Tridacna - Giant Clam Shell Pearl

[GemGeek]

I think you may have been taken advantage of by the guy who sold you the "pearls". As soon as you said he took the pearls without hurting the clam, it sounded extremely suspicious. Generally you would have to kill a lot of clams to find any pearl. That means he would have to do a lot of "feeling up" of a lot of clams to get anything. Also, he said the only way to get them is if they are alive. Tridacnas have an extremely strong muscle that closes the shell, making it very hard, even with a wedge, to get inside the shell without hurting it, so I doubt his story about how they are retrieved is true.

Also, those clams are still plentiful in a lot of areas of the world, although protection measures are clearly warranted. I just saw several live ones in the Tuamoto Archipelago.

This is a personal opinion based only on photos. I really would like the "pearls" to be what this guy says they are, but think about it -- pearls form in concentric layers, like an onion's skin. Those ugly lumps, like the Pearl of Allah are whole pearls and not blister pearls. They are typical of Tridacna, although I have heard that they can be shiny.

In any case, you have caught our attention. I can't wait to see what you find out. You need to have some tested by an accredited authority. We will wait with great anticipation to hear anything else you can find out about your collection.

Best of Luck

 

[jshepherd]

I am not an expert on giant clam pearls but jeremy Norris is. He was in my office today and took a look at the photos. He is convinced at least the large one is shell as he has never seen a tridacna pearl with banding like that, but you do see it in the pearls made from polished shell. This is from a guy that does a lot of business in clam pearls... I would strongly recommend getting your current pearls certed before buying more from the same source.

 

[Slraep]

This should probably go in the "Pearl of Allah" thread. Just another pic of it from a different angle. Looks like a shrunken head! Who knows, maybe some terribly unlucky pearl diver somehow got his noggin stuck in the clam? GemGeek is right, the big clam has a powerful adductor muscle!!! Can't you just hear that clam GemGeek? Muahahahaha.

Can't post the pics because I'm over my quota. Please open the webpage and scroll down a bit. Maybe someone else can post them.

http://www.fahad.com/labels/UAE.html

Slraep

 

[KAC]

Slraep, PM me about the quota issue.

 

[GemGeek]

That was pretty brave!

 

[Caitlin]

Is that the actual Pearl of Allah in that photo? Or one of the many copies Victor had made? That PoA has not been certified since Dr Ralph Miner did it in the 1930's and there have been many copies of the PoA made and circulated since then. So how do we know which one is which? Is there even a real one around any more?

Antonio
The burden is on you to demonstrate those are real Tridacna pearls and where they came from and how old they are. Your man needs to at least describe, if not photograph, the pearl in situ, and discuss exactly where in the clam it was growing and how he got it out of there. So far, the story has some credibility problems- it really needs to be substantiated.

 

[AdamLasVegas]

Cold lard, pig's feet... ah the romance of Tridacna pearls just sweeps me away.

Its pretty nasty eh...like chunks from the lipo machine...

 

[Slraep]

Is that the actual Pearl of Allah in that photo? Or one of the many copies Victor had made?

I really don't know, Caitlin. I find the whole Pearl of Allah thing very interesting but I'm not really into giant(or small) porcelaneous calcium carbonate concretions. I don't even remember who Victor is!

All I do know is that all the really giant clam pearls that I've seen in pics(not that many) are lumpoids that most of the time seem to mimic light coloured porcelain which was poured like molasses in late February.

Slraep

 

[Slraep]

I did that before while diving, there is a lot more scary things in the ocean than touching a giant clam. I always have that feeling something is watching me in the dark distance while diving.

Yes but would you go around sticking your very useful hand into giant clams to feel for pearls? That seems to be the seller's story. I wonder what else he might have found feeling around in the clams---car keys, the odd foot and ankle, a hand and wrist, a head, a sock, an old Big Mac, Waldo ???

By the way, you are right, something is always watching you in the dark distance.

Slraep

 

[la_corsetiere]

giant clam fondling

giant clam fondling

I was actually quite thrilled to "pet" a giant clam in Australia last December - they don't seem to mind, but I agree, I probably wouldn't want to grope too deeply. The younger smaller ones actually seemed more reactive - closing at a swoosh of water - whereas the bigger ones seemed rather jaded about being molested. I'm looking forward to the possibility of seeing/fondling some more next week in Rangiroa!

Though you've freaked me out a bit about the ideas of things watching me from afar...

O.K., back to dreaming about shopping for Tahitian pearls. I did love the u-tube video, though!

Sheri

 

[Josh]

Groping clams... Haha, I love thread degeneration.

 

[AdamLasVegas]

I was actually quite thrilled to "pet" a giant clam in Australia last December - they don't seem to mind, but I agree, I probably wouldn't want to grope too deeply. The younger smaller ones actually seemed more reactive - closing at a swoosh of water - whereas the bigger ones seemed rather jaded about being molested. I'm looking forward to the possibility of seeing/fondling some more next week in Rangiroa!

Though you've freaked me out a bit about the ideas of things watching me from afar...

O.K., back to dreaming about shopping for Tahitian pearls. I did love the u-tube video, though!

Sheri

I think the proper authorities need to be warned about your arrival. To think of the poor giant clams that will lose their innocents to you...

