Nautilus pearl

[SteveM]

Pictures still welcome?

CLICK for Nautilus pearls (and more)

Yes, thanks! Great link, and some truly great pearls. Nautilus examples have exceptionally fine porcelain-esque surfaces, contradicting reported photos in Elisabeth Strack's presentation at Tucson last week showing Nautilus pearls of nacreous composition.

 

[Jnorris]

This is a good example of pearls from Tridacna squamosa being represented as Nautilus pearls. Like Strack I believe that Nautilus pearls will be of a nacreous composition there by mirroring the interior of the shell.

 

[GemGeek]

I have to agree with Jeremy. There is discussion, even among labs, that these are being mis-identified. There hasn't been a single pearl found in the flesh of a nautilus. They are always found on their own and almost all are non-nacreaous. This may be going before the lab harmonization committee for research and that may be why no one wants to make an official declaration. Very interesting.

 

[effisk]

I have to agree with Jeremy. There is discussion, even among labs, that these are being mis-identified. There hasn't been a single pearl found in the flesh of a nautilus. They are always found on their own and almost all are non-nacreaous. This may be going before the lab harmonization committee for research and that may be why no one wants to make an official declaration. Very interesting.

The GIA lab in Thailand (Ken Scarratt) has certified 4 pearls as nautilus pearls, one of them being from the paper nautilus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argonaut_(animal)
(I'm not 100% sure of that info but T. Stern can probably confirm?)

It would be bold from the GIA to certify such pearls as nautilus pearls without strong proof.

 

[GemGeek]

The paper nautilus pearl would certainly be nacreous. Maybe that is the photo that Elisabeth Strack showed? Such a mystery.

 

[SteveM]

The paper nautilus pearl would certainly be nacreous. Maybe that is the photo that Elisabeth Strack showed? Such a mystery.

In which case, we're back where we started, according to the background available on this site (bold face is mine):

The Paper Nautilus or Argonaut, Argonauta argo, is a Cephalopod mollusc that lives a pelagic existence in the tropics and subtropics. Despite its name, the shell of the Paper Nautilus is not made from paper; the shell is "paper thin" (i.e., very fragile) and constructed of calcium carbonate (like most seashells) only by the female of the species and only for purposes of protecting her eggs. Additionally, the Paper Nautilus is not a nautilus at all, but rather is a member of the order Octopoda (which includes the octopusses) and family Argonautidae

 

[GemGeek]

You're right!

 

[Slraep]

A sea argonaut! Cute! An octopus that makes an egg case(the shell) to protect its larvae from predators and U.V. rays. The octopus uses the bubbles formed around the eggs to control boyancey and to act like a rudder. How fascinating is that?

Yup, it's really more of an octopus than a nautilus. Can an octopus that makes a paper thin egg case of a shell, also make a roundish concretion? Does anyone know if the egg case is at all nacreous? If so, how nacreous? Are the supposed "pearls" being found within the paper thin egg case? or in the octopus' head or something?

What a cool crib it has.

Slraep

 

[Slraep]

Looks like it has a shiny porcelaneous interior, but not nacreous. Hard to tell as I do not have one of these shells in my collection. If the interior of the shell is not nacreous and it might, maybe, possibly, by a long shot, be able to make an Argonauta a. concretion, the concretion wouldn't have any iridescent nacre. By contrast, any concretion coming from the Nautilus p. would have highly iridescent nacre.

http://www.specimenshells.net/2938.htm

 

[pearlshooter]

Nautilus pearl

I know this is a very old thread but I wanted to add some info about the nautilus pearl.
I found this site because I wanted to see if there was any news on a pearl that went to auction last week. This thread came up in google.
I photograph jewellery and photographed all of the pearls in the latest pearl auction in Dubai. One was this one shown here. To my understanding there are only 3 known nautilus pearls. 2 in private collections and this one. It has a watery looking nacre with tiger stripes that you can only see under a light. Not easy to photograph. This is a pic I did to show friends the size against my finger. The price estimate was in the millions but how many I do not know.
I expect the other nautilus pearl mentioned here may be made from the shell?? I would like to know more. Rare as they come for sure but how many have been found and discarded or remain in the bottom draw because people don't know what it is?? Imagine!

 

[SteveM]

I know this is a very old thread?

Not at all, it's very much alive and more intriguing every day. One of the few 'holy grails' in all of pearldom that all the collective resources of this forum cannot manage to grasp.

It has a watery looking nacre with tiger stripes that you can only see under a light. Not easy to photograph.

Your excellent photograph does not indicate nacre to me. If you have a more favorable close up (now that we know the size) please post.

The price estimate was in the millions but how many I do not know.

I am envisioning a Nautilus Mite/Pearl of Allah road show and eventual auction extravaganza for the deserving and well-heeled collectors out there.

Your post is greatly appreciated, Pearlshooter.

 

[pearlshooter]

Nautilus pearl

I will post a closer pic that will show the surface when i'm back in the studio on Monday.

 

[GemGeek]

Wow, pearlshooter! We LOVE photographs, so if you can share more, please do, and THANKS!

 

[effisk]

The price estimate was in the millions but how many I do not know.

I heard the ask price was 60 000$, but it did not sell.

I expect the other nautilus pearl mentioned here may be made from the shell??

No, we're talking about the exact pearl you photographed. I saw Tuesday a picture of two of the nautilus pearls that clearly show the flame pattern. Jeremy saw it too (but says they're clam pearls). I'll ask if I can share that pic on the forum.

 

[pearlshooter]

pearl pics

pearl pics

 

[Orient]

Good close-up shots showing flame-like porcelaneous structure. No nacreous structure there it would appear.

Followers of the Nautilus topic may be interested in the following:

http://www.git.or.th/conference/news.html#

Click on - Opening Ceremony and Technical Programs
(Updated as of February 12,2009)

Then look at the presentation list and refer to the ones at 17:00 - 17:20.

Bangkok anyone?

 

[Caitlin]

For those who are not sure of what you mean- what is the Bangkok event?

The inner structures of that (brilliant, noteworthy) photo are so beautiful. There are images of a spiral at the poles. It seems to echo the shape of the august nautilus, one of the most beautiful of shells, and the paper nautilus.
(what a cute creature lives in that paper shell!)

 

[Orient]

Hi Caitlin - I thought that the link in my post would have been enough to answer your question, but since you ask here is another link that will probably answer it better than I could:

http://www.git.or.th/conference/home.html

Is that better? Hope it helps.

 

[Valeria101]

Interesting that the ID of nautilus (especially vs. Tridacna, a bivalve!) pearls should be so debated! I would have thougt quite the contrary, since the list of creatures that produce columnar nacre(like Nautilus, Haliotis and some gastropods with uncertain pearl-making credentials, but unlike any bivalve) is so limited.

Surely, the columnar versus sheet nacre structures ca be traced in pearls as well as in shells?

The stuff has been researched to death already, so there should be some rich base for the pearl ID application. If anyone should feel inclined to hang a precise label next to the imprecise price tag of the pearl in question, that is.

Whatever the pearl came from, the structure looks magnificent! It could be the ultimate carved porcelain



[sorry for disappearing - again! - I'll be on the road for a couple of weeks]

 

[SteveM]

Thanks for the great images, Pearlshooter. The pearl is a miniature universe of great beauty! But whoever ends up with it will need to display it under permanent magnification. Seems obvious to me that the pearl is calcareous with intricate, symmetrical and harmonious flame, whatever the origin.