Alberto Varela Santos. santos@santoslondon.com · albertovsantos@aol.com
01 août 2014
Chinese porcelain dish, Zhengde (1506/1521) mark and of the period
Chinese porcelain dish, Zhengde (1506/1521) mark and of the
Chinese porcelain dish, Zhengde (1506/1521) mark and of the period. Photo courtesy Alberto Varela Santos.
Chinese porcelain saucer dish decorated in and out with a mustard yellow glaze. Base with the six character mark of Zhengde (1506/1521) in under glaze cobalt blue and of the period. ø 16,5 cm, 6 1/2 in. - SOLD
Alberto Varela Santos. santos@santoslondon.com · albertovsantos@aol.com
Chinese porcelain vase, mid-18th century, Qing dynasty
Chinese porcelain vase, mid-18th century, Qing dynasty. Photo courtesy Alberto Varela Santos.
SOLD
Alberto Varela Santos. santos@santoslondon.com · albertovsantos@aol.com
Chinese porcelain gourd, Guangxu four character mark, Qing dynasty
Chinese porcelain gourd, Guangxu four character mark, Qing dynasty. Photo courtesy Alberto Varela Santos.
SOLD
Alberto Varela Santos. santos@santoslondon.com · albertovsantos@aol.com
Chinese porcelain bowl, Yongzheng (1723-1735) mark and of the period
Chinese porcelain bowl, Yongzheng (1723-1735) mark and of the period. Photo courtesy Alberto Varela Santos.
Chinese porcelain bowl decorated outside with blue glaze and inside left white. Base with the six character mark of Yongzheng (1723/1735) in under glaze cobalt blue and of the period. ø 14 cm, 5 1/2 in. - SOLD
Rare Natural Non-Nacreous Melo Pearl, Melo melo volute, Saltwaters near Vietnam
Rare Natural Non-Nacreous Melo Pearl, Melo melo volute, Saltwaters near Vietnam. Photo Bonhams
Characterized by a wonderful symmetry, many would considered this ovi-form Melo pearl to be a gem given its pretty papaya orange color, its fine flame pattern iridescence and excellent luster. This is a rare and fine pearl for the serious collector. Weighing 13.97 carats and measuring 14.1 x 12.0 x 10.0mm. Sold for US$ 16,250 (€12,145)
Bonhams. Gems, Minerals and Lapidary Works of Art New York - 23 May 2012
Rare Non-nacreous Orange Pearl--Melo Pearl Melo, melo volutidae, Saltwaters near Vietnam
Rare Non-nacreous Orange Pearl--Melo Pearl, Melo melo volutidae, Saltwaters near Vietnam. Photo Bonhams
Relatively unknown in the West, even George Kunz's compendium of 1908, "The Book of The Pearl" had no references to the rare orange pearl offered here. So few have been found, it is no wonder. The Melo melo is the marine snail that produces orange pearls the color of a ripe papaya. The snail generates a pearl-like substance to enclose foreign bodies, or irritants, entering its shell. Both orange and pink pearls (from the conch, Strombus gigas) are "non-nacreous", meaning they do not have a layer of calcium carbonate on their outer surface as white pearls do. Instead, they display a fiery, porcelain-like surface, giving them a unique beauty not possessed by other varieties of pearls. A relative of the conch, theMelo melo volutidae is also a gastropod. It is found in the waters of the picturesque Halong Bay, along the northern coast of Vietnam. Several thousand Melovolutes would have to be harvested for a single pearl to be found particularly of the size of this one. The present example displays a light papaya color with very good flame pattern. Its porcelain surface as well as its large size make this one of the world's rarest gems, undrilled. Weighing approximately 23.78 carats and measuring 15.0 x 14.0 x 14.0mm. Sold for US$ 13,750 (€10,277)
Bonhams. Gems, Minerals and Lapidary Works of Art New York - 23 May 2012
Rare Large Natural White Non-Nacreous Pearl—from "The Giant Clam", Tridacna gigas, Saltwaters near Vietnam
Rare Large Natural White Non-Nacreous Pearl—from "The Giant Clam", Tridacna gigas, Saltwaters near Vietnam. Photo Bonhams
A luminescent white non-nacreous natural pearl, which possesses an extremely symmetrical egg-form shape as well as a very fine flame structure on its porcelaneous surface.Weighing approximately 32.45 carats and measuring 14.56 – 14.57 x 20.76 mm. Sold for US$ 35,000 (€26,160)
Accompanied by an SSEF report (Schweizerisches Gemmologisches Institut) no. 60804 dated 29 September 2011 stating natural non-nacreous pearl from a marine mollusk. White with a distinct to fine flame structure.
Bonhams. Gems, Minerals and Lapidary Works of Art New York - 23 May 2012
Conch Pearl, Strombus gigas or "Queen Conch", Caribbean Sea
Conch Pearl, Strombus gigas or "Queen Conch", Caribbean Sea. Photo Bonhams.
A conch is one of a number of different species of medium-sized to large saltwater snails and their shells. True conchs are marine gastropod mollusks in the family Strombidae, and the most well known species is the "Strombus gigas or "Queen Conch". The pearls they produce are calcareous concretions—that is they are non-nacreous and are made up of calcium carbonate (rather than aragonite which is the composition of nacreous pearls).
Several thousand snails would have to be found in order to recover a pearl as fine—and as large—as this one. Of ovoid form, with deep rose color, the present lustrous pearl has an excellent flame pattern iridescence. Weighing 7.70 carats and measuring 11.5 x 9.2 x 7.5mm. Sold for US$ 10,625 (€7,941)
Bonhams. Gems, Minerals and Lapidary Works of Art New York - 23 May 2012
Large Conch Pearl, Strombus gigas or "Queen Conch", Caribbean Sea
Large Conch Pearl, Strombus gigas or "Queen Conch", Caribbean Sea. Photo Bonhams.
A conch is one of a number of different species of medium-sized to large saltwater snails and their shells. True conchs are marine gastropod mollusks in the family Strombidae, and the most well known species is the "Strombus gigas or "Queen Conch". The pearls they produce are calcareous concretions—that is they are non-nacreous and are made up of calcium carbonate (rather than aragonite which is the composition of nacreous pearls).
Several thousand snails would have to be found in order to recover a pearl as fine—and as large—as this one. A true baby pink hue, the present pearl has a porcellaneous luster and an excellent flame pattern iridescence. Weighing approximately 9.19 carats and measuring 12.5 x 1.0.5 x 8.5mm. Sold for US$ 16,250 (€12,145)
Bonhams. Gems, Minerals and Lapidary Works of Art New York - 23 May 2012
Conch Pearl, Strombus gigas or "Queen Conch", Caribbean Sea
Conch Pearl, Strombus gigas or "Queen Conch", Caribbean Sea. Photo Bonhams.
Characterized by its exceptionally rich, deep reddish-rose color, this lovely pearl possesses an excellent flame pattern iridescence and lustrous porcellaneous surface. Weighing approximately 2.65 carats and measuring 8.5 x 7.0 x 5.4mm. Sold for US$ 4,000 (€2,989)
Bonhams. Gems, Minerals and Lapidary Works of Art New York - 23 May 2012
