The Pink Pearl

This beautifully illustrated book sets out to tell the story of a collection of about 30,000 pearls, with no rival anywhere in the world, and that of the re-discovery of these pearls. The pink pearl of the Caribbean is produced by a very beautiful shellfish, the queen conch. The collector is Sue Hendrickson, a professional diver and a sort of female Indiana Jones, who has spent much of her life collecting pearls found by the people who fish this conch, all over the Caribbean. They gather it for its flesh, which is very good to eat, and, on average, one in every 10,000 shells contains a pearl.This collection has been sold to a Swiss dealer in stones and gems, who has successfully begun to make contemporary jewelry incorporating the pink pearls. This book sets out to tell her story, and that of the rediscovery of these pearls, while giving a professional nudge in the right direction to this new gem. This book gives a professional nudge in the right direction to this new gem. Professionals and fans of jewelry will find it an entertaining read and a valuable resource.