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Lot 1340Y
Conch Pearl
27 May 2010, 13:00 EDT
New YorkSold for US$10,980 inc. premium
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Find your local specialistConch Pearl
Strombus gigas or "Queen Conch"
Caribbean Sea
A conch is one of a number of different species of medium-sized to large saltwater snails and their shells. True conchs are marine gastropod mollusks in the family Strombidae, and the most well known species is the "Strombus gigas or "Queen Conch". The pearls they produce are calcareous concretions—that is they are non-nacreous and are made up of calcium carbonate (rather than aragonite which is the composition of nacreous pearls).
Several thousand snails would have to be found in order to recover a pearl as fine—and as large—as this one. Symmetry can be a particularly elusive attribute and this fine example displays a sought-after ovoid shape. Possessing a true baby pink hue and a porcellaneous luster the surface is evenly covered by the textbook "flame pattern" iridescence which appears to shimmer above its surface. Weighing approximately 7.98 carats and measuring14.0 x 9.0 x 7.2 mm
Caribbean Sea
A conch is one of a number of different species of medium-sized to large saltwater snails and their shells. True conchs are marine gastropod mollusks in the family Strombidae, and the most well known species is the "Strombus gigas or "Queen Conch". The pearls they produce are calcareous concretions—that is they are non-nacreous and are made up of calcium carbonate (rather than aragonite which is the composition of nacreous pearls).
Several thousand snails would have to be found in order to recover a pearl as fine—and as large—as this one. Symmetry can be a particularly elusive attribute and this fine example displays a sought-after ovoid shape. Possessing a true baby pink hue and a porcellaneous luster the surface is evenly covered by the textbook "flame pattern" iridescence which appears to shimmer above its surface. Weighing approximately 7.98 carats and measuring14.0 x 9.0 x 7.2 mm
Footnotes
Prospective buyers outside the United States should be aware that this lot cannot be shipped or exported outside the United States.

