Pearl of Allah, Fact; Pearl of Lao Tsu, Fiction

[effisk]

Hehe, I know

It's just ...huge. Just though it's worth mentioning such big calcareous concretions do exist.

Here's a pic:


Here is the address for an excellent article that cover everything in this thread

[Satine De La Courcel]

effisk,

it is really hard to believe that "pearl" known as teh Pearl of allah or Lao Tze pearls has been bought and estimates its worth between 40-60 million dollars.....


Ash

[effisk]

It has been estimated by the San Francisco Gem Lab at 40 million dollars a couple of years ago I think. I wonder on what criteria they did their evaluation... weight?

[Cam Hatch]

Does anyone have any articles on the pearl of Allah? Or point me in the right direction for websites? Sounds interesting.

Is it big enough to test your orient vs overtone skills?? Sorry!

[Satine De La Courcel]

no overtone or orient to me LOL ...just a big pickled brain looking thing!


here is what I found on the web allbeit not much to go on.

http://www.susanscott.net/OceanWatch2003/mar21-03.html

http://www.jewelry-paideia.com/refer...-jewelry-2.php

variations on the same story and a couple of now dead links about family squables and reaports of Ossama bin ladden or saddam Hussein, I do not remember which were ofering $60,000,000 to the current owner for this pearl before 9/11 happened, My gut tells me that is possibly legend only..... the links are now dead so I did not list them

I have also heard that the pearl has been insired by the current owners for $60,000,000, even though it was appraised at 40,000,000 but again dead link.... other than that not a whole lot out there on this biggie

[effisk]

As fas as I can remember, the story says Ossama wanted to buy the pearl to offer it to Saddam, but the person in charge of the transaction got arrested at the Canadian border during one of his trips and the sale never happened...

[Satine De La Courcel]

As fas as I can remember, the story says Ossama wanted to buy the pearl to offer it to Saddam, but the person in charge of the transaction got arrested at the Canadian border during one of his trips and the sale never happened...

things are still a bit fuzzy for me buut that sounds about right.

ASh

[Valeria101]

...a giant clam pearl Tridacna maxima)... 6kg

There seem to be more of the kind alright! Take a look: HERE again, a bit over 6kg of 'clam tumour'

The named one looks even more disturbing though! Doesn't sound like much of a tribute... maybe a bad joke...

[knotty panda]

Am I missing something here? The Pearl of Allah is cultured, not natural. I think that would bring the price down a few million. An amulet was placed in a clam and cultured. Here's a link to wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_of_Lao_Tzu I've seen other articles on the forum which link to the same info, but the cultured part seems to be overlooked. So, I'm wondering what am I missing?

[Valeria101]

Not sure I would count that with the normal distinction between cultured / natural. The detail doesn't change the uniqueness of the object.

Still fugly, however hard I'm trying to see anything in it. Yiks! If anyone sees an act of worship in the nominaton, more power to them...

[knotty panda]

Ok, then I'm missing something. If the pearl isn't natural and it isn't cultured, then what is it? (Besides just plain creepy.)

[Satine De La Courcel]

Am I missing something here? The Pearl of Allah is cultured, not natural. I think that would bring the price down a few million. An amulet was placed in a clam and cultured. Here's a link to wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_of_Lao_Tzu I've seen other articles on the forum which link to the same info, but the cultured part seems to be overlooked. So, I'm wondering what am I missing?

Knotty,

Yes somethign is missing...

The Pearl of Allah, is a natural pearl was found by a pearl diver in the Phillipines in 1934 (someone double check me on the year I could be wrong)

I agree it is not the Prettiest thing out there. BUT a status symbol none the less..

Cheers
Ash

[Caitlin]

Hi Ash
The origin of the "pearl" would not be in dispute if one of the owners hadn't claimed it was their long lost pearl from the Ming dynasty which they were hiding near Palowan, (due to political fears) when a monsoon took the tridactna clam it was currenting growing in out of its protective net and lost it to the sea.

I like legends as much as the next fellow, but I think the only thing proven here was that it was found off Palowan in the 30's. It would certainly be interesting if the China story could be substantiated.

It simply does not look like it grew on an implanted image of Buddha to me. I am also curious about the carbon dating on it too. From where did they get the sample, wouldn't taking a sample be something like dating tree rings and requires a plug going to its core?

I don't see that anyone who wanted to sell would do this to it.

[Satine De La Courcel]

Hi Caitlyn,

Had not heard the "dispute" before.. would be nice to have that story substaniated!
what we know as "territories of where certain speices thrive today"
may not have been that years ago... there are also oddities sometimes animals grwo or are found where theya retypically thougth to be none

If a live specimen of a sealacanth can can be found... who really knows.

Cheers
Ash

[knotty panda]

It appears to me it would be a simple thing to discover if it is natural or cultured. Take it to the local dentist's office. It also seems odd that the descriptions of the pearl never claim it to be natural, only the largest. As for carbon dating, I'm not sure how accurate carbon dating is to begin with, plus concealed underwater in a (or a series of) clam(s), would make carbon dating suspect.