Seafood surprise: Family’s meal unearths Chiang Mai’s potential pearl gem
A family’s casual seafood meal led to an unexpected find of a pearl over 1 centimetre in size, set to be verified in Chiang Mai.
The incident occurred today at 5/4 Buasali, Mae Lao, Chiang Rai, the residence of Sethapong Sivavong. Sethapong revealed that his wife and daughter had purchased clam from a reputed local market in downtown Chiang Rai for a regular family meal. As the family sat down to eat, they discovered the pearl in one of the clams.
Sethapong showcased the pearl, a white bead measuring about 1 centimetre, possessing the unique beauty characteristic of pearls. It resembled a melo pearl, hence he took a closer look and felt something hard within the clam.
He speculated it might be a pearl, and the family was delighted with the discovery. However, they were unsure of the value of the pearl, so they stored it in a blue box for future verification at Chiang Mai Gem Testing Laboratory (CGT LAB), with arrangements already underway, reported Sanook.
Sethapong further revealed that before this incident, he and his family had visited the Wat Saeng Kaew Photiyan in Mae Suay, Chiang Rai, the temple of the famous Northern monk, Arijchat Ariyachitto. They prayed for happiness and prosperity for their family.
Two days later, they bought the usual seafood, shrimp, clams, and squid, for a regular family meal, which led to the discovery of the pearl in the oyster. He considered this a true stroke of luck for his family.
However, the verification results are awaited to confirm whether the white bead found is an actual pearl from the oyster. Sethapong acknowledged that similar discoveries have been made before, albeit with smaller beads. But the one found by his family is relatively large, measuring up to 1 centimetre in length.
