Couple Finds Pearl in Clam That Could Be Worth Thousands

A couple may have hit the jackpot when it comes to visiting a locally known seafood spot in Cape May, New Jersey. Michael Spressler nearly broke a tooth after attempting to eat his twelfth clam at The Lobster House Restaurant. 

The New Jersey resident and his wife always visit the restaurant and get a dozen clams on half shells. One shell had a pearly white ball in it, and Spressler thought nothing of it and continued to eat it. 

Spressler tells KYW-TV, “I was down to the 12th one, and when I picked it up on the fork it looked kinda heavy, but I didn’t think nothing of it. Then when I started to eat it, I noticed something was in my mouth. I actually thought one of my tooth broke.” 

The restaurant owner claims it’s a pretty rare experience. “It’s pretty rare. We’ve seen small ones that aren’t really pearls but nothing like this.” 

After posting the image of the pearl found inside the clam, the business has been booming for the restaurant that the same family has run for over 100 years. 

Though the pearl could go for thousands, the Spresslers do not plan on making any money from it. They were only celebrating 34 years of visiting the restaurant. 

The wife, Maria, says, “I would like to have it set into a nice piece of jewelry, maybe a mermaid or something nautical. It’s a beautiful remembrance of that day and what we have is so special.” 

The 8.8-millimeter pearl could estimate up to thousands.