BIG blister

[nels]

hi
can anyone here link me to a site that has pictures of big blister abalone pearls that are still attached to the shell?

thanks
nels

 

[jshepherd]

I just checked the Websites of Eyris, Empress, and Akaroa. They have a lot of ab pics, but no blisters still in shell. Just finished mabe.

I also checked American Bio Gem (IslandPearls.net). I know they have them, but I do not see them on their Website. If you drop a line to Paul or Micheal they may be able to just email you a stock photo.

 

[nels]

blister jpeg

blister jpeg

if i can figgure out how to attach a jpeg it should show up here. if not i'll try and try again

nels

 

[Virginia Hatfield]

blister pearls

blister pearls

Hi,
I have a couple of abalone blister pearls still in the shells. I have attached photos.
Virginia Hatfield
California

 

[pattye]

Hi All--

Here is a cultured abalone pearl with great photos at DruzyDesign, on ebay sorry I can't make it link for some reason-- item 110123002719. It would have been great to see this one when it was still in the shell!

Pattye
so many pearls, so little time

 

[Caitlin]

Try downloading it to your computer then post it.

 

[patriciadear]

attached blister pearl

attached blister pearl

hi.. if you're still looking go to my ab pearls, on the last few pages of the natural pearl forum. I have an abalone shell with some pearls there, but nothing like your huge, tusk shaped pearl..It's gorgeous. I think it could be used in jewelry if you could figure out how to detach it.
patricia

 

[J Marcus]

Hi Nels,

I just happen to have a few lying around.... Here's some pix of them. The first two are of the very large blister pearl that I have made into a mabe' and named the Cascadia Moon Pearl. The next two are a couple of shells that have clusters of rather large blisters. I believe that they are Red Abalone's. Hope that this helps.

 

[patriciadear]

Wow! That's one gorgeous shell. Astounding!

 

[patriciadear]

So... Abalone blister pearls are inside the abalone! Do you think they turn into roun pearls and detatch or are round pearls formed inside the animal? Also, I have a huge blister pearl that is still attatched to a curved base but the entire structure stands free... How and where do you think this odd structure formed? Where and how did intricate baroque Ab pearls form?

 

[lisa c]

WOW, WOW, WOW!!! I had no idea - I hadn't actually conceptualized how huge Abalone are. Are they usually this big???

 

[Caitlin]

Abalone starts out very tiny, small enough for earrings. It keeps growing throughout its life. The biggest shell I ever found was about a foot to 14" across. I found it in the late 60's. I am sure they can grow larger, but it seems the average size shell is about 8-12" across. I can't tell what the measuring device in that photo is.

 

[lisa c]

Is it a broken-off piece of tape-measure?

 

[Jnorris]

worlds largest abalone

worlds largest abalone

Hi everyone,
I believe the worlds largest abalone is a 12+inch Red found off northern California.

 

[GemGeek]

Hi everyone,
I believe the worlds largest abalone is a 12+inch Red found off northern California.

Ab trivia!

 

[Caitlin]

Hi everyone,
I believe the worlds largest abalone is a 12+inch Red found off northern California.

Thanks for the perspective. They have obviously grown larger in my memory.

 

[J Marcus]

So... Abalone blister pearls are inside the abalone! Do you think they turn into roun pearls and detatch or are round pearls formed inside the animal? Also, I have a huge blister pearl that is still attatched to a curved base but the entire structure stands free... How and where do you think this odd structure formed? Where and how did intricate baroque Ab pearls form?

My apologies for taking so long. Sandra and I have been very busy getting the garden in (My aching back!) and making wedding plans and preparations.

