A pearl of luck

CENTER CITY - September 18, 2009 (WPVI) -- A North Philadelphia woman sees it as a sign her luck is about to change.

Malta Medina went to Wolf Jewelers at 8th and Walnut Streets today to get an estimate on her newly acquired pearl.

Medina found the natural pearl in a clam she was eating.

Natural as opposed to cultured pearls are quite rare according to Bob Wolf.

"I was biting into a clam and I thought it was a rock&so I spit it out and I said, 'Oh my god, it's a pearl,'" Medina said.

Medina says she hadn't had clams for awhile so her daughter came to Bob's Crab House to buy her some and sure enough inside one of the shells was the perfectly round natural pearl.

"She called me, she said 'I found a pearl.' I said, 'Mom, stop lying.' I said 'Send me a picture,'" Martha Medina said.

Malta Medina was anxious to find out if her rare find is valuable. Bob Wolf says the pearl appears to be perfect and is an unusual shade of garnet or purple.

"This pearl, this size and shape has some value, but it's up to the buyer what the value will be," Bob Wolf said.

Wolf suggested that Medina try to sell the pearl on eBay and that it could fetch as much as $1,000.

While Malta Medina ponders her next move her purple pearl will be kept in a safe place. She also says she'll continue to eat clams from Bob's. Who knows? She might find more pearls to make a strand.

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local/state, cathy gandolfo

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