Reg: A Yellow stone like capsule found in a conch
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Valeria101
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There are pearls shapes like that: short cylinder with rounded ends, like a pill... Some of the pearls in THIS strand have that shape. The shape occurs in lots of sizes, colors and species...nucleated or not, this is just one example I happened to remember off the bat.
This is not saying that I can bet your finding is a pill-shaped pearl. Dunno that.
This is not saying that I can bet your finding is a pill-shaped pearl. Dunno that.
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Valeria101
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If I'd take the picture of a yellowish gastropod non-nacreous pearl and blur it allot... it would look like that. 
So would pictures of other things. The color I see there (a slightly orange yellow, like egg yolk) fits the bill too; Melo pearls could have that color and small pill shaped ones are possible. This is already assuming and guessing allot. Small non-nacreous pearls are only valuable if the color is terribly intense (not quite in the picture) and if way small that's not great news either. The excitement of finding one of those mysterious natural pearls could be less than its value... Or not.
My 2c
So would pictures of other things. The color I see there (a slightly orange yellow, like egg yolk) fits the bill too; Melo pearls could have that color and small pill shaped ones are possible. This is already assuming and guessing allot. Small non-nacreous pearls are only valuable if the color is terribly intense (not quite in the picture) and if way small that's not great news either. The excitement of finding one of those mysterious natural pearls could be less than its value... Or not. My 2c
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Ashley
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I wish those pictures had better focus, so we could see the pearl better! Going on what you've said so far, I would agree with Valeria that you found yourself a melo-melo pearl! These come from the gastropod, Melo Melo in the China South Seas, Vietnam, the Philippeans and also the Bay of Bengal
Usually, these pearls are egg-shaped or oval (so the "pill-shape" would be atypical), and can be quite large. Some also display flame structure similar to conch pearls (chatoyancy just below the surface of the pearl)http://www.allnaturalpearls.com/conch.htm
Does your pearl have markings similar to this? How big is it approximately? Is the color consistent over the surface of the pearl? I'd love to hear more! There is actually a nice little collector's market for such pearls that is just starting to warm up in the West, but Melo pearls are highly valued in Asia
Usually, these pearls are egg-shaped or oval (so the "pill-shape" would be atypical), and can be quite large. Some also display flame structure similar to conch pearls (chatoyancy just below the surface of the pearl)http://www.allnaturalpearls.com/conch.htm
Does your pearl have markings similar to this? How big is it approximately? Is the color consistent over the surface of the pearl? I'd love to hear more! There is actually a nice little collector's market for such pearls that is just starting to warm up in the West, but Melo pearls are highly valued in Asia
well I would suggest seeing your camera has a "macro" setting and retaking the pics - it will show the close up detail.
Seeing as he said they came from a Conch shell, I think a conch pearl would be the most likely candidate and they are found in similar colors.
Does the pearl look similar to these melo melo pearls?:
how certain are you that it was a conch and not a different marine snail?
Seeing as he said they came from a Conch shell, I think a conch pearl would be the most likely candidate and they are found in similar colors.
Does the pearl look similar to these melo melo pearls?:
how certain are you that it was a conch and not a different marine snail?
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Ashley
Guest
You know- I was thinking about that last night... and was going to ask him today if he got the pearl from a Queen Conch as the coloration and shapes are very similar! Beautiful photos by the way!!!!
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Valeria101
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Second that - it would be great to know what the shell that produced the pearl looks like.
Doubt anyone would call a conch a 'mussel', but ya' never know. From the pictures it is hard to tell even if the pearl is nacreous or not (the color hints at not, but...).
Especially if the pearl is small and or of no serious interest for jewelry otherwise, it would play in its favor if it comes from a shell not known to produce pearls usually. And if it is unusual in that way and is jewelry worthy, even better.
Btw, it looks like whatever comes to be called generically 'conch' and 'melo' in the 'West' are pearls coming from a range of gasteropedes only to be classified later by looks and properties. I must have posted THIS earlier on somewhere on this forum.
Considering the unusual intense orange flame pattern, your round pearl reminded me of THIS in Vincent's report, associated with a spectacular species of conch with flaming inner-coating!
Doubt anyone would call a conch a 'mussel', but ya' never know. From the pictures it is hard to tell even if the pearl is nacreous or not (the color hints at not, but...).
