Thai Woman Finds Rare 6.8-Carat Melo Pearl Inside Clam from Market

A Thai woman discovered one of the world’s most precious Melo pearls inside a clam she bought at a market. This pearl, which cannot be farmed, is known to fetch a high price.

A woman from Thailand from Nakhon Si Thammarat Province found a white natural Melo pearl in a clam she bought from a seafood market, citing Thai media The Tiger.

She said, “I bought 5kg of clams from the market on the 31st of last month and returned home,” and “While eating the boiled clams dipped in sauce, I found a round and white object in one of them.” “I was sure it was a Melo pearl as soon as I saw it,” she added.

Reportedly, the woman visited the National Gemstone Research Institute in Bangkok for an appraisal. The institute confirmed that the pearl is a rare natural Melo pearl weighing 6.8 carats and issued a certificate of authenticity.

She said, “I am thrilled that it was confirmed to be genuine,” and “I am considering selling the pearl as I have been facing financial difficulties recently.”

Melo pearls, which are mainly found in the waters of Vietnam and Southeast Asia, are known to be highly valued as gemstones. This is because the sea snail Melo Melo, which produces Melo pearls, only inhabits Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, and cannot be farmed. In the past, a Melo pearl that appeared at a Christie’s auction sold for $250,000.

In February 2021, a fisherman in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province found a 7.68g orange pearl inside a clam he picked up on the beach. The appraisal revealed that its value was a whopping 10 million baht.

In South Korea, a couple living in Changwon discovered a 1.3cm pearl while eating boiled oysters in 2022.