The Flaming Pearl Queen of Conch

Whilst many have come across its sister counterparts, freshwater pearls as well as Mikimoto, pink conch pearls remain to be amongst some of the most desirable and rarest form of naturally-occuring organic gemstones. Found within the depths of the Caribbean ocean off the coast of North America, this beautifully spiral shaped snail shell inhabits from Florida down into the waters of the West Indies. The conch shell belongs to a genus family called the Gastropod as it comprises of a single shell in comparison to a bivalve shell where each half is held together by a muscle.

Prized for its unpredictable rarity, a conch pearl is typically found in roughly 1 of a 100 conch shells, which with now classified as an endangered species makes the harvesting of queen conchs highly competitive and regulated.

With their beautiful colour, porcelain-like lustre and symmetrical oval shape, the conch pearl is highly valued for its unique and elegant iridescent shimmer. With its pastel flamingo pink hue, the conch pearl displays a porcelaneous appearance thanks to its calcium carbonate microarchitecture.

Conch shells are typically harvested in a baroque oval shape yet perhaps, one of the most famous features of this pearl is the distinctive 'flame structure' on its surface. Caused by partially aligned internal fibres, the appearance of a flame burning across the surface of the pearl can often be captured. Pearls which have a distinctive and pronounced flame are some of the most exquisite and striking organic stones in desirable demand, thus commanding premium prices to match these qualities.

With a hardness graded higher than oyster and coral shells, the durability of conch shells increases the value and desirable worth of this organic stone. Most commonly recognised for its exquisite pink saturation, conch pearls are a beautiful by-product of its conch shell. Ranging from bright even pink, baby pastel pink, salmon blush to a deeper magenta, the pink conch pearl is the most valuable due to its rarity. Other conch pearls can range between cream, white, yellow to golden orange hues due to the nature of the mysterious inside muscle of the Conch shell.

Subtle, elegant and graceful, step inside the underwater world of organic charm with these pink beauties-of-the-deep.

[Image credits: Pinterest, karipearls, quora, mikimoto, gemselect, thejewelleryeditor]