Are Conch pearls durable?

[massrog]

I just purchased a conch pearl pendant necklace for my wife based on the simplicity of the setting. Our desire was something she can actually wear wherever she wants like work or shopping without being too "flashy". Would this be ok to wear as an "everyday" piece?

 

[CortezPearls]

It is a very nice piece! I especially like the shape of the Pearl. The pink is very nice.
It will be a durable item.
Just keep in mind that it is said that sunlight (UV light) has a knack for "damaging" carotenoids. And it is these molecules that give off the beautiful pink color to the pearls, so it would be best to avoid constant and direct sunlight on the pearl!

 

[massrog]

It is a very nice piece! I especially like the shape of the Pearl. The pink is very nice.
It will be a durable item.
Just keep in mind that it is said that sunlight (UV light) has a knack for "damaging" carotenoids. And it is these molecules that give off the beautiful pink color to the pearls, so it would be best to avoid constant and direct sunlight on the pearl!

Thanks for that Douglas! At 19x14x14 approx. what would you estimate the weight?

 

[CortezPearls]

If perfectly round, a pearl is somewhere around a 1:1 ratio (diameter: weight): 10 mm = 1 gram; 5 mm = 0.5 gr
In this case you have a baroque drop, so this is hard to gauge but I would take a guess by using an average (19+14=16.5 mm) and then turn it into grams= 1.6 grams, but since this is a natural pearl you would want the weight in Carats= 8 ct
This ratio can change depending on the pearl's composition.
Remember that the best way to actually know the weight is by using a scale.

 

[BWeaves]

It's a beautiful necklace. Gorgeous pearl. But I agree with Douglas. Don't wear it in sunlight. It will fade. It's an evening or out to dinner piece.

 

[massrog]

Ahh, well that seems to be sound advise.... Disappointing but sound and thank you both for it!
When it arrives, I'll post some hopefully better images.

 

[jshepherd]

Hisano has a conch pearl pendant I gave her as a wedding gift 10 years ago and a conch pearl tin cup she made from a collection of loose conch pearls I gave her as an anniversary gift five or six years ago. She's worn both regularly and neither have faded, but she doesn't wear them while out in the sun for extended periods of time. As long as your wife doesn't spend a lot of time in direct sunlight, the pearl should be fine. It just needs to be worn conscientiously.

 

[massrog]

Hisano has a conch pearl pendant I gave her as a wedding gift 10 years ago and a conch pearl tin cup she made from a collection of loose conch pearls I gave her as an anniversary gift five or six years ago. She's worn both regularly and neither have faded, but she doesn't wear them while out in the sun for extended periods of time. As long as your wife doesn't spend a lot of time in direct sunlight, the pearl should be fine. It just needs to be worn conscientiously.

Thank you Jeremy! By the way can you please tell me what type of scale is used to weigh carat weight of pearls or which formula does conversion?

 

[jshepherd]

We use convertible scales. Here is an inexpensive one at Uline.

One gram is equivalent to five carats, and one momme is 3.75 grams. Here is a Pearl Weights page in the education section that discusses this in more detail.

 

[massrog]

Thank you again sir!!

 

[massrog]

I thought of another question I hope might have an answer here... There seems to be a larger disconnect between the retail and "after market" prices of Conch pearls vs more "common" varieties. Is this because the Conch market is more niche/subjective in consumer tastes and less "commoditized" (for lack of a better term) than cultured or even white naturals? Is this an accurate perception on my part?

 

[jshepherd]

It's the opposite, actually. Conch pearls hold their value and don't go on sale. In fact, their value has been increasing quite a lot over the past few years. They are more like diamonds in that it doesn't matter if they are retail or after-market. The value will not drop. Value is heavily dependent on color and flame pattern though. Differences between small, individual pearls can be immense. I've seen single pearls with great flame offered for well over $100k.

 

[massrog]

Well, it finally arrived today, and I have new questions! I expected the shape and coloring to be irregular, but both seem to be more so than I thought. There doesn't seem to be a hint of flame which is a little concerning. I initially thought I may have a Conch shell "pearl" but I don't see the layering/grain I see in other shell bead images. I am posting several images so you all can hopefully weigh in. Thank as always...

 

[CortezPearls]

Really good sized! The shape is very pleasant, reminding me of the shape of "La Peregrina". Color wise, it has a nice soft pink...the largest sized conch pearls I've seen are usually irregularly colored.
So, these are the good points on it. Rare pearls!

 

[jshepherd]

It doesn't have any visible flame, but not all conch pearls do. With that size, if it exhibited a fine flame pattern it would be a very expensive pearl. I purchased a much smaller one in a smooth oval shape with fine flame going all around it for more than $30,000 a few years ago. Hisano still has the pearl in her loose personal collection waiting the right inspiration.

 

[massrog]

I just realized we had a kitchen scale w/gram, so I weighed it at approx. 5.5 grams. It was a little hard to weigh it in the setting hence the approximation (based on subtracting the chain from the total of the necklace}.