Fossilized shell, or in this case fossilized PECTINIDAE or scallops, are almost "solid" calcium carbonate inside and out. Depending on the minerals found in and around the shell at the time of fossilization, some translucent calcite crystals may also have formed. The whole thing is highly crumbly if poked at. A common scallop does not produce a true crystalline aragonite pearl anyway. So the thought of a pearl, or anything similar to a pearl being inside that fossilized scallop, is just sooooo far fetched, it's unbelievable. The thought of a scallop pearl, which is delicate enough when found in a live scallop, being found intact in a fossilized scallop, is again, really unbelievable. If finding one pearl in a scallop is unbelievable, finding more than one pearl is really, really unbelievable. The size of the "pearls" in proportion to the scallop shown by the poster is really, really, really unbelievable. If that round grey "pearl" in the poster's pic is suppose to have come out of a fossilized scallop the same size as in the pic---well, call me whatever you want, but "unbelievable" is just too mild a word to use here. I will try very hard not to be sarcastic for Inge's sake. I have made a kind and gentle member annoyed with me.
On another note, anyone collecting fossils of any kind which are not on their own land is most likely subject to government laws prohibiting collection without a permit. The Armenian and the Turkish government both PROHIBIT fossil collection on and around the Ararat mountains without a permit. IT IS ILLEGAL!!! So much for the poster's ridiculous "marketing" question.
The Smithsonian Institution has some 50 or so hard little balls, one-half inch to one inch in diameter that look like dull, dirty grey or yellowish grey pebbles. They are fossilized pearls from about one hundred thousand years ago, when Inceramus(oh, momma)lived in the sea and was a HUGE mollusc growing up to four feet wide. So if the big round grey "pearl" or the white shadow of a blob on the cell phone in the poster's pics is suppose to be a pearl/pearls coming from that fossilized scallop, it is indeed a miracle.
A pearl coming from a fossilized mollusc is more like a stone. There is no way to bring back its lustre(although some have been found with some lustre)and it's difficult to separate them from the rest of the fossil, since everything seems to merge into one lump of crude calcite.
Slraep
I love this forum! Pearls inside fossilized scallops--what deliciously esoteric information! May I ask, Slraep, do you come by this information professionally or is this your hobby?
Best wishes,
Jean
