Q&A for How to Find Pearls

There are no obvious signs that an oyster, mussel, or clam has a pearl inside. You just have to open it to see; it's kind of like a guessing game. That being said, larger oysters, mussels, or clams may have pearls because they've had a longer time to develop.

For mussels, I use AliExpress.

It depends. Is it near round or perfectly round? What is the color? Does the nacre have imperfections? Is it very lustrous or have mild luster, or is it almost a matte? Your best bet, in all honesty, is to take it to a jeweler who specializes in pearls to get the best answer. If its a pearl you found in a local source or on vacation, the value to you will be higher because of the memories associated with finding it (emotional value). If that's the case, maybe buy a nice cage or have it made into a ring or necklace to be passed down along with the story of where it came from. Sometimes in life, the value is more than a dollar amount.

Yes, especially in tide pools or damp sand.

The color of a pearl depends on the species of mollusk. Shell hue does not indicate what (if anything) is inside.

Pearls can be egg shaped, round shaped and in some other irregular forms, In color, they can be black, blue, pink, white, red, purple, green and brown. While you are eating, if you feel something hard and smooth, you should quickly spit out the contents, as it may be a pearl.

In the seafood section of some grocery stores, they will have live shellfish, including oysters. Rather than cooking them, you could put them in their own aquarium to grow.