[Rockhounds] Cave Pearls

[Rock Currier]

Larry said: Does anyone know where this person can obtain  (legally) Cave 
Pearls?

I didn't think it was illegal to deal in cave formations though considering 
the lack of them being advertised for sale on the net it would be easy to 
think them illegal. Certainly collecting them is anathema to various 
spelunking societies. However not all cave pearls come from caves. 
Considering how many cave formations are being collected and sold in China 
and imported into the US I would think that would be your best source. 
Probably an email to someone in one of the state geological surveys 
requesting a source might get you what you are looking for. I would suggest 
that you might contact Nengyong,Hu of the Geological Survey in Hunan 
hunengyong65 at hotmail.com. He might be able put you in contact with some 
suppliers of Chinese cave pearls. You can tell him I sent you.

In the course of our normal business from time to time we have bought 
accumulations of old collectors and have occasionally had cave pearls and 
one time had a complete "nest" of them. We have none in stock now. I'm sure 
you know how nondescript they look when they are dry and out of a cave like 
environment. Some even come from man made "caves". They are usually 
aragonite. Below is a description of cave pearls that you may find 
interesting.

Canada
British Colombia, Riondel, Bluebell Mine. The Bluebell mine was a large 
lead/zinc mine and the deposit has been worked for more than 100 years. It 
is better known for its arsenopyrite specimens than for its aragonite. 
However, "Aragonite was precipitated during mining operations from hot 
springs rich in CO2 occurring in the mine. It crystallized quickly, forming 
stalactites and large globular masses. Two-centimeter spheres of aragonite 
(so-called cave pearls) which crystallized about particles of sand were 
recovered from the floors of the mine drifts. They had been kept in constant 
motion and thus separated from one another by the continuous vibration of 
the mining operations."1

1 Mineralogical Record, Vol.8, 1977, p35.



Rock Currier