Few visitors to the Cayman Islands will leave without admiring the beautiful, polished pink shells of the Queen Conch, or without sampling its tasty white meat.

What many people do not know, however, is that these conch are capable of producing a very rare and unique pearl. Just one in 10,000 conch yields a pearl, and of these, one in 10 is of superior quality.

The pearls can be spherical, oval or baroque in shape. Because the shape is determined by the movement of the animal in its shell, oval and baroque shapes occur more frequently. Perfectly round specimens fetch much higher prices. The colour of a conch pearl ranges from a creamy ivory to yellow, orange or brown, reflecting the colours on the inside of the shell from which it originates.  The most sought after conch pearls, however, are those in different shades of pink, with a salmon pink the most coveted of all.

Although it may appear abundant in Cayman waters, Queen Conch is now a protected species. Conch pearls will become increasingly rare as conch fishing is restricted. Measured in carat weight, conch pearls can be as valuable as diamonds of the same weight, and prices will only rise as the natural precious stones become harder to find.

Conch pearls are better known in the markets of the Middle East, Far East, and Europe than in the Caribbean. However, select pieces of conch pearl jewellery, set in platinum or 22-carat gold, are available exclusively at Kirk Freeport in Bayshore Mall.