Tridacna - Giant Clam Shell Pearl

[Slraep]

I think this is a Tridacna derasa. Been known to crush toes and fingers but not spit pearls.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebYbO35svls

Slraep

 

[knotty panda]

I really do hate the POA. World's worst mojo. Anyway, as Jeremy reported, the shell appears to have never left the Phillippines so that pic of Cobb with the shell -- where did he get it? Who knows. Also, Ripley's has a photo of Cobb with the pearl which, in my opinion, looks nothing like the photos we commonly see. They have the photo copyrighted. It's not posted so we can't share the link. BUT! Here's the archivist's e-mail address. Maybe if enough people contact him, he will tire and release the photo . His name is Anthony. scipio@ripleys.com

There's replicas all over the place. Barbish sold them for fundraisers. I'm convinced the only true photo of it is the Ripley's photo.

By the way, did anyone notice we have a few dead Barbish links or is that just my computer? And Mr. Hoffman apparently is going after an Italian connection.

Also, it's Dr. Roy Waldo Miner, not Ralph. I developed quite a respect and admiration for the man during our research.

 

[Caitlin]

Correction noted- of cvourse it is Roy. I'll change that. Wasn't there a ralph waldo something/ oh yeah Emerson. Now that I have dyslexed that name, i'll probably never get over it.

Anyway, as Jeremy reported, the shell appears to have never left the Phillippines so that pic of Cobb with the shell --

That Ripley's photo also has a big shell in it. In fact several pictures. I missed where Jeremy reported the shell is not the original.

 

[Caitlin]

BTW
Peter Hoffman still claims ownership and has some video news clips on his website. Remember there is a pearl of allah.org and a pearl of allah.com or some such thing. The two owners are still wrestling for control of the fantasy millions that sale of the monstro pearl will rake in.

I fpond a reference on the where the shell is:
Here is an article with two good bits of info: 1 that the shells are still in the Philppines though top and bottom are in different places and 2. another comment that the pearl was taken from the Paglima Pisi with a promise to pay for it and it never was paid for. what more bad karma can that pearl rake up?

The news article we wrote is not making the rankings, although the thread on the PoA is. How can we get the article so it comes up when all the b-s does?

 

[knotty panda]

So the reason Cobb sat on the pearl for 30 years is because he had to think up a story which precluded Pisi's ownership. Enter the story of Lao Tsu complete with no written account, dead witnesses, and an owner who never returned. Someone never returned, alright. Cobb! Cobb never returned the pearl.

 

[Antonio]

Thank you for all of your valuable comments. I will give up the idea it's a pearl and that it's made from the Tridacna shell. Anyway I will still get one certified next time I travel overseas. I might post the result later to confirm what it is if I can get it tested. Jeremy I understand your comment and thank you.

But one thing strange is a few days ago I happen to have some friends that came to my house and played around with the round shell (maybe I shouldn't call it pearl now). He found that it has some strong energy field. If you hold two of them in your palm with of distance of about 5-10cm you will sort of feel a repulsive force. Like holding two magnets with same poles so a resistance force exist. Of course it's very weak and you need to have some concentration to feel it. A few of us tried and we felt it including myself. Someone also don't feel it. I feel it strange but then interesting. I'm not trying to make up some story here or trying to prove something. It's just something I found and want to share with you all. Maybe if you have a chance try it as well.

The POA shell on the photo posted don't look too big compared to some of them in our place. I'm quite surprise it can produce such large pearl. Maybe if I have chance to get one I will try to post a picture as well. The problem is the big ones are at other islands and transport there is difficult. I asked someone to carry one for us but they say it's too heavy to carry. Anyway maybe they lied to me as well

Thank you once again for all your input. This is a great forum and I'm sure a lot of people have benefited from it including my self. Although I felt stupid to make this thread, I hope I have contributed somehow as well.

https://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/images/icons/icon7.gif
Smile

 

[GemGeek]

It was a very interesting topic! Come back anytime.

 

[Caitlin]

Hi Antonio
If you find any tridacna clam pearls anywhere near as big as the PoA, you really must get them to take photos at least. The PoA weighs 14 pounds (just under 7 kilos) and is about the size of a human skull.

I have seen photos of a huge tridacna clam pearl that is attached to the shell and partially buried in the shell. It has been newly named the Pearl of Elias after its finder. It is about the same size as the PoA but it is hard to tell since it is attached.

Even if you could just keep a count on any huge ones you hear about and/or see, and report them here, you would add greatly to our education on Tridacna pearls, especially in how common the really large ones are.

This thread will be waiting for you....good luck1

 

[Valeria101]

Man! This other monster is about as cute as the PoA, isn't it

http://www.karipearls.com/largest-blister-pearl.html

At least now it is plain clear that the PoA does not take any miraculous conditions to grow; centuries beyond the shell's conceivable survival or unusual cultivation, whatever various myths about it imply.

The two match reasonably well in a designerish sort of way... Earrings anyone ?

 

[Valeria101]

I think this photo is of the original PoA. You can see slightly brownish veining here and there.

Well... no, I cannot. And would want to see what you see! All I can see in the picture are shadows from creases on the pearl that appear brownish in line with the overall tone of the photograph.

Also, I believe that the discussion about color zoning on MOP versus pearls is more general: the arguments so far (including mine) say not just that Tridacna pearl cannot have horizontal banding, but that NO rounded pearls can ever have such banding as they are the product of a 3D rotation movement. So far, I cannot imagine pearls with parallel stripes - although I am aware of bi-color pearls (does anyone have an explanation for them? - so far, I've heard of merging pearl sacks and distinct areas of the same sack developing at different stages for some elongated baroque pearls) and various spots, veins, flames and splotches on non-nacreous pearls (www.fieldgemology.com has a few unusual examples). Just no bands, and not much Tridacna material on record to talk about

A pearl with 'veins' of color attributed to a species of conch:

Source: Field Gemology

As I am used to associate the makeup of pearls with the inner lining (be it nacreous or not) of the shell that produced them, it would seem predictable that Tridacna pearls be rather white because the shell is. Are there known exception with proper record?

 

[DrTKStern]

Just no bands, and not much Tridacna material on record to talk about (From posting just above)


Hello,

Just received oral opinion from Cheryl at G.I.A. in Carlsbad that the objects Caitlin photographed in Tucson and put in the thread Natural Pearls>Tom Stern's are in fact Tridacna pearls. 11 objects total 303 carats, the largest about 25mm. The photos she took are quite good; so perhaps you can see the structure.

Tom

 

[Josh]

This post is old and beat up but I'm on my P-G posting storm so I just wanted to say that in Tucson I saw a cherry sized Tridacna pearl of Jeremy Norris' and it didn't look like a piece of lard or AT ALL what Antonio is posting about.

 

[GemGeek]

This post is old and beat up but I'm on my P-G posting storm so I just wanted to say that in Tucson I saw a cherry sized Tridacna pearl of Jeremy Norris' and it didn't look like a piece of lard or AT ALL what Antonio is posting about.

While you're storming, Josh, tell us about the Sea of Cortez!

 

[Antonio]

Not Pearl

Not Pearl

Dear All

I've finally got confirmation the pictures I posted earlier are not pearls. I was told later by another person who know the person who sold it to me. They carved out the round shape from the shell and sold to me as pearls which I initially believed.

Thank you for all of you giving me valuable comments and my apology for causing any problem.

Have a nice weekend.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

It was good of you to come back and tell us what you learned about it! We are all still learning....

 

[pattye]

Hi Antonio,

Don't be embarassed, we get curious just like you did. There really are some very, very rare tricadna pearls around. I hope you got your money back. We hope you will continue to read our forum and learn.

pattye
so many pearls, so little time

 

[Caitlin]

Hi Antonio
It was our privilege to help you out. It is just what we love to do.

Come back anytime.

 

[Bodecia]

I think the POA is one of the most revolting things I have ever seen. It and the degeneration of this post at times gave me horrible images of Neptune minus one of his c*%#n@$ the lost one being the POA ... just maybe was grabbed by a giant clam shell when he was laying around on the bottom of the seabed, maybe he tried to feel it up .... said clam shell took a flying leap and wallah..... crunch, scrunch ... soon to be spat up as the infamous POA ...

And luckily that is all I have to say on the matter

 

[Fai]

Fake Nautilus

Fake Nautilus

For home researchers here is a link to some enormous beads made from Tridacna shell.
It is in China. I think those are undyed bands on them. What do you think?

To see an almost endless page of Tridacna pictures follow this link. They are so beautiful. Just keep scrolling and scrolling to see maybe a thousand incredibly colorful images. Enjoy.

---------------------------------------------------------
Hello everybody, I hardly laugh to my myself when I saw the photo Caitlin posted. I once a victim of that fake pearl an old man from my place Jolo, Sulu told me the attached photo is a nautilus pearl but when I encounter that website I almost throw it from my window but suddenly realized I could still return and refund my money from that oldman. I've learned a lot from this forum.

Thanks,
Fai

 

[JWei]

I have clicked the link posted by Caitlin. The homepage is from Hongkong and very interesting. I have translated some text for you. I am not kidding you.
Ingredients: Precious stones formed by calcium carbide.
PS: Tridacna is fossil experiencing natural changes (such as water temperature, currents, light, water and sediments etc) in the deep-sea for thousands of years.
Functions:
1. Tridacna (the necklace) emits very strong magnetic field energy, because it grows with thousands of years.
2....