Origin of name
The 187.50-carat, horn-shaped (baroque), natural, abalone pearl derives its
name from its one time owner, the internationally renowned jewelry designer
and dealer, Christopher Walling, whose creations had adorned celebrities and
notables in society such as Elizabeth Taylor, Kathleen Turner, Queen Noor of
Jordan, Danielle Steele and others. It is said that a pearl in the National Museum
of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C. has been named
after him. It thus appears that the pearl that has been so named by the
Smithsonian Institution, is none other the 187.50-carat horn-shaped
Christopher Walling Abalone Pearl, which was exhibited by the Smithsonian
Institution, at the "Allure of Pearls" exhibition, together with eleven
other rarest pearls in the world, held from March 18 to September 5, 2005,
and was co-sponsored by the GIA, Paspaley Pearls Pty Ltd. and Iridesse
Pearls. The NMNH of the Smithsonian Institution has a tradition of naming
exhibits such as gemstones and jewelry after their owners, when such
exhibits were given as gifts or bequeathed to the Institution by their
owners. Thus, in all probability the Christopher Walling Abalone Pearl,
would have been given as a gift to the Smithsonian Institution, by the
famous designer and pearl enthusiast.
Characteristics of the Pearl
Color, shape and size of the pearl
The rare horn-shaped abalone pearl has dimensions of 84 X 40 mm and a weight
of 37.50 grams equivalent to 187.50 carats or 750.00 grains. The color of
the abalone is a potpourri of green, blue, orange, pink and silver colors,
with their characteristic intense iridescence and luster. The horn-shape of
the pearl is the common irregular baroque shape in which most abalone pearls
usually occur, and is a reflection of their origin from the gonads of the
univalved mollusk, which also has a horn shape. Abalone pearls have an
alveolar structure, that appears to be radiating from the center, giving
rise to unusual surface sheens or patterns.
The rarity of occurrence of abalone pearls
Abalone pearls are not only the most beautiful pearls in the world but also
the most rarest. Statistical estimations of their natural occurrence in
significant sizes, greater than 15 mm in size, is said to be one in 1.5
million, for all species of abalones. The principal reason adduced for their
rarity is the premature harvesting of the abalones for their meat in 4 to 5
years time, long before the pearls have had a chance to attain their maximum
size, which is around 8 to 10 years.
The color of abalone pearls
The color, brilliance and iridescence of abalone pearls are the most
striking features that sets them apart from all other natural pearls, and
perhaps marveled ancient man, that abalone shells and pearls became the
first ornaments worn by man. Such bright colors are associated with the
thick layers of nacre, that constitute the shell and pearls of abalone. The
nacre of abalone is made up of microscopic calcium carbonate tiles
(aragonite and calcite) stacked like bricks and separated by sheets of
organic matrix composed of the protein conchiolin, and elastic bipolymers
such as chitin and lustrin. When an ablone shell is struck, the tiles slide
against one another, instead of shattering, and the protein matrix stretches
to absorb the energy of the blow. This accounts for the exceptional strength
of abalone shells. The thickness of the microscopic aragonite
tiles is comparable to the wavelength of visible light. This causes the
constructive and destructive interference of different wavelengths of
visible light falling on the nacre, causing different colors of light to be
reflected at different viewing angles, producing the iridescent effect.
Iridescence and orient of a pearl are actually properties caused by
the interference of light, and may to some extent contribute towards the
multi-hued tones of the abalone nacre. But, the body color of a pearl (or
shell) which represents the hue, intensity and saturation of a pearl's
color, are actually caused by true pigments or biochromes. Some of the
pigments that can cause colors of mollusk shells are the green porphyrins
including chlorophyll pigments, yellow carotenoids, black melanins, blue and
red indigoids, red phycoerythrin and blue phycocyanin pigments
found in red, brown and other algae consumed by mollusks such as abalones.
Pigments secreted by special glandular cells in the mantle, bonds with the
protein component of the shell, the conchiolin. When the conchiolin is free
of any bonded pigments, it becomes transparent and shows the color of the
aragonite (calcium carbonate) which is white or cream colored.
The multihued tones of color found in abalone shells and pearls consists of
silver, green, orange, pink, blue and lavendar (bluish-purple). In some
abalone shells only a single color predominates, but in most cases the
shells reveal several of these colors simultaneously, in every conceivable
combination. The "Christopher Walling Abalone Pearl" also comes under this
category of multi-hued abalone pearls.
