Natural Blister Pearls & Blisters for Sale

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Natural blister pearls and natural blisters for sale. Pearls found attached to the inner surface of the shell are known as blister pearls. Some protrusions found on shells are just called blisters.

More photos Type: Abalone Blister Shape: Baroque Size: 28 x 20 x 19mm Color: Pale grey with pale blue and pink orient Price: $2,450

More Photos Type of pearl: Tridacna Natural Blister Pearl Shape: Baroque Size: Pearl approximately 80 x 50mm (depth not measurable) Color: White Location of Origin: Philippines Certificate: GIA New York Featured in GIA Lab Notes article Gems & Gemology, Summer 2017, Vol. 53, No. 2. Article Located at: https://www.gia.edu/gems-gemology/summer-2017-labnotes-tridacna-blister-pearls-shells Price: $9,000 Contact Kari to buy this blister pearl.

More photos Weight: 305.259 ct Shape: Baroque, Undrilled, Cut from the shell Size: 45.80 x 35.00 x 28.00mm Color: Cream with rose, green & blue overtones Certificate: SSEF - #61486

More photos Type: Natural Red Abalone Shape: Oval Size: 20x15mm Color: Green & Pink Price: $139 SOLD!

More photos & video Weight: 88.538 carats Size: 24.30 x 28.90 x 17.75mm Shape: Slightly baroque button-shaped, undrilled, cut from the shell Color: Slightly cream to light cream with purple, blue & green overtones Certificate: SSEF - #61487 Price: $7,500 SOLD!

More photos Type: Natural Red Abalone Shape: Round Size: 6.5mm Color: Green & Pink Metal: 14K Gold Price: $594

Type of pearl: Nautilus Blister Pearl Shape: semi round Size: 15.66mm Color: white and silver More Photos Price: $6,310

Type of pearl: California Red abalone Shape: irregular Size: 11+mm Weight: 8.5 carats Color: Brown More Photos Price: Sorry, no longer available

More photos Type: Perna Viridis Shape: elongated Size: +/- 50 mm Color: pale-blue Price: $406

"Natural Shell Blisters and Blister Pearls: What's the Difference?"
Article by GIA

According to Elisabeth Strack in her amazing book, Pearls, blister pearls are pearls with originally formed as free pearls within the connective tissue of the mantle and which merged later with the shell. At first the pearl will only touch the shell at one point before a first stem-like connection forms.

The inter-growing of pearl and shell takes place in several stages and eventually leads to a complete merger. This means that the pearl will be integrated in the normal growth process of the shell, which increases in thickness during the mollusc's life.

Experienced pearl fishers and pearl dealers are usually aware that certain techniques will enable the original round pearl to be exposed and this can often prove a valuable surprise.

Blisters, sometimes confused with blister pearls, are formed by internal protuberances produces on the inside of the shell.

Blisters form when foreign objects such as larvae, worms, snails, crabs, fishes, tiny pieces of fish bones or tiny stones are flooded into the space between shell and mantle tissue, where they are trapped.

Blisters have irregular shapes and are hollow on the inside, where they are usually filled with a liquid and /or the rotting or dead remnants of the intruder.

Blisters must be cut out of the inside of the shell if they are to be used in jewellery. The same is true of blister pearls. Both blisters and blister pearls differ from free pearls insofar as the mother-of-pearl layers correspond to those of the shell. In the case of blister pearls, the outer layers have an even, parallel and not concentric arrangement, while the pearl within possesses a concentric structure.