Conch Pearl

[islandgal27]

Hello Everyone,
Here is a pearl I found in the Bahamas. Look at it, what do you think?

[purepearls]

It's really hard to see as the picture seems to be really dark and a bit distorted.

[Valeria101]

How big is it?

The picture shows a deep raspberry color which I have never seen on conch pearls precisely like that, but again, I have not seen all that many. The depth of color is incredible - a privilege to see such a pearl... Would it be right to guess that the shade is red tinged with orange rather than violet in person?

[islandgal27]

Hi Val,
The pearl is a dark pink it looks that way because there is no lighting on it. The first pic I've done gave a glear from the flash so I turned off the flash and this is what I got.
Thanks

[smetzler]

Didn't want to start a new thread for this, so combed through the forum for a suitable existing thread.

Dateline: San Salvador (Columbus Island), Bahamas, about 1993. I was a speaker at a wine event in the Club Med and found this conch shell on the beach—even impressed a few guests, as a former trombonist, in making it sound reasonably well. It's been sitting on the upstairs bathroom sink all these years, without a second thought.

Moved it for cleaning the other day and heard a small rattle. Shook it, and the 'calcareous concretion' as shown popped out. Apparently over the years it had dried/shrunk enough to become dislodged.

Photos show the hole through which the animal had been harvested for consumption, also a closeup of a parasite bore hole that would be the likely origin of the concretion.

Although CIBJO may define this as a (non-nacreous) pearl, I would withhold that designation for a calcareous concretion of greater beauty.

Still, it goes to show that one should shake their conchs more frequently…

[pattye]

S

till, it goes to show that one should shake their conchs more frequently

…

Well, I guess so!!