A couple in the US was enjoying a plate of clams when they made an unusual discovery: A rare purple pearl .
George and Leslie Brock stopped at a restaurant in Florida last week during a day at the beach. George Brock was about halfway through a dozen clams when he bit the pearl.
Brock's plate of clams only cost US$10 (NT$325). But an expert has said the find could be worth thousands.
"Few are round and few are a lovely color, so this is rare," said Antoinette Matlins, a gem expert. "I think they have found something precious and lovely."
The gems are most often found in a type of large New England clam known for a purple coloring on the inside of its shell.
The couple plan to find out how much the pearl is worth. They'll sell it if it's worth a lot of money.(AP)
美國一對夫婦在享用一盤蛤蜊之際，發現了一個不尋常的東西：一顆稀有的紫色珍珠。
喬治:布魯克和妻子萊絲莉上週某天到佛羅里達海邊遊玩，順道在一間餐廳用餐，喬治．布魯克點了一盤十二顆的蛤蜊，就在他吃了快半盤時，竟咬到一顆珍珠。
布魯克夫妻的這盤蛤蜊只花了十美元（新台幣三百二十五元），但一位專家表示，這顆珍珠可能價值數千美元。
「鮮少有珍珠這麼渾圓飽滿，顏色又漂亮，這顆珍珠相當稀有，」寶石鑑定專家安東尼特．馬特林斯說：「我想他們發現了一顆珍貴又美麗的珍珠。」
這類寶石最常藏於一種新英格蘭大蛤蜊中，這種蛤蜊的特色就是紫色的內殼。
這對夫婦打算先拿珍珠去鑑價，若價格不錯，他們將會賣掉它。（美聯社／翻譯：袁星塵）
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