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The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) recently examined a parcel of natural saltwater pearls, with four of them showing distinct heart-like shapes and an abnormal red X-ray fluorescence.
The white to light cream baroque peals weighed 34.30, 52.75, 75.86, and 98.53 carats and measured approximately 22 by 27 millimeters at the GIA’s Mumbai laboratory. They appeared fragile and worn, and were slightly heavier than similar-sized pearls, according to an article in the winter issue of the institute’s Gems & Gemology quarterly journal.
Upon initial investigation, the pearls appeared cracked, with grooves on the surface. When examined under higher magnification, the pearls showed areas sealed with pieces of shell, which were bonded with a yellowish-brown resinous glue. The X-ray analysis exposed large cavities filled with foreign materials. The images revealed rectangular and tabuler filler fragments of various sizes, as well as cut shell pieces sealing the pearls’ opening.
X-ray fluorescence revealed red emission of varying intensity in all four pearls. Although most saltwater pearls are typically inert, this atypical red response may have stemmed from an unknown material inside the pearls.
The pearls had been enhanced for durability through cavity filling, plugging and surface smoothing. Despite this, their shape and appearance and internal structure confirmed they were natural. While the unique shapes and certain modifications leave some doubt about whether they are whole or blister pearls, they are “particularly noteworthy” for their heart-like shapes and their red fluorescence, the GIA concluded.
Image: The filled natural heart-shaped pearls. (Gemological Institute of America)
