Crab pearls have recently been in the news, when someone found what looked like a pearl in a stone crab leg. A gemologist graduate confirmed that it was a "pearl".
Since then, two other people have notified me about finding what looked like a "pearl" in the leg of a King Crab.
I do know that any mollusc, even a small, common sand snail can make a pearl. An interesting section at the current large pearl exhibit traveling the world had a wall of mounted examples of such seemingly unlikely candidates for growing pearls, but crabs aren't molluscs, or are they? Can they grow pearls?
One pearl collector explains it this way: "In principle, they are made of the same material as the carapace of the crabs.Mostly an organic compound close the the "nails" material or the chitine within the insects, scarabs etc... I saw one formed inside the brain of a fish, same composition as the fish scales."
Check out the crab stories. Below this form you can find links and if you have found what looks like a "pearl" in a crab, I invite you to share your story and photo here.
Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...
I found a crab pearl today
Ate at Joe's Crabshack in Redondo Beach, CA tonight and found a pearl at the base of a king crab leg, at the first joint. It's about the size of a finger ...
Nikki Found a Crab Pearl
I also found a king crab pearl. Same way. My boyfriend and I were eating king crab and he bit one and gave it to me. Anyone find out if it is worth anything?...
Alaska Crab Pearl
A year ago, 4/16/09, my wife and I were having King Crab for dinner at home. I found a quarter inch diameter pearl in the meat of one of the big claws....
Pearl in a Red King Crab?! Rouge Regeneration Cell Gone Wild?
My wife lives in Anchorage, AK and I and our two girls live in Jacksonville, FL. with me till we move up in a year & a half. Earlier yesterday we bought ...
Girl with a pearl!!!
Our family has gathered for almost 15 years for "crab leg night", and have never seen a crab leg pearl. On March 12th 2010, we picked crab legs up from ...
The Date Night Shocker Crab Pearl
I was resently eating out with my husband on a much needed date away from our children. I ordered King Crab Legs as my meal. A bit later here comes three ...
Found a pearl in King Crab legs on Valentine's Day
Not so interesting story.. my hubby was eating and lightly bit down on something hard. He pulled it out and it was a slightly rectangular "pearl" that ...
Chrismas Eve Pearl
Found a pearl looking substance while eating Alaskan king crab legs for Christmas Eve dinner. I cracked the thing open and the inside consisted of dark ...
Found Pearl in King Crab from Safeway Grocery
Purchase King Crab today from Safeway Grocery in West Seattle and found a hard round pearl like substance. This is not the first time I found one last ...
Pink Pearl In my Snow Crab legs~
I was enjoying my lunch today at Red Lobsters. I ordered the snow crab legs and couldn't wait to taste them. I cracked open the long leg and found a nice ...
I found 2 crab pearls? in my crab legs today
Are these really pearls? I found one that was round and one that looked like cartilage. It was not as round. What are these? The round one is a mauve color....
Dungeness Crab Pearl
Found one about 3/16" diameter in a Dungeness Crab claw.
Researched and found this on Wikipedia:
"Biologically speaking, under the right set of ...
Dungeness Crab Pearl
Last night I bought a dungeness crab at QFC. When I was eating it tonight, I was surprised to bite into something round and hard. Right away I thought ...
Found pearl in king crab
Is it worth anything?
Pearl in a King Crag
Our daughter bit into a pearl in her King Crab. It is largely a gray color with a pretty pink blush to it. Very unusual.
Found A Crab Pearl!
So we were eating at a steak house and my mom ordered some crab legs... she was eating away and bit into what seemed like a pearl. we had no idea what ...
Yes!!
This isn't super interesting, but we just found a pearl in a king crab leg. It isn't opalescent like a regular pearl, but it is a nice sized white stone....
Repeat performance
I am the guy who posted "A partially formed crab pearl" six months ago.
Yesterday we cooked up a batch of king crab legs for Father's Day. These were ...
Restaurant Customer in U.S. Virgin Islