Melo Melo pearl

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Photo courtesy of Scott Papper, GIA GG, AJP, CM (NAJA), Global Gemology & Appraisals

Species:  Calcareous Concretion
Pearl Type:  Melo Melo (Natural)
Mollusk:  Melo
​​Mohs Hardness:  5 to 6 out of 10
Color:  Orange, yellow, light tan to brown, often with visible flame structure
RI:  1.530 to 1.685
Birefringence:  0.155 (Birefringence blink technique)
SR/DR/AGG:  AGG
Spectrum:  Not diagnostic
Fluorescence:  Variable
SG:  2.86 (+0.03/-0.16)

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Melo pearl facts

Photo courtesy of Scott Papper, GIA GG, AJP, CM (NAJA), Global Gemology & Appraisals

Melo melo pearls are amongst the rarest gems in the world.

They're created by the Indian Volute, also known as the zebra snail​ or Melo Melo:  an extremely large marine gastropod from the Volutidae family, found in Southeastern Asian waters.

These large melo snails inhabit deep waters off the coasts of Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines.

These natural pearls are produced when an irritant, such as a grain of sand, enters the mollusk.  As a defense mechanism, the snail will coat the irritant with a calcium carbonate, over time producing a porcelain-like, non-nacreous pearl.

The finest melo pearls are an intense orange color with visible flame structure.  This flame-like or silk-like appearance is due to a phenomena known as chatoyancy​.

Melo pearls can range in size from just a couple millimeters to over 30mm in diameter!  The largest recorded melo pearl weighs just under 400 carats!  (397.52 cts.)
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Melo Pearl Gallery