Especially if the pearl is small and or of no serious interest for jewelry otherwise, it would play in its favor if it comes from a shell not known to produce pearls usually. And if it is unusual in that way and is jewelry worthy, even better.
Btw, it looks like whatever comes to be called generically 'conch' and 'melo' in the 'West' are pearls coming from a range of gasteropedes only to be classified later by looks and properties. I must have posted THIS earlier on somewhere on this forum.
Considering the unusual intense orange flame pattern, your round pearl reminded me of THIS in Vincent's report, associated with a spectacular species of conch with flaming inner-coating!
This was the statement
He meant to say "muscle" as that is the part you eat of the conch, so that is why I lean towards conch, but the color does fit better with a melo melo pearl.
Valerie that red pearl you just posted looks very interesting, it has a very cool glow to it.
He meant to say "muscle" as that is the part you eat of the conch, so that is why I lean towards conch, but the color does fit better with a melo melo pearl.
Valerie that red pearl you just posted looks very interesting, it has a very cool glow to it.
Some more photographs
Some more photographs
Please see some more photograph attached.
It looks very orange and yeloow mixed and also looks like flame inside it. It looks very same to the orange pearl photos you have attached above. Also attaching the conch here with.
Some more photographs
Please see some more photograph attached.
It looks very orange and yeloow mixed and also looks like flame inside it. It looks very same to the orange pearl photos you have attached above. Also attaching the conch here with.
Attachments
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jshepherd
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Sure... a conch pearl. Why not?
http://www.pearlparadise.com/detail.aspx?ID=1260
http://www.pearlparadise.com/detail.aspx?ID=1260
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pierrettedE
Guest
hi,
Looks like a Dog Conch shell.. Philipines area? weigh it, measur it, take more -clearer, I know it takes practice.. use macro, stabilize camera with tripod or brace it some way- take care of it!
There are a few people more than qualified to help you on this forum
Looks like a Dog Conch shell.. Philipines area? weigh it, measur it, take more -clearer, I know it takes practice.. use macro, stabilize camera with tripod or brace it some way- take care of it!
There are a few people more than qualified to help you on this forum
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Valeria101
Guest
pierrettedE said:
Strombus Canarium?
Perhaps a library of Strombidae pictures will help identifying the shell, for what that matters. Here's such a list. Would have liked more an academic catalog, but none turned out quickly.
Eddie Hardy has an even larger catalog of Strombidae! HERE
The traditional pink conch pearls - like those in the picture from PearlsParadise - are supposed to come from Strombus Gigas ('Queen Coch').
From the looks of it, 'Melo' pearls could be coming from a few other Volutidae shells. The Bailer Shell (Melo Melo) is nominated by Mr. Larson HERE.
The commercial recognition of the 'conch' name and general confusion over what comes from where and what shell blurrs the lines a bit. Wouldn't bet that the white or yellowish 'conch' pearls I've been shown really do come from the same Strombus Gigas. Not that anyone seemed to care - the washed out colors were discounted and the intense pinks and orange prized just the same.
If I understand these things right, the color and size are still more important than anything. The species identification comes to be the cherry on the pearl collector's cake!
The picture looks like a Bailer Shell... with the lip rolled towards the axis rather than outward as the S. Canarium has it. The tip is not shown... And I am not an expert in any of these. Just wanted to add together all bits and pieces of Strombus pearl identification I know for clarification, feedback... etc. I'll try to get a biologists's view on these one of these days (a colleague, now out of office).
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pattye
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Hi Fesar,
Much better photos, really nice color on the pearl--did you get a size measurement for us? thanks,
Pattye
Much better photos, really nice color on the pearl--did you get a size measurement for us? thanks,
Pattye
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Ashley
Guest
Hi there,
Conch really is an interchangeable term, but I believe that based on the location, shell structure of the animal you ate and the pearl, you really do have a melo-melo pearl there- congratulations! It has a nice, deep coloration and a good size. I'm not the expert on pricing that type of pearl (I wish!!), but I bet that you could get a pretty penny for it.
Congratulations!
Conch really is an interchangeable term, but I believe that based on the location, shell structure of the animal you ate and the pearl, you really do have a melo-melo pearl there- congratulations! It has a nice, deep coloration and a good size. I'm not the expert on pricing that type of pearl (I wish!!), but I bet that you could get a pretty penny for it.
Congratulations!