Yes--blister pearls are formed on the inside of the shell. Usually in response to the incursions of toredo clams (aka. "shipworms") boring through the shell, but sometimes due to a few limited and, in my experience, far less common causes such as to encapsulate a foreign object that the abalone cannot expel. I know of no instance except, perhaps, in the instance of the one posted by Patriciadear, posts #248 thru #250 in the Natural Abalone Pearl thread, where an abalone blister pearl has come loose to form a free pearl, though I certainly cannot rule such a phenomenon out completely. However, I have found that, occasionally, free pearls formed in the mantle will sometimes come loose and may be cemented onto the inside of the shell. As the mollusk secretes additional layers of conchiolin and nacre they can become a blister pearl and may even, I have found, be so completely covered and encased in the shell as to be fully hidden and only discovered when one cuts the shell and exposes the pearl. I have documented some of these findings, including some X-rays of examples somewhere in the Natural Pearl thread. I can't remember just where at the moment... I have read of abalone pearls that form and are included within the shell wall in response to another type of parasite in some Australian waters. If I remember right, it was in posts by a Mr. Hill. I believe he has a website.

~a little later~

I've just been catching up on postings in the Natural Abalone Pearls segment of the forum. Seems a lot has happened in this area on the forum while I was absent. Starting with page 14 there is much information on this subject and there is also a reference to the website of Mr. Hill and his website is referenced in a post by him on page 15, post #221.

I find the postings by New Zealand Natural Pearl about shell borers and polychaete worms to be particularly fascinating. There seem to be a number of different parasites that colonize abalone shells. In the case of haliotis shells that I have encountered from the pacific coast of the U.S. and Mexico, I have to say that the vast majority, over 95%, of the blister pearls have been caused by toredo clams ("shipworms"). I know this because in almost all cases the remains--in these cases, the shells--of the toredo clams are still to be found in the cavity behind the blister pearl. I would be interested in knowing if toredo or similar boring clams are a factor in New Zealand and Australian waters.

 

[J Marcus]

Is it a broken-off piece of tape-measure?

It is a section of a machinist's steel ruler and is in inches.

If I remember right, I believe that the largest Abalone I have encountered is a little over 10 inches. I have a beautiful, specimen-grade, red abalone shell (No blisters!) that is just under 10". All of the ones that I have now, other than very immature shells found washed up on the beach in Monterey, CA in the 60's, are from about 6" to just over 10". This includes black, white, red, pink, green and flat (Wallalensis) abalones.

Happy pearling,

Marcus

 

[lisa c]

larger in memory

larger in memory

Thanks for the perspective. They have obviously grown larger in my memory.

Not necessarily - he did say 12+ and I believe he was talking about 'documented' size, right? So, who knows that what you remember seeing as a child isn't right? Your memories could be accurate, especially if you have a brain that registers fine discriminations of size.

My Mom has a brain like that; all of her senses are extraordinary. Taste, smell, vision, tunes and perfect pitch, numbers, proportions, colors, ability to solve 'puzzles', all of these are extraordinaryin her. There's no point in ever questioning her memory or perceptions in these areas.

Her brain isn't perfect, of course. She has the same emotional insights over and over again, and the tendency to make the same relationship mistakes repeatedly, while being very charming and lovable.

Given your talents (music, dance, medical field), I wouldn't be surprised if you have gifts like that, too.

I was just thinking about Heidi's gallery piece, as another example of a brain capable of acute visual/spacial recognition; have you noticed the symmetry and perfection of the angular elements of the photo, and how the color enhances them?

Sorry, I got off topic.

 

[Caitlin]

Jeremy
Where and when was that found?

Lisa
I saw the one I described in 1967 (I was 25) in Humboldt county CA. Specifically at the mouth of the Eel river. This is an area rarely visited except by locals. The beach had many huge shells. Most were worn and bleached. The biggest one I saw was worn and bleached and had a big hole in it. Though I noted it was almost double the size of the 7" one I brought home I didn't bring it home. Another 9" one also came home with me that day. I have never seen an entire abalone shell on a beach since. Every one I have had since was bought.

I measured these lip to lip on the hollow side.

I still have the two shells hanging outside our house. 30 years in the direct sun and they are hardly more faded then the ones on the beach