I recently found a pearl while eating lobster - any feedback greatly appreciated

Martin

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Hello all, I recently discovered what I now know to be a pearl while eating lobster. From what I can gather, to find this type of pearl is exceptionally rare. The pearl itself is quite small, about 2mm in diameter and appears to refract light in an unusual way. I would be grateful for any feedback as well as an idea of its worth if anyone out there can help me.

Thanks, Freshwater 2nd harvest & TahitiansMG 5885

Martin
 
Welcome, Martin!

I think you have a nice souvenir there but no commercial value.

Interesting place to find the pearl, since lobsters don't create pearls. Perhaps the lobster ate a mollusk that made the pearl? Then the whole thing was cooked (cooking is not good for pearls.)
 
No reason why a lobster couldn't form a pearl and lobsters don't eat whole clams. If this is indeed a lobster pearl, then it has some scientific value.
 
Lobsters eat clams, just not whole. They tear food into small pieces with their claws and place it in their mandibles using the tiny tips of their front legs. The actual opening is quite small and they almost never eat sand, rocks or bits of shell.

Pearls from arthropods isn't common, but it's not rare either and is well documented. Most of the known pearls are from the organs, presumably because crustaceans molt their exoskeletons annually and any pearls occuring near the shells would likely be under-developed and sloughed off.
 
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Hard to believe but real lobster pearl rest assured

Hard to believe but real lobster pearl rest assured

Welcome, Martin!

I think you have a nice souvenir there but no commercial value.

Interesting place to find the pearl, since lobsters don't create pearls. Perhaps the lobster ate a mollusk that made the pearl? Then the whole thing was cooked (cooking is not good for pearls.)

Thank you for welcoming to the forum and many thanks for your reply to my posting. I can indeed assure you that I found it in a lobster (2 weeks ago in fact!). I wasn't absolutely sure what it was initially but as it looked like a pearl, I googled 'Lobster pearl' and subsequently came across this forum as there was a reference to the term in an older posting. Being highly skeptical myself about the whole thing (there doesn't seem to be hardly any information on the subject), I took my then-unconfirmed pearl to a local specialist who confirmed it was indeed a real pearl and that, although extremely rare, it is possible to find one in a lobster. He also suggested that it would be of commercial value but only in the niche of the niche markets. I know this is a exceptionally rare occurrence so I'd be quite happy to have it analyzed or x-rayed for authentication purposes.
 
Finding a pearl, especially from an unusual species is a lucky event. Unfortunately, lobsters are steamed or grilled for several minutes to cook. This causes damage, by removing the protein between the calcified layers. This reduces the scientific value as well.

There is not much cause to have this tested by a lab, because most labs do not have baseline data of pearls from crustaceans.

Your advice from a local specialist is correct about niche markets.

It's a great story though, and you've done well to photograph, describe and bring it to our attention.

For that I'm grateful. Thank you.
 
I am glad too. The fact you posted this means it is now data. Having photos of a lobster pearl adds a great dimension to this site, as it is an information site!
 
Send an email message to member JNorris, a natural pearl dealer and tell him what you found. :cool:
 
There is not much cause to have this tested by a lab, because most labs do not have baseline data of pearls from crustaceans.
It would be important to know if mineral composition is calcium carbonate (aragonite, calcite, vaterite) or matches the composition of crustacean shells (DATA).
 
first time I've heard of a lobster pearl, was there any other shellfish on the plate while you were eating the lobster?
 
Can these type of lab composition tests be performed without damaging the pearl?
 
Can these type of lab composition tests be performed without damaging the pearl?

No, unfortunately. Or at least not to my knowledge. Gem labs are concerned with nacreous pearls for the most part and only certain species.

Palaentology labs however, are better equipped to provide some insight as to the origin of pearls, but still require a level of conjecture.

Steve brought up an important point, whether the pearl has the characteristics of a molluscan shell or that of an exoskeleton. Calcium versus keratin. There are a couple of field tests you might try, which can help us come to a better conclusion.

Drop the pearl in a glass of water. Does it sink rapidly and touch bottom with a "tink" or does it drop slowly and touch softly? The former could indicate calcium and the latter protein.

Also, run it across a tooth. Does it feel gritty (calcium) or smooth (protein)?

Do you recall what part of the lobster yielded the pearl? Body, legs/claws or tail? Crustaceans tend to be aggressive scavengers and as such are not beneath fighting for survival. Punctures and cracks in the carapace or extremities often occur and tend to heal quite quickly, because they molt their entire shell several times in their lives. It is possible a parasite found a point of entry, in which case "candling" might reveal it. In the absence of a nucleus, it's possible the pearl was created spontaneously, whether by stress or genetic anomaly.

Any pearl from an arthropod is rare, but not necessarily uncommon. Though not gem quality, they are certainly unusual and esteemable finds.
 
Field test results

Field test results

Thank you Dave for your posting and useful insight. Preliminary results, based on the field tests you suggested, would indicate a calcium composition.

In the first test the pearl sinks quickly with a characteristic tink. The second test is not as conclusive since the texture is not exactly gritty but not totally smooth either.

If I recall correctly, the pearl was in the main body of the lobster.

Martin
 
Surprise surprise, I just Googled lobster pearl and came across this forum. I googled lobster pearl, because like you Martin I found what appears to be a pearl in a lobster I was eating last night (1/10/2019). It looks identical to the one that you show. I did the test of scraping it against my tooth and it revealed a soft surface. I scraped the rest of the surface and was left with what appears to be a spherical crystal/glass bead.
The lobster itself was small, precooked and frozen. Purchased from Lidls and caught in the Atlantic off Canada. The mystery deepens.
 
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While eating lobster tonight I had a piece of claw meat in my mouth and felt a hard sensation. I took the meat out of my mouth and found 3 bead like items embedded in the meat. I have been eating lobster for 50 years and have never seen anything like this. I started googling after dinner and found this forum and other articles. The claw did have trauma as it was sold as a cull due to the much smaller pincher claw. I also noticed a small hole in the claw, a sign of trauma. This seems consistent with how these may form. I did the float test and interestingly, 2 sunk without a clink and one sank halfway and returned to the surface and floated. I did the tooth test and all felt smooth and soft. It was a 5 pound lobster purchased in the fishing village of Point Judith, RI yesterday. I'd be interested in any thoughts. Thanks.
 

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