The color of this intense orange, papaya-colored Melo pearl seems to surpass the yellow color of the 224-carat Melo pearl, the second largest Melo pearl on record, that set a world record price for a Melo pearl, US $722,500 at the Christie's Dubai auction on October 27, 2010,
Posts by Mikegem
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The identity of the buyer has been withheld. However, according to David Warren, International Director of Christie's Jewelry Department and Head of Jewelry Middle East, the successful buyer is from the Middle-eastern region, a traditional hot spot of the finest natural pearl enthusiasts.
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According to the Christie's auction catalogue, the pearl was part of the collection of Valda Virginia Vaughn Scott, the daughter of an English diplomat and a member of the prestigious Alessi family. Her Alessi grandfather and great-grandfather were respectively a Major in the Royal Malta Regiment and the Malta Crown Advocate, whose ancestors in turn descended from the Maltese nobleman, the Marquis di Taflia.
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Largest natural pearl ever offered for sale at Christie's Dubai, sold for US $254,500, at the Christie's Important Jewels Sale, held on April 20, 2011, at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel. The Pearl that was Lot No. 79 at the sale, was a 239.7-grain, baroque drop-shaped, natural, saltwater, nacreous pearl, with a foliate surmount set with circular-cut diamonds, and suspended as a pendant from a spectacle-set diamond chain 42 cm long. A pre-sale estimate of US $180,000 to $250,000 was placed on the lot. However, the lot was sold for US $254,500, which was $4,500 above the upper pre-sale estimate. The enhanced price realized was attributed by David Warren, International Director of Christie's Jewelry Department and Head of Jewelry Middle East, to the historic provenance of the pearl and diamond necklace, as well as, the large size of the natural pearl, being one of the largest recorded.
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239.7-grain baroque drop-shaped natural saltwater nacreous pearl -
Wow !!! The non-nacreous melo-melo pearl, conch pearl and the purple quahog pearl look stunningly beautiful, in comparison with the La Peregrina, but sadly do not come anywhere near the whopping $11 million fetched by the latter, with a 500-year history and provenance.
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Yes indeed, some of the conch pearls, melo-melo pearls and quahog pearls look so beautiful. It's unfair not to categorize them as "true pearls."