 

[Antonio]

Thank you for all the comments. First I thought they should be pearls base on some reasoning but after all your comments I have doubt now.

I will try to explain how they get the pearl as told to me. They say as you approach the clam it will sense danger and start to close. As it closes there will be bubbles of air as well. Strangely the shell will shoot out the pearl. They usually use a net with small holes to put over the shell as they approach it so when the pearl is shoot out it get stuck on the net. They do not put their hands into the shell. That's the reason they say you will do not usually find any pearls if you just take the shell out and cut the meat. I was also told by another person some documentary file might have shown this. Maybe something from Discovery or National Geographic. All this information was told to me which I believe true but might not be.

The main reason I believe it's a pearl is because I think the person who sold to me don't have the tools and skill to make one up. Then, maybe I'm wrong.

I totally agree I need to get this certified. But I need to do it overseas as we don't have such service in our country. Jsheperd, is it possible I post it to you and you get it certified? PM me 4 more details if you agree.

We have some great diving sites here but unfortunately we don't have the infrastructure and facilities to support the tourist. We are a least developed country. That's why a lot of our locations are basically unpolluted. Maybe 20 or more years later, a lot of our marine life will be threatened by pollution as more tourist visits.

We do have the black pearl shells and south sea pearl shell in a few of our locations as well growing naturally. The government tried on farming the black pearl but not successful. I actually was lucky to buy the first harvest and the best single pear which I think is about 12mm. Guess what, me and my wife LOST it! We just couldn't remember where we lost it or maybe it was stolen. That was about 8 years ago. At one stage I actually contact Paspaley for possibility to farm the south sea pearl but later lost interest as I have other things to do.

Attach are more photos to share.

Thank you

 

[Antonio]

More photos

 

[Josh]

Those sure look like they've been carved out of shell. Good luck mate.

 

[Caitlin]

That story of tridacnas spitting the pearls out seems as unlikely as drowning by clam. However, it gives rise to the thought that some of those formations are tumbled from chunks of shell. Either by a very simple machine or perhaps even tumbled by the surf, though that doesn't seems likely.

 

[Caitlin]

I think this photo is of the original PoA.

What makes you say that? That pearl has not been seen by a tridacna expert since 1939 when Dr Ralph Miner authenticated it.

Did you read our article on it?

Now I am sure that the picture below is of the authentic Pearl of Allah, though it is not correctly placed in the shell- that is supposed to be the original shell too. The subject of the picture is the notorious WD Cobb who brought it to NYC and had the expert Dr Roy Miner at the AMNH verify that is was indeed a tridacna pearl.

(In an aside, descendents of the tribal leader from whom Cobb took the pearl say he promised to pay them for it , but no one ever did. Instead, Cobb's heirs sold it to Victor Barbish and his agent, Peter Hoffman for $200,000 and the original natives finders were forgotten for about 75 years)

Since then Vistor Barbish, one of the owners, made several copies which are in museums and private collections all over the world. When it was brought to court after it was chased down by the judge, it was only appraised by Lee Sparrow at the SF GEM lab who assumed it was the original pearl and the correct paperwork for the pearl- no one even asked to have the pearl re-certified as a genuine tridacna and not a copy.

There is so much hocus-pocus attached to every piece of this story and puzzle, that one can't take anything for granted-even that the original peearl is the object that made it to court or got photographed. It is a fact that there are photos of fakes all over the internet!

 

[jshepherd]

The consistent banding makes certain that they are not giant clam pearls, unfortunately. It would not make sense to send them here to certify them.

They say as you approach the clam it will sense danger and start to close. As it closes there will be bubbles of air as well. Strangely the shell will shoot out the pearl. They usually use a net with small holes to put over the shell as they approach it so when the pearl is shoot out it get stuck on the net. They do not put their hands into the shell. That's the reason they say you will do not usually find any pearls if you just take the shell out and cut the meat.

Equally unfortunate, the story is a hoax. If the clam were able to expel the irritant in the first place no pearl wouild develop. Also, the pearl develops within a pearl sac between the shell and mantle. This means that the pearl is within a sac that is now part of the animal and is not in a place from which it can be expelled when the shell simply closes.

 

[Slraep]

What makes you say that? That pearl has not been seen by a tridacna expert since 1939 when Dr Ralph Miner authenticated it.

Hi Caitlin,

Sorry I sometimes type too fast and should have said that I think it "might" be the original. I'll read the article again. Oh yah, just remembered Victor is the Barbish guy.

The important thing though is why they would make a duplicate with brownish veining unless the original had some. In that case it would be correct to say that there is some random brownish sectioning or streaking or veining in a T. gigas pearl. But definitely not horizontal banding.

Slraep

 

[Slraep]

Hi Antonio,

Oh my, the pearl seller is really good at telling stories---almost as good as Zeide G. Erskine (but no, we won't go there today).

The T. gigas does spit out water through that thing in its mantle that looks like a blowhole. It does so when it closes, or tries to close because its mantle is so huge and overflowing that it really only partially closes. Anyway, this is the first time I have heard of Tridacnas spitting pearls. Maybe that image can be used as a saying---something like "when money grows on trees", you know, "when Tridacnas spit pearls".

Antonio, please do not spend your money on someone's fantasy big clam pearls that are nothing but shell.

Slraep