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The size, colour and surface quality suggest abalone origin.

I agree. Most epifaunal species rarely surpass a decade. Some epibenthic species may live longer. Geoducks can live up to 100 years, but they have a high resistance to predation and physical damage for living deep within the sediments.

You are correct in the context that differentiation is highly subjective. Objective differentiation is much more complex, even for scientists in those fields. Unravelling genetic codes (DNA) and micro chemical analysis have limitations, thus greater burdens are in place to be conclusive.

Judging by the numerous flat spots and visible centres, they appear to me as dyed grafted/re-grafted button nuclei. Polishing will make things worse.

Extraordinary!

A prudent measure. Topical applications of antibiotics are infinitely better than systemic indications, especially for prophylaxis. Aside from being more economical it also reduces the likelihood of increased resistance in other species. Even then, the efficacy of antibiotics applies mainly to...

As a rule of thumb (even with broad spectrum antibiotics), you can't indicate what you can't stain. In fact, treatment may not be necessary at all. Cross that bridge if or when you get there.

30 hours is not a problem for relaying mussels so long as the shell stock is cooled, immersed and oxygenated. However, without adequate quarantine measures you run the risk of introducing invasive species and/or diseases.

I'd suspect purple has the highest incidence of occurrence thus breeding for it offers a greater opportunity to select among the strongest genetic expressions.

On that we agree. While I suspect numerous sham, scam and spam posts never see the light of day by the admins, these ought to stand for rebuke. For the sake of consumer protection and broader education. On a side note, it demonstrates the effort by the admins to screen this stuff behind the...

My thoughts exactly. The three white pieces may be tridacna pearls, but the purple and tan are beads.

Social media influencers (otherwise unemployed models looking for free stuff) broadly appear in staged settings, not real life situations while their numbers are almost always bot driven.

These charlatans sometimes go to great length to put a lustrous polish on the shell. Little do they realize it's not what experts look for. Most often these are cut from the thickest part of the shell, which is called the umbo. Each and every one seen by me to date reveal bisected growth fronts...

Purple results from the thinnest epithelial structures. The best example being most bivalves present as purple along the margins where two shells meet. Proteins indeed play a role, but much of the purple colour is perceived by the flat orientation of aragonite in a minimal space. Colourful...

It all adds up too. *palms forehead* Works for mabes why not the nuke? 20-23mm is some serious tunnelling though, no less with mussels. That is a lot of expansion! They lean to purple colour which usually dictates the pearl sac is at or near minimum thickness. It takes time to expand tissue, no...

Hi MarinH20, My apologies for missing this thread. Congratulations on your find! The food oyster Crassostrea virginica is widely produced and/or occurs naturally on the east coast of North America. Occasionally, pearls may be found. I believe Cookes Cove oysters are dredged in the wild, hence...

Exactly. At the end of the day, it's just calcium carbonate bound by proteins. In industry, pulverizing is a heat treatment (friction) thus any elegant variation of aragonite will inevitably revert to calcite immediately. At a price per ton it's much cheaper to buy in volume than targeting...

He managed to get three defiant comments before Googling giant clam pearl. They disappear quickly once they discover the aircraft they attempted to fly is unworthy of flight even before being shot down in flames.

It's likely natural, but in a cultural setting. Always interesting nonetheless. This type of pearl is common on my operation and I'd expect you'll see many more over the years. Congratulations on your successes and I'm hopeful these continue.

Correct and agreed. Hinge blisters form in or near the heart (pericardium). Having immediate and great proximity to vascular flow, pearls of this type grow rapidly and are largely granular and calcareous.