Basidiomycota perlus or the strange mushroom pearl

[Cyril Roger Brossard]

SSEF 2013.



In 2012, we again received a number of pearls with strange shapes for testing. The most extravagant and intriguing of these curiosities of nature was a non-nacreous brownish natural pearl from a marine mollusc, which closely resembled a mushroom (see photos). The pearl showed some flame structures, as it is known from various gastropods such as Melo Melo, Strombus Gigas (Queen Conch), Cassis Cornuta, and clams (Tridacna). X-ray microtomography analysis showed a complex structure of growth layers surrounding a central cavity, rather uncommon for such non-nacreous natural pearls.

 

[sinju]

do yo uhave the shell for this pearl ?

 

[Cyril Roger Brossard]

sorry, I posted too fast, SSEF based in Switzerland is the Swiss Gemmological Institute also known as Schweizerische Stiftung f?r Edelstein Forschung, that is Swiss Foundation for Gemstone Research.
The origin of the article is therefore the SSEF and the year of the report is 2013.

Hope this clarify things.

 

[Caitlin]

pearls! Who would have guessed a mushroom pearl could ever be possible. do you think there were multiple pearls that fortuitously fused?

 

[Cyril Roger Brossard]

pearls! Who would have guessed a mushroom pearl could ever be possible. do you think there were multiple pearls that fortuitously fused?

I honestly have no clue, I have seen weird shaped pearls from Pinctada maxima but this one is quite unique:

X-ray microtomography analysis showed a complex structure of growth layers surrounding a central cavity, rather uncommon for such non-nacreous natural pearls.

The pearl showed some flame structures...