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The purple color on many of my naturals have faded over the years.

These are certainly pearls stuck to other pearls. Only pearls stuck to the shell are described as mabes and usually exclusive to a cultural setting. Blister pearl is more common in natural settings. Instead these grow along the shell as opposed to to/from it. These were formed in a perforation...

Aside from the nonsense procedures, what's most glaringly obvious with these charlatans is the absence of methodology. These people think you stick something in then walk way for for a year or two, yet selection criteria, donor/recipient segregation, de-spawning and post-op rehab never enter the...

Show us this "amassed" collection and pearls in your lapidary work? So you processed millions of pounds you say? By your own admission, the vessel quota was 166,000 lbs, now 50,000. That means you would have had to process every clam aboard for 30-40 years. How can this be, when the greatest...

Benthic creatures are better equipped to prevent it. How they deal with it after the fact is common in most species. Epifaunal mollusks (like mussels) while buried in substrate have more difficulty tolerating it, especially when cracked or obstructed. Geoducks cannot close entirely, leaving...

Geoducks have much longer life cycles than most molluscs. Up to 100 y as opposed to 3-10 y in most others. Ship/Shore processors find these all the time. Workers set aside an average of 6-12 specimens/m3 discarded shells. Milky, chalky when dried, but most from impacted sand within cracked...

I get that, but my question to you remains unanswered. I've supported my assertion by posting photographic evidence of sand embedded in pearls. I have also stated that I've observed this several times in my work with natural pearls along with an opinion of rate of incidence. I'll ask again...

I would read that paper, if it even exists. Meaning no disrespect to Laurent, it's an opinion not an established fact. If his lab is interested in investigating this, I will contribute specimens for analysis. I have presented photographic evidence of sand implicated in pearls. Surely you don't...

They sure are! I'm astonished clams don't produce more pearls. I suppose because they live within substrate they're better equipped to deal with mud, sand and gravel. I don't know how many steamers (Venerupis philippinarium) I've eaten in my day, but it's a lot and I've never found a decent...

There remains confusion whether sand is implicated in the formation of natural pearls. For over a century, the myth has been most pearls are formed around grains of sand. This is a myth. It's been reported in more recent times that grains of sand are not implicated in pearl formation. This is...

I disagree. Sand is implicated in natural pearl onset.

These blisters are formed under the adductor of the left valve. They're not rare, in fact quite common across many molluscan species. They are largely idiopathic (unknown cause) however these present along the medial aspect of the muscle scar as opposed to entirely surrounding it, thus ruling...

Jeremy has included an early natural freshwater strand for comparison, which is clearly that. Graded for size (graduation) first, then luster, color and shape by lessening degrees. Each markedly dissimilar at the nuclei. This is what we'd expect from most natural strands, especially ones created...

Commercial or recreational? Licensed by the state Department of Marine Resources? Recreational harvesting may complicate matters. These are natural quahog pearls, hence the species of origin is not in question. However, some value (albeit scientific) is lost when the pearl is removed. I would...

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This is not a pearl by any description. More likely a slingshot round.

You have done well given your tools. Each of these views reveal subsurface contrasts consistent with bead nucleated pearls. This is otherwise known as periostracial growth. It's the first growth expressed by most molluscs in any shell building process. It's mainly protein which generally...

Though the images are improving, I'm still seeing equal diffusion at the subsurface and complete absence of distinct contrasting at the nucleus. For those reasons, I'll suggest this is a bead nucleated cultured pearl. Nevertheless, it's a large, well formed SS pearl in good condition.

Thank you, Douglas. Are your naturals P.sterna? I'd really like to see an array of views from those and other species. Same for Gulf pearls, if anyone is inclined to that. Surely someone somewhere has a lot suitable for the task. If anything, this technique demonstrates dissimilar contrasts...

And a few others.