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Cave pearls, or oolites, grow in shallow pools like pearls in an oyster. Successive thin layers of calcite coat tiny seed grains. This collection is 5 kilometres inside a cave in Pang Mapha district of Mae Hong Son province, Thailand. Inside the cave, these rare wonders of nature are priceless, but if they are stolen by insensitive or greedy humans, they become worthless balls of stone. These oolites are particularly well formed and precious. Taken on kodachrome slide film, Nikon FM2, nikkor 55mm lens, tripod and flashes.
I am an Australian expat living in the hills of Mae Hong Son province Thailand (please visit cavelodge.com). I photograph almost everything, above and below ground.
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Comments
Great photo of interest! I never heard of this cave pearl before!
Thanks for your comment Stephen. Most non-cavers have never heard of them, and many cavers have never seen them. I think some of the pearls could be the most spherical inaminate natural objects.
– John Spies
Fascinating … I had never heard of these before.
Thanks Caroline, cavers who find collections like this often keep the location secret. You might have noticed that I didn’t name the cave…
– John Spies
Absolutely stunning shot! 5kms… crikey I will have to stop the Chang and up the treadmill!! arghghghhg!
Last time I visited this lot they were encased in a new layer of flowstone, but there are others, even more stunning, and I know you can make…
– John Spies
wow this is so cool, I learned something new today! Wonderful job showing all the beauty here!
I think I could pass this comment back to you, those early morel mushrooms are something else. Thanks Cyn, will look through your work real soon.
– John Spies
Thank you Khosie for being so nice and purchasing a card of the pearls…
oh how wonderful !! i have never seen or heard of these before
beautiful foto, i like this, they are so pretty
Thanks Karon, they are special wonders of nature, innanimate things that can grow!
– John Spies
coop shot
Thanks Luda for commenting
– John Spies
Fantastic, I have never seen anything like it!
Not many people have, thanks Ma
– John Spies
No, but I have written many articles, with pics, for various magazines, such as Geo Australia, Action Asia, Sawasdee.
– John Spies
Great photo….I was just reading about these last night because we’re going to the Crystal Caves in Sequoia. So interesting!
You are the first to have heard of them here. Have fun caving…
– John Spies