Nautilus pearl

[knotty panda]

Pardon my stupidity, but what causes the flame pattern?

 

[SteveM]

what causes the flame pattern?

As a start, here's a nice overview found on Palagems.com in describing Melo-Melo pearls:

Flame Structure ? One of the most attractive features of melo pearls is their fiery flame structure. On some pearl surfaces there is a regular pattern of parallel elongated striations that impart a silky sheen. In some specimens distinct microscopic ?flames? can be observed that are actually thin lamellae. The lamellae are almost parallel to one another and when sometimes perpendicular to the axis of the pearl result in a ?pseudo-chatoyancy? effect. Pearls with a distinct flame structure have a ?watered silk? appearance towards the periphery of the sphere. In cases where a mottled texture of white or brown spots occurs, the flame structure is coarse and difficult to resolve to the unaided eye. These pearls tend to exhibit dimpled surface features.

I'm on a plane headed home and will also be rereading Hubert Bari 'The Pink Pearl' this evening. There is a Gems and Gemology/GIA article accessible to members only that should also be worth reading.

 

[effisk]

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?

Am I the only one not able to access the link?

Nice closeups pearlshooter! I love the spiral pattern Caitlin mentions, I never noticed it before.

 

[pearlshooter]

Nice closeups pearlshooter! I love the spiral pattern Caitlin mentions, I never noticed it before.

Yes I shot the "underside" just for interest sake.. I t looks like the Cauldron for the fire!

 

[pearl guide]

I can't access the link today. I did access it yesterday. So that program is from the Bangkok event.

I got out my nautilus shell today and looked at it carefully. the outside of the shell displays a very similar pattern to the photo above. I think someone called it "tiger stripes" which seems more accurate than "flame pattern" in this case.
There is a band of iridescent nacre and there is some porcelaineous lining inside the shell. Now what would cause a pearl to form in a nautilus shell? That one looks like it was spun into being.

 

[GemGeek]

That one looks like it was spun into being.

I agree. Awesome photo!

 

[SteveM]

I can't access the link today. I did access it yesterday. So that program is from the Bangkok event.

I got out my nautilus shell today and looked at it carefully. the outside of the shell displays a very similar pattern to the photo above. I think someone called it "tiger stripes" which seems more accurate than "flame pattern" in this case.
There is a band of iridescent nacre and there is some porcelaineous lining inside the shell. Now what would cause a pearl to form in a nautilus shell? That one looks like it was spun into being.

The Bangkok link only seemed to confirm that the program included a talk about Nautilus Pearls. Would be interesting to know what was actually presented.

The body of the pearl is beautiful flame (which I have come to associate exclusively with calcareous concretions), but the surface spiral formations at the poles could well be nacreous. This recalls my earlier post from last August (#13) following Effisk's wide angle shot in which I wondered 'aloud' about the possibility of a hybrid structure. Although the polar spirals were not visible in Effisk's photo, there seemed to be a hint of iridescence unrelated to the flame.

Appears to be a kind of hybrid calcareous/nacreous creation. And I do perceive a hint of color (rose).

Pearlshooter and Effisk, what is the exact measurement of the pearl (mm and/or carat weight?) If the auction catalogue listing could be quoted, that would be great.

 

[Slraep]

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

That's hilarious.

Slraep

 

[SteveM]

That's hilarious.

Slraep

You got it, intended as such.

 

[Valeria101]

'Hope the 'marketing' would be more tasteful for this one... and more successful!
Unlike the PoA, this is one beautiful object. The owner could be selling art prints of it! [not such a preposterous idea, judging from THIS]

 

[SteveM]

Unlike the PoA, this is one beautiful object.

Absolutely, and thanks for the opportunity to point out that my tongue-in-cheek comment was made prior to Pearlshooter's close ups. The 'deserving collectors' I had in mind are those who have lusted after PoA, a size fetish that does not translate to 'Nautilus Mite.'

The poster idea is great (I'd buy one). It's a heavenly body and the scale of the universe may be perceived as an infinite continuum. Now we just need to find out for sure what it is.

Dr. Tom's Close Up again comes to mind in relation to the direction of this thread. In this case we are still missing the wider angle.

 

[Valeria101]

...we are still missing the wider angle.

Indeed!

not the pearl photo, just an extra incentive

 

[GemGeek]

That's some big blue pearl!

 

[SteveM]

That's some big blue pearl!

And 100% Natural, in accordance with this forum.

 

[GemGeek]

And 100% Natural, in accordance with this forum.

Oh Steve, you and Slraep made me snort!

 

[SteveM]

It appears this thread has come to a pregnant pause, pending scientific corroboration. At this point we have some very foggy and contradictory conjecture (and one beautiful pearl of unconfirmed origin). All the more intriguing given the era of instant knowledge gratification in which we live.

Bo Torrey of Pearl World called today to inquire about some Spanish wines and to check on my pearl exploits, as a past source. I mentioned this discussion. He said he had done a piece on the Nautilus while in Micronesia a while back, and agreed that I should share it here?

THIS FISH STORY begins some years ago when a diving team from a well-known university captured fifteen live nautilises in deep water off the island of Palau. These extremely rare and fragile creatures were destined for an aquarium in Hawaii and were flying fish class?

At the stop on Majuro, a [ABC airlines] flight attendant?concerned about a nautilus that was having difficulty breathing?picked up its tank, ran down the steps of the plane and plunged into the surf, fully clothed, to revive the creature.

Other [ABC] staff kept applying ice packs throughout the flight, and the flight crew radioed ahead to Truk and Kwajalein for 50 pounds of crushed ice to be delivered at each stop. Out of the 15 nautilises that landed later that day in Honolulu, fourteen survived?an incredible percentage.

A happy outcome. The article concludes:

This all happened a few years ago. But today we still coddle our passengers on [ABC] flights to Micronesia. Plunge them straight into the surf from the airplane, if required.

Thanks, Bo!

 

[GemGeek]

Thanks Steve, and Bo!

 

[DrTKStern]

It appears this thread has come to a pregnant pause, pending scientific corroboration. At this point we have some very foggy and contradictory conjecture (and one beautiful pearl of unconfirmed origin). All the more intriguing given the era of instant knowledge gratification in which we live.

Hi to all,

I have read all 120 pages of a pre-publication copy of Ken Scarratt's monograph on Nautilus pearls. He heads the GIA Laboratory in Bangkok, and has studied every known Nautilus pearl in his lab, a total of 5. Once his monograph is published, I'll post a link to enable everyone to purchase it, which is filled with incredible photographs, scientific data, testing data, etc.

In the monograph, he also studied and reported on an even rarer pearl, the only one of its kind, from Argonauta, or "Paper Nautilus," which I found a few months ago.

Best regards,
Tom Stern,MD

 

[SteveM]

I have read all 120 pages of a pre-publication copy of Ken Scarratt's monograph on Nautilus pearls. He heads the GIA Laboratory in Bangkok, and has studied every known Nautilus pearl in his lab, a total of 5. Once his monograph is published, I'll post a link to enable everyone to purchase it, which is filled with incredible photographs, scientific data, testing data, etc.

In the monograph, he also studied and reported on an even rarer pearl, the only one of its kind, from Argonauta, or "Paper Nautilus," which I found a few months ago.

Thanks so much for keeping us apprised. Will be anxiously awaiting the link.

 

[Valeria101]

I take this is the draft you mentioned in the e-mail?

Looking forward to the book...