Conch pearls (pronounced ‘konk’) are natural pearls created by the Queen Conch, a saltwater univalve mollusk. These natural pearls are calcareous concretions formed inside the innards of the giant sea snail, the Strombus Gigas. These natural pearls are non-nacreous and display a unique “flame structure”, a radiating pattern of white markings just beneath a lustrous or porcelain-like surface, exhibiting chatoyancy around the edges and creating a halo-effect. This flame-like pattern results from the arrangement of the prismatic crystals perpendicular to the surface of the pearl. Conch pearls occur primarily in raspberry red to pink colors and they can also create whites, purples, browns, yellows, oranges, and golds. They are symmetrical in shape with mostly ovals, drops, and baroques, and occasionally they will create a button or round. Currently we have conch pearls in sizes from 4mm to 14mm.
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