Possible origins of the multi-hued abalone
pearl
Abalone species native to California
The origin of the horn-shaped, multi-hued, "Christopher Walling Abalone
Pearl" is undoubtedly the Pacific coast of California. Abalones are native
to California and have lived along the Pacific coast for millions of years.
There are eight different abalone species native to California. They are :-
1)Red abalone - Haliotis rufescens
2)Pink abalone - Haliotis corrugata
3)Green abalone - Haliotis fulgens
4)Black abalone - Haliotis cracherodii
5)White abalone - Haliotis sorenseni
6)Pinto abalone - Haliotis kamtschatkana
7)flat abalone - Haliotis walallenis
8)Threaded abalone - Haliotis assimilis
Range and depth of distribution of the
abalone species
The most common and the largest of the seven species is the red abalone
Haliotis rufescens. These abalones are found in the inter-tidal and
sub-tidal zones, clinging to rocks along the shore down to depths of 65
meters (200 feet) or more. In these rocky habitats the abalones are associated with
underwater kelp forests, that serve as the source of food for the mollusks.
Some of the native abalone species occupy the same coastal regions, but may
be separated by depth or latitude. Three species of abalone, red, black and
pinto, occur along the entire length of the California coast. Three other
species, pink, green and white occur in southern California and Mexico. Flat
abalone occur from central California northwards up to British Columbia in
Canada. The range and depth distributions of the eight species are given in
the table below.
Comparison of sizes, habitat and range of the
eight abalone species found off the coast of California
|
Common name |
maximum length reached |
Common length |
Zone and depth |
Range |
|
Red abalone |
12.3 ins. |
7 to 9 ins. |
inter-tidal and sub-tidal zones down to 60 feet north of Point
Conception. South of Point Conception sub-tidal zone down to 100 feet |
Sunset Bay, Oregon to Tortugas, Baja California |
|
Pink abalone |
10 ins. |
7 ins. |
sub-tidal zone, 20 feet to 120 feet |
Point Conception, California, to Santa Maria Bay, Baja California |
|
Black abalone |
7.75 ins. |
5 to 6 ins. |
inter-tidal and shallow sub-tidal zones, down to 20 feet |
Mendocino County, California to southern Baja California |
|
Green abalone |
10 ins |
< 10 ins. |
inter-tidal and sub-tidal zones, down to at least 30 feet |
Point Conception, California to Bahia Magdalena, Baja California |
|
White abalone |
10 ins |
5 to 8 ins. |
sub-tidal zone down to at least 200 feet |
Point Conception to Tortugas, Baja California. Channel Islands |
|
Pinto abalone |
6.5 ins |
4 ins. |
inter-tidal and sub-tidal zones, up to 70 feet |
Sitka, Alaska to Monterey, California |
|
Threaded abalone |
6 ins. |
< 6 ins. |
sub-tidal zone from 20 feet to 80 feet |
San Luis Obispo County, California to Tortugas, Baja California |
External and internal characteristics of
the different abalone species
Some of the external and internal structural characteristics that can be
used to identify the different abalone species found in California, are
summarized in the table below.
Comparison of structural characteristics of
the eight abalone species found off the coast of California
|
Common Name |
No. of Respiratory pores |
Color of shell exterior |
Color of shell interior |
Nature of shell margin |
Muscle scar, present or absent |
Nature of epipodium |
Color of tentacles |
|
Red abalone |
3-4 |
dull red |
blue-green |
red rim |
present |
lobed, black |
black |
|
Pink abalone |
2-4 |
green to red |
pink |
corrugated |
present |
lacy, white |
black |
|
Black abalone |
5-9 |
black or dark blue |
white |
smooth |
absent |
lobed, black |
black |
|
Green abalone |
5-7 |
olive green to brown |
blue-green |
smooth |
present |
lacy, green to brown |
green |
|
White abalone |
3-5 |
red to brown |
white and pink |
smooth |
absent |
lacy, beige |
yellow-green |
|
Pinto abalone |
3-6 |
green to brown with white and blue |
white |
scalloped |
absent |
lacy, green-brown |
green-brow |
|
Threaded abalone |
3-6 |
green with red, white, or brown spots |
white |
smooth |
absent |
lacy yellow-brown |
yellow-brown |
|
Flat abalone |
4-8 |
red with white, blue and green |
purple-pink |
smooth |
absent |
lacy yellow-green |
yellow-green |
Conservation of abalone populations in
California
Out of the eight species of abalones, five species, red, pink, black, green
and white were exploited commercially and as recreation, mainly for their
meat, which was considered a delicacy and was greatly in demand. Over
exploitation of abalone populations, combined with other factors such as
"withering disease," long term warming trends coupled with enhanced storm
activity, reduced kelp abundance, increased competition with sea urchins,
natural predation from sea otters, loss of habitat caused by coastal
development and pollution, have resulted in a drastic reduction in abalone
populations belonging to all species, and one species the white abalone, has
been listed as endangered under the general Endangered Species Act (ESA),
and another, the black abalone, is a prospective species for such listing.
Thus abalone populations have been decreasing rapidly over the past 40
years, resulting in restrictions being placed on the exploitation of
different species, and by 1993, harvesting of all abalone species had been
stopped except red abalones. By 1997, dwindling red abalone populations led
to a total ban on the exploitation of all abalones, and only a recreational
red abalone fishing program is now in place, only in northern California,
with tight restrictions being placed on the number of abalones that can be
taken on a single day, for the entire year, as well as the size of abalones
that can be legally taken.
Did the Christopher Walling Abalone Pearl
originate in the red abalone Haliotis rufescens ?
A study of the colors of the inner surface of the shell of the eight
species of abalones, might give a possible indication as to the species from
which the "Christopher Walling Abalone Pearl" originated. According to the
table of structural characteristics given above, only two abalone species
have the bluish-green interior, the predominant colors in the multihued
"Christopher Walling Abalone Pearl." Thus the possible origin of the abalone
pearl, is either the red abalone, Haliotis rufescens or the green abalone,
Haliotis fulgens. Green abalones supported an important fishery in
California in the 1960s, with landings peaking in 1971, and rapidly
declining thereafter. Green abalone commercial and sport fisheries had been
closed since early 1990s. However, red abalone commercial fisheries
continued up to 1997, in northern California, and is still continued as a
recreational fishery to this day. Thus in all probability the multihued
"Christopher Walling Abalone Pearl" originated in the red abalone, Haliotis
rufescens.
Christopher Walling the internationally
renowned jewelry designer
Christopher Walling, who is said to have descended from a notable line of
creatively oriented activists and philanthropists, is a world renowned
jewelry designer, described by Sotheby's as "undoubtedly one of the most
exciting jewelry designers on the scene today." He never attended art
school, yet he became one of the most talented jewelry designers of today. It is said that he started
working as a jeweler when he was only eight years old. Thus he is a designer
who had dedicated a lifetime towards his chosen profession, and
excelled in his field creating stunning designs that have significantly
influenced the designing of modern jewelry. He is well known for the
incorporation of unusually shaped baroque pearls in his creative designs,
reminiscent of the jewelry designs of the 16th and 17th century that made
use of such pearls, such as the famous swan pendant, preserved in the State
Hermitage Museum, at St. Petersburg. Besides pearls, he also uses diamonds
and a variety of other colored gemstones in his unique creations, such as
flower brooches, necklaces, bracelets, earrings etc.
Christopher Walling's jewelry creations have been exhibited in museums
across the United States including Hawaii, and also on two occasions in
museums in Istanbul. He has eleven publications on contemporary jewels to
his credit, and his work had been prominently featured in two PBS
documentaries, "Mystique of the Pearl," and the "Nature Special Diamonds."
In the world's traveling PEARLS show, belonging to the American Museum of
Natural History, Christopher Walling has always had at least two of his
jewelry pieces on display at all times for the past six years.
Christopher Walling started his first jewelry store, called Christopher
Walling Jewelers, at No. 325, East Hopkins Avenue, Aspen, Colorado.
Subsequently, he started his New York store, known as Christopher Walling
Inc. at 608, Fifth Avenue, New York City.
Their website
www.christopherwallingjewelry.com is presently under construction.
Related :-
1)
Big Pink Pearl
2)
Abalone Gallery
3)
The Hope Pearl
4) Pearl of
Allah/ Pearl of Lao Tzu
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References
1.Christopher Walling - The Catalogues,
www.thecatalogues.com
2.Christopher Walling Jewelry -
www.christopherwallingjewelry.com
3.Christopher Walling
Abalone Pearl - www.mnh.si.edu
4.Haliotis - ZipcodeZoo.com
5.Red Abalone - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
6.The
Biogeography of the Red Abalone (Haliotis rufescens) - Adrienne Priselac
7.Descriptions
of Abalone Species - www.sonic.net
8.California
Abalone Aquaculture - www.aqua.ucdavis.edu
9.Abalone Species
Diversity - Marine Science, www.marinebio.net
10.Abalone -www.dfg.ca.gov
11.Abalone - Seafood Network Information Center, Sea Grant Extension
Program, www.seafood.ucdavis.edu
12.Abalone - From Wikipedia, the
free encyclopedia
