Woman finds 1-in-a-million pearl in her Italian food

Usually when someone nearly breaks a tooth while eating dinner, it's not a joyous occasion, but one woman is celebrating the fact that buried in her frutti di mare was a rare Quahog pearl.

Lindsay Hasz and her husband were dining at Montalcino Ristorante Italiano in Issaquah, Washington, when she bit down on something hard. She looked and saw what appeared to be a purple pearl, and initially thought it was someone's earring. Hasz didn't notify the restaurant staff, instead stuffing the mysterious item into her pocket. After conducting some research online, she suspected she had a Quahog pearl, and so she paid gemologist Ted Irwin of Northwest Geological Laboratory a visit.

The pearl was so perfect that at first Irwin thought Hasz had been tricked, she told KOMO. He sent the pearl out for analysis, and the news quickly came that it was the real deal: a Quahog pearl with perfect symmetry. "One in a couple million is of gem quality, so it is a very rare occurrence," Irwin said. The Quahog clam is primarily found on the East Coast, and it's not often that they produce pearls. Hasz's pearl is estimated to be worth $600 (bigger ones can run in the thousands), but she has no plans of selling it, and will probably use it in a necklace. Hasz called Montalcino to share the good news, and they were happy for her — and relieved to find out she didn't almost choke on an employee's earring. "Only the finest for our customers," co-owner Fernando Nardone told KOMO. Catherine Garcia

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