Zucker's historic visit to Vietnam was the inspiration for a 1997 article on melo-melo pearls in the Smithsonian magazine, which gave a big boost to the popularity of these pearls.It is believed that Zucker's explorations in Vietnam and the subsequent Smithsonian article, set the stage for the record price registered for a melo-melo pearl at a Christie's auction in Hong Kong in November 1999. Thus melo melo pearls derive their name from the scientific name of the sea-snail that produces them. porcelaneous in that it has a smooth, reflective feel much like porcelain. One of the pioneers in this research was Suraphol Chunhabundit, marine biologist at the Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, working at the Sichang Marine Science Research and Training Station in the Chonburi Province in the Gulf of Thailand.
In this way, the that other pearls form in mollusks. According to the Gemological Institute of America, the very rare melo-melo pearl is most likely the result of an intruder. Instead, the calcareous… Premium Article - Article Access Required This is a Premium Article. forced to create pearls, the melo pearl has not yet been successfully cultured. The bailer volute in Singapore is commonly encountered on the remote offshore reef of Beting Bronok. and carat weight. The thickness of the aragonite platelets, is comparable to the wavelength of visible light, causing the scattering of different colors in white light, producing the characteristic iridescent effect.In non-nacreous pearls, the pearl forming substance is chemically related to nacre, but the crystalline form of calcium carbonate that forms the inorganic component is mainly calcite and not aragonite. pearls. Hence, the absence of iridescence in non-nacreous pearls.The microcrystalline calcite needles are associated together to form bundles of fibers, whose arrangement and alignment, causes a type of “chatoyancy” when light falls on the fibers, known as a “flame structure.” In melo melo pearls, particularly the most sought-after intense orange-hued ones, the effect of the shimmering flame structure, combined with the porcellaneous luster is spectacular, even surpassing the beauty of some nacreous pearls, that has triggered a debate whether the continued classification of these rare beauties of nature, as non-nacreous pearls is justified.What distinguishes a “true pearl” from non-nacreous pearls ?The composition of nacre and what causes the characteristic luster and iridescenceThe composition of non-nacreous pearls, and reasons for absence of iridescence and presence of chatoyancy However, marine biologists have expressed the view that continued intensive trawler fishing, causing damage to the sea-snails ecosystem, would decrease recruitment, and drastically deplete sea-snail resources, rendering future exploitation totally uneconomical and unsustainable. can last for many decades if properly taken care of.The luster of the melo melo pearl is pearls (2.5 to 4 Mohs) and ranks at 5. This makes it a durable gemstone that Therefore, some of the large melo-melo pearls that have been discovered from very large snails, must be as old as the snail themselves, which necessarily means they are several decades old. The melo-melo pearls with a combination of desirable characteristics, such as the intense orange color, spherical shape, unique flame structure, porcellaneous luster, durability and above all their natural provenance, has become one of the rarest and most sought after pearls in the world today. However, according to a Thai scientist Mr. Suraphol Chunhabundit, marine biologist at the Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, the Melo melo sea-snail is nocturnal and during the daytime digs itself into the sandy bottom leaving only a siphon above the sand. pearls around, because of how expensive these pearls are, so care must be taken When an irritant gets into the creature’s melo pearls) are
Vietnam being the primary source of Melo melo pearls, the pearls are also sometimes referred to as Vietnamese orange pearls.Young Melo melo sea snail on the shores of Beting Bronok, SingaporeIn Burma, Melo melo sea-snails are found along the Arkan coast, in the southern region of Dawei, the Mergui Archipelago, and Kawthaung in the Andaman Sea near Thailand. Recruitment declines when the adult populations are drastically reduced by over fishing. These exceedingly rare pearls have a fine glazed surface that sometimes bears flamelike patterns similar to a conch pearl. The Emperors of Vietnam valued the pearl so highly that they send their ships to search for these rare beauties in the waters of the Halong Bay and the South China Sea.Melo melo pearls are one of the rarest natural pearls in the world.
although the chances of finding a pearl in a melo melo is one in several He said that Mr. Tchi kept the pearl with him, but was not sure whether he still had the pearl.