Conch and Melo Pearls

CONCH AND MELO PEARLS

The Queen conch (kahnk) is a large snail-like mollusk that inhabits parts of the western Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, from Bermuda to South America. Famous for its ornate shell, this animal also produces the gems known as conch pearls.

The finest conch pearls are delicate rose to deep orangish “salmon” pink. They have a porcelain look, with a silky sheen and a surface patterning that’s described as “flame structure.” Similar pearls come from other sea snails called Melo, which live in coastal waters of Southeast Asia. These are golden yellow to amber-orange in color, with similar sheen and patterning. Both types occur in other colors as well.

Conch and Melo pearls are made of calcium carbonate. They form inside a mollusk and are as rare as natural pearls. Many dealers and gemologists, however, say they aren’t true pearls because they don’t have a nacre coating with the shingle-like structure. In scholarly publications they’re often called “calcareous concretions” or “non-nacreous pearls.” They can be very beautiful, though~ and amazingly expensive. At a 1999 jewelry auction in Hong Kong, a single Melo pearl sold for almost $500,000. Now, THAT’S appreciation of nature’s rarity!