A woman from Issaquah, Washington, recently bit down on a rare purple Quahog pearl while dining at her favorite Italian restaurant.
Lindsay Hasz was on “a rare date night without the kids” with her husband, Christopher, a few weeks ago at Montalcino Ristorante Italiano when she bit down on “something really, really hard.”
Hasz showed the pearl to gemologist Ted Irwin, president of the Northwest Geological Laboratory and director of the Northwest Geological Institute.
Irwin explained that the pearl is actually found in clams “indigenous to the Atlantic states, the New England area.” He added that he believed the chances of finding a natural, gem-quality pearl like the one Hasz found is probably “one in a couple million.”
Based on the pearl’s surface attributes, roundness and color, Irwin estimated the purple gem to be a little over one carat and worth $600 in today’s marketplace.
