Pearl Opening at Home

Once Bryan and I had come home to dismal and cold Pittsburgh after two weeks of sunny and blessedly warm San Diego, we were still excited by the prospect of pearls in oysters. We both were disappointed we hadn't been able to open our own oyster.

About a week after we got home, I found a seller on Ebay that sold akoya pearls in oysters. I can't express how thrilled I was to find this Ebay auction. For a small sum of $15 (just like the Pearl Factory) I was able to purchase an oyster with a double pearl.


It took a couple of days (which I waited anxiously!) for the pearl to arrive. Bryan and I had agreed we wouldn't open the oyster until we could both be there. And of course the day it arrives, Bryan had plans to be out with the boys. Keeping to my word, I didn't open the oyster that night but spent the night watching “Pitch Perfect”.

The next day we joined forces to open the oyster.....and it turned into a comedy of errors. Bryan and I started to shuck the oyster with a butter knife. Has anyone out there ever tried that? Its like trying to fill up a blimp with a hand pump! We ended breaking the oyster into pieces just trying to cut the abductor muscles (the part of the oyster that opens and closes its shell, kind of like hydraulics). Of course the abductor muscle is in the middle of the shell and it will not be cut by a butter knife.

We managed to finally open the oyster!......and everything inside went flying into our garbage can! So we delicately dig through our very full (but thankfully not stinky) garbage can for two little pearls. By this point, Bryan was grossed out and just done with the whole experience.

Once Bryan had fished our pearls from the garbage can, we rubbed them in table salt and rinsed them off. What we discovered inside was one very pink pearl and one peach pearl.

I want to try again but I'm sure Bryan isn't keen on the idea – even if we do have a shucking knife!

Now that we have the pearls, I've been looking into ways to drill and set the pearls into my own settings.


I look forward to telling everyone more about ordering pearls in oysters and their own settings for earrings, pendants, and rings! The possibilities are endless and entertaining.


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