Conch pearls
Also known as "Conker" beads or "Queen" pearls, conch pearls are from the Queen Conch, a conch that lives only in the Caribbean and is said to be found in every one to two thousand Queen Phoenix snails.
Queen Phoenix Snail and Natural Kong Ke Zhu in the Caribbean (Source Network)
Conch beads, like the stone beads, have a unique flame pattern, but also do not have a nacre layer, unlike the stone beads, the application history and scope of the conch beads will be more extensive, from the late 19th century to the early 20th century, the conch beads were gradually used in jewelry design works.
Five key words to interpret conch beads
1. Large phoenix snail
When the worm burrows into the body of the large phoenix snail, the calcium secreted by itself will form crystals, and the crystallization will eventually form a conch bead.
2. Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is the most famous source of conch pearls, with its gentle sunshine and crystal clear waters, which is perfect for the giant phoenix snail.
3. Flame pattern
One of the characteristics of the conch bead is that it is difficult to imitate, because it has a special identity, flame pattern. This striking simulated silk effect is caused by the formation of calcite microcrystalline fibers in concentric layers on the surface of the pearl.
4. All natural
Never a single conch pearl has ever been cultivated in captivity. All conch beads are natural.
5. Less yield
Only about 600 conch pearls in the world can be made into brilliant jewelry every year.
The great phoenix snail, also known as the Queen Phoenix Snail, the Pink Phoenix Snail, and the Rouge Snail, is a large and edible sea snail. They are one of the largest molluscs and are native to the western Atlantic Ocean from Bermuda to Brazil. Its shape is like a horn conch, with a beautiful color of orange in the pink, and the pearl it produces is the famous Conch Pearl, and the Kong Ke bead is also called the conch bead.
The color of the conch beads is commonly found between pink and red, and is easily confused with coral, but if you look closely, the surface has a unique flame-like brilliance. When zooming in and observing, you can find that the "flame pattern" of each conch bead is different, the pattern, style, and color are different, so the "flame pattern" of each conch bead is an unusual beauty, which is also their charm and magic.
"Different flame pattern styles"
It also has a flame pattern, but I am a Merlot bead, and the Merlot beads have the same flame pattern as the conch beads. However, the Merlot conch belongs to the gastropod family of the vortex snail family, also known as the papaya snail, which is a monovalve software animal produced in Myanmar, Thailand and other places. The color of the Merlot beads and conch beads are also different, and its color ranges from orange red, orange, yellow, yellow brown to near white. Merlot beads are even more precious than conch beads, and its global stock is only about 200.
Conch beads have a very attractive identification - flame patterns. This flame is not only obvious from the appearance, sometimes delicate and soft, sometimes enthusiastic, and it is a naturally formed identity mark that is extremely rare. Rose pink conch beads are the highest value and rarest variety. If you add the full shape and smooth skin, it will be even more perfect. Each conch bead is not exactly the same, and the usual conch beads weigh about 2-6 carats.
Conch beads are generally light pink to dark pink, and commonly orange pink, brown pink, yellow and red, of which pink and orange pink are the most popular colors.
For its special and widely acclaimed colors, people have also given it many beautiful names, the most popular of which are Flamingo Pink (Flamingo Pink), Cherry Blossom Pink (Cherry Blossom Pink) and Salmon Pink (Salmon Meal).
Flamingo Pink (Flamingo powder) Kong Ke Zhu
Flamingo Pink (Flamingo powder) Kong Ke Zhu
Salmon pink ( Kong Ke Beads
In 2021, GUID Gem Lab proposed the "GUILD Laboratory Kongke Bead Grading Standard" through a large number of research and analysis, which evaluates and grades the quality of Kongke beads from the size, shape, color, flame pattern and surface calcium spots of pearls. When purchasing, there is an authoritative certificate guidance, which can help consumers to choose the products they want more quickly and confidently.
1-6 carats of different sizes of Kong ke beads
What is its value?