The melo pearl is a product of one of the melo volutes. These rare orange pearls have been known for two hundred years but due to their rarity and the fact that they are all found in the East, little has been written about them. Several notable examples have been found during the last thirty years with the most prominent locations being Burma, the East coast of Australia, Thailand and Malaysia.

They have a porcelain appearance and are much admired for their "flame" surface. The present example weighs 130.31 carats which is large by any standard. The colour is a typical orange with both mottled and flame areas and the shape is a slightly uneven sphere. The first example to appear on the market in recent years was the near-perfect melo pearl sold by Christie's Hong Kong on 3 November 1999, realising US$488,800.