The Melaleuca, also known as the "Dragon Pearl" or "Flame Pearl", is round in size and comes from the body of a sea snail, which cannot be cultured in captivity.
Similar in composition to most shellfish, it contains calcite and aragonite microcrystalline aggregates, ranging in color from orange-red, orange-yellow, yellow, yellow-brown to almost white, with a ceramic-like crystalline appearance and a flame pattern structure, and shapes ranging from irregular, oval, to egg-shaped, with rounded shapes usually having a higher value.
[Mother Shell].
Melasma snail.
[Composition].
Similar to most shellfish, contains calcite and aragonite microcrystalline aggregates.
[color].
Orange-red, orange-yellow, yellow, yellow-brown, to nearly white.
[Luster].
Merlot beads without pearly texture have a ceramic crystalline appearance, a feature known as porcelain luster. This feature is called porcelain luster. In addition, the flame pattern structure is a classic feature of Merlot beads.
[Shape].
Various shapes are available from irregular baroque, oval to egg shaped, with those that are nearly round usually having a higher value.
[Size].
Diameters range from a few millimeters to about 30mm, with huge ones exceeding 200 carats.
[Origin].
Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and other Southeast Asian and Indo-Pacific waters.
[Value].
Merlot beads are very rare in the collector's market. It is most prized for its orange hue similar to that of a ripe papaya, with a cloud-like flame pattern structure inside and a crystalline porcelain-like luster on the outside.
[Care].
And other colored pearls, the same, delicate body, avoid strong light (sunlight) irradiation, prolonged exposure to the body color has the possibility of fading.
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