The facts
What melo Pearl actually is
Melo Pearl is classified as non-nacreous calcareous concretion from the large marine gastropod Melo melo, with the composition Fibrous aragonite CaCO3 with conchiolin. It crystallises in the aggregate (crossed-lamellar fibrous aragonite) system.
Colour comes from carotenoid-type pigment giving tangerine to brown-orange; flame structure present, which is also what a laboratory looks at when it is asked whether a colour is natural.
Refractive index 1.50-1.68. Specific gravity around 2.65-2.80. Cleavage: none. Those three numbers separate it from most of what imitates it.
Where melo Pearl comes from
Melo Pearl is produced at Andaman Sea coast and the Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar, Gulf of Thailand, Mekong Delta coast, Vietnam and Sumatra and Kalimantan coasts, Indonesia.
The locality is part of the description, not a footnote — two stones of the same weight from two of these places are not the same stone.
How melo Pearl is treated
Not CITES-listed. Cannot be cultured. Colour fades under light, so storage matters commercially. Imitations are made from shell and resin, and heat-treated shell beads appear as melo. The market is thin and dominated by Asian collectors, so prices are volatile.
Treatment changes value, sometimes by a multiple, so it belongs in the description before the price and not after the sale.
What melo Pearl is confused with
In the trade melo Pearl is most often mistaken for, or substituted by, Conch pearl, Shell-bead imitations, Resin imitations or Coral.
The separation is rarely a matter of opinion: refractive index 1.50-1.68 and specific gravity 2.65-2.80 settle most of it in a minute, and magnification settles the rest.
What melo Pearl is used for
Demand for melo Pearl comes from jewellery and mineral collecting, which is why one price per carat never covers it.
We quote each application in the unit that trade actually buys in, by the carat or by the specimen.
Durability and care
Melo Pearl is 4-5 on the Mohs scale, with none cleavage.
Below about 5.5 a stone will be scratched by ordinary household dust, which is largely quartz. That does not make it unusable — it makes it a pendant, an earring or an object rather than a ring worn every day.
Warm water, mild soap and a soft brush. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners on anything fracture-filled, stabilised, dyed or visibly included.
What melo Pearl costs
As a guide, melo Pearl trades around $500-8,000 per carat depending on symmetry, colour and flame; exceptional round pieces far higher.
That is a range, not a quote. Colour, size, clarity, cut and origin move the figure a long way inside it, and the only honest price is one given against a specific stone. Send us what you need and we will price it.
Questions
Is melo Pearl treated, and how?
Not CITES-listed. Cannot be cultured. Colour fades under light, so storage matters commercially. Imitations are made from shell and resin, and heat-treated shell beads appear as melo. The market is thin and dominated by Asian collectors, so prices are volatile.
Where does melo Pearl come from?
Andaman Sea coast and the Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar, Gulf of Thailand, Mekong Delta coast, Vietnam and Sumatra and Kalimantan coasts, Indonesia. Origin affects price, so we name the locality rather than the country on every quote.
Is melo Pearl hard enough to wear every day?
Not really. At 4-5 on the Mohs scale it is softer than the quartz dust in ordinary household dirt, so it scratches with wear. It suits pendants, earrings and objects better than a daily ring.
How much does melo Pearl cost?
Indicatively $500-8,000 per carat depending on symmetry, colour and flame; exceptional round pieces far higher. Colour, size, clarity and origin move the price a long way within that, so treat it as a range and ask for a quote against a specific stone.
What is melo Pearl confused with?
Most often Conch pearl, Shell-bead imitations, Resin imitations and Coral. A refractive index of 1.50-1.68 and a specific gravity near 2.65-2.80 separate it quickly.
Related stones
Looking for melo pearl?
Tell us the size, the quality and what it is for. We source it, photograph it and quote it — with the locality named.
Ask about melo pearl