What are Cassis Pearls?

Have you ever heard about Cassis pearls?

Article by Katerina Perez on Instagram.

I met Katerina in Hong Kong in 2019. She is a well know jewelry influencer around the world.

Luciano Policicchio from Shanghai Gems @shanghaigems has shared 5 interesting facts about this rare sea mineral:

I've also met Luciano in Hong Kong. Shanghai Gems has an amazing assortment of natural pearls available.

Cassis pearls come from the Cypraecassis rufa or cassis cornuta are large sea snails gastropod molluscs from Cassidae family. They occur in Indo-Pacific seas as the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, off the southern African coast from northern KwaZulu-Natal, Kenya, Madagascar and from Mozambique, as well as in the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean from The Philippines to Indonesia.

The Cassis shell was and is used for engraving cameos since Renaissance (15th – 16th centuries). Before that time, cameos were carved from hardstone.

Cassis natural pearls are as rare as Conchs, MeloMelo and all pearls from Gastropod. A Natural Cassis pearls could be find in one shell on 20,000.

Cassis has same structure and pattern of flames as Conch pearls and its colours range from orange to brownish and pale pink to almost white.

Price for Cassis pearls is usually half of a Conch or Melo and depends on several factors such as colour, shape and structure flames. If you find a round, deep orange colour with nice shades and strong structure flames, price will increase drastically. Cassis pearls are less used in jewellery than other natural pearls as Conchs or Melo. I think it is because that pearl is less known and so less request by final customers.

There is a lack of awareness on the part of the public and also of most professionals in the jewellery sector. It is up to us to educate all stakeholders in order to publicize these natural wonders.