Purple Quahog Pearls

[Hest88]

I like pearls, but I don''t looove pearls. However, these Quahog pearls on the Pala gem site are quite something. One is over 12 cts and the other over 13. I''ve been reading up on them and large Quahog pearls seem to be extremely rare. They''re also not well-known, so it remains to be seen how marketable they can be. Pretty, though, huh?

 

[chrono]

What unsual colouring. I've never heard if them before. When I first saw the pictures, my first thought was, "what lovely marbles".

Looks like this is something new for me to read up on.

 

[belle]

oooohhhh wow...those are something! very interesting. thanks hest!

 

[angel_nieves]

Oh my gosh I love those pearls!!!

 

[valeria101]

Now that's some rare curiosity !

As much as I know these are no-nacreous pearls, like the Melo and Conch pearls.

Perhaps the looks alone would not be fair judgement for any of there. Especially if... say, you would get some nacreous pearls with high lustre and comparable colors next to them.

Regardless, these are so impressive

Both perfect round and HUGE for the type...


If anyone remembers, a yer or so back some small pearls of the kind surfaced in vintage jewelry and made quite a bit of news. A few more followed, but all were small or misshapen of both. Until now, I had no idea quahog pearls can even look like this.

 

[MINE!!]

WOW.. thsose are just scrumptous... I can only imagine their cost.. wow.

 

[Kaleigh]

Wow, those ARE cool. Very unusual.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 1/12/2006 2:51:08 PM
Author: MINE!!

I can only imagine their cost.. wow.

''Guess ''imagine'' is the right word - there are not that many of these: there is hopeful confusion in every report. Places like Pala might have that changed though

Here''s a Sample from Gemstone Forecaster. This is not the only such piece, just written on a more serious tone than some. Antoinette Matlins, author of "The Pearl Book" gives a few numbers too, just about as tentative. Since then, the name must have circled the globe a few times (the publicity tour set for the Golash pearls must have helped) and there should be some results to that.

The bit in the Forecaster''s article that these clams are the only ones to produce purple is not true - there are others, both salt and freshwater mussels, including those historically used to extract the namesake pigment. And purple nacreous freshwater pearls are produced.

Interestingly, the larger button pearl that started the story was also about 14mm. Aren''t those Quahog clams small?


Anyway, if anything can take away the aura of mystery of those two, would be a big stash full of other nice Quahog pearls. And since these are not cultivated, the chances to ever find such a thing are very slim.

I wish Pala would tell the story of these pearls.

 

[FireGoddess]

What beautiful coloring in those pearls! I have never seen any previously with lavender/purplish tones. So gorgeous!