.

[smetzler]

Originally Posted by Caitlin

Does anyone know what happens when they are drilled? I doen't think the non-nacreous pearls are very good to drill, they splinter or split.

This post by forum member and fellow Washingtonian JMarcus offers practical experience!

[Caitlin]

Yep. That one. I also heard that quahog pearls can't be drilled either (they collapse). Might be a good rule of thumb not to drill non-nacreous pearls until someone dares to experiment!

Makes me wonder what would happen if they tried to drill the Pearl of Allah for carbon dating testing? It was never done, so we don't know.

[Slraep]

I agree with Caitlin, and if I may add, Tridacna pearls are not really "pearls"---they are polished "calcium concretions" that have no nacreous glow because there is no fine crystalline aragonite in their composition. Not the most attractive of things.

I'll also echo the part where they are from a protected species, the T. gigas.

Slraep

[smetzler]

Originally Posted by Caitlin

Makes me wonder what would happen if they tried to drill the Pearl of Allah…

I say, DRILL it!

[Caitlin]

I say DRILL it!

That is so right on!

Now that the owner who possessed it is dead, I am curious what will happen to the pearl.

Maybe instead of hyping it with spurious appraisals, they will actually get it drilled and carbon dated...And gee- if it splits open on being drilled- well darn it. Maybe that will signal the end of the baddest mojo calcareous concretion ever to come to light.

I really hope the family will not let Victor Barbish's foibles (dare we say greed?) spread to investing that thing with any unrealistic value.

[DrTKStern]

Originally Posted by smetzler

I say, DRILL it!

Yes, let's find out. I've got quite a few, and I'll have my guy in San Francisco drill one, all the way through. Then I'll report.

Best to all,
Tom Stern,MD

[Slraep]

Originally Posted by smetzler

I say, DRILL it!

How about throwing it back into the DEEP sea! That should get rid of its bad mojo forever. Unless some poor fisherman's dragnet snags it...

Frankly, after following the whole Pearl of Allah story, I find myself wondering if the old saying, "pearls will bring tears", was about giant clam concretions and not nacreous pearls. I mean, you could burst out crying, having to look at the Pearl of Allah for more than a few minutes. I don't want to personally test out the bad mojo thing, so I think I'll pass on owning any T. gigas concretions. I wonder if any forum members who have one/any, experienced any bad times after having acquired it/them. Hmmm.

Slraep

[smetzler]

Just had a horrible thought. What if they did drill it and it split in two—thus creating a new round of headlines, not to mention multiplicity of sale opportunities.

[airdancer]

phew, i thought i was the only one who thought the Pearl of Allah freaking hideous!

[pattye]

It needs to be left out on the sun to cleanse for at least a month before throwing in the ocean, not fair for the ocean to have to absorb all that negative energy, it has enough trouble already.

Pattye
so many pearls, so little time