Melo Pearl
A rare orange non-nacreous pearl from the Melo melo sea snail of Southeast Asia. Flame-patterned, like a conch pearl.
Melo pearls come from a large marine snail found off Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, and like conch pearls they contain no nacre.
The colour ranges from tan through to a vivid orange, with an even flame the mark of a fine specimen.
They cannot be cultured. Every melo pearl is a natural accident, and large ones are among the most valuable pearls in existence.
When you are buying
Colour stability matters as much as colour. Melo pearls fade with prolonged light exposure, so a piece meant for regular daytime wear is the wrong home for one.
Conch Pearl
A pink, non-nacreous pearl from the queen conch, prized for a flame-like surface pattern. Cannot be cultured commercially.
Natural Pearl
A pearl that formed with no human involvement at all. Vanishingly rare, and effectively absent from the retail market.
Certification Labs
Independent gemmological laboratories that identify and grade stones and pearls. The name on the report is what gives it weight.