Man Finds a Natural Pearl in Quahog Clam Stew 

Yes; that’s right, there is an actual clam called the Quahog. It’s a real clam, unlike the named city in the TV series Family Guy, where the town holds an annual ceremony, about a legendary Magic Clam. Now that is a crazy story for another day, or just watch the show.  The story that I am about to tell you is real, not written by Seth Macfarlane. A guy from Swampscott Mass., having dinner in Peabody Mass., at a Portuguese restaurant  that has since closed,  finds a natural pearl in a bowl of Quahog Clam Stew.  Who could make this stuff up, it’s kinda funny how this true story ties in with the fictitious yet hilariously funny Family Guy TV series.

Birthday dinner turns into Birthday Cash, a lot of cash for a police officer and his family. Unbeknownst  to him, he had found a natural pearl in his bowl of clam stew.

AIG Appraisal Photo of Mike Serino and the pearl, courtesy of WBZ TV

  

AIG Appraisal Photo of Mike Serino's Quahog Pearl 

Mike Serino, a local police officer, was enjoying his birthday at a local Portuguese restaurant (doesn’t this sound like a Family Guy episode?) when he nearly swallowed the pearl, about the size of a skittle. Mike thought he had bitten into a rock.

Serino didn't know it at the time, but the little, purple rock was a very rare natural pearl.

AIG Appraisal Photo of Mike Serino, Courtesy of WBZ TV  

For over five years, the purple rock sat in a box in his daughter’s bedroom. Then, in December, Serino saw a news story about Kathleen Morelli a woman in Virginia, who found a natural pearl in a littleneck clam.

Serino sent his pearl to a lab in California, the G.I.A., Gemological Institute of America. They identified the ‘rock” as a Northern Quahog clam natural freshwater pearl. The pearl measures 11.43 x 8.36mm and weighs 6.22 carats.

AIG Appraisal Photo of Mike Serino's Pearl, Courtesy of WBZ TV

WBZ-TV in Boston spoke with Dona Dirlam, director of GIA’s Gemological Library. She said that this was a pretty special pearl, and that finding any natural pearls today is quite special.

Freshwater pearl expert Sande Monteau; in Laboratory Services for American International Gemologists, AIG Appraisal, said in a recent interview that she has worked with many California and Mexican divers who have been collecting shells their entire lives and have never found a pearl of any kind. Monteau estimated that finding another natural pearl like Serino’s, would be a million to one.

Natural pearls are organic, created by totally by nature, with no human involvement. A foreign substance gets into the mollusk’s shell, then it secretes layers of nacre to protect itself from whatever got inside. As time passes, the nacre can produce a pearl.

Cultured pearls, on the other hand, are grown with human involvement, a bead is placed in the mollusk to stimulate the nacre.

The pearl was put up for auction at Kaminski Auctions. Bidding was open from February 28 to March 15. Kaminski Auctions, told The Boston Herald that the bidding reserve was $5,000, but the pearl failed to yield a bid above the reserve. However, in April the pearl was sold to an un-named collector in Japan for some big money, Big Birthday money that is, $16,500US. That’s right folks, $16,500US.

The Serino's debated what they will do with the money. Mike is thinking about getting a Corvette, while his wife and their three daughters want to spend the money on new appliances in the kitchen.

Images: Screen captures via WBZ-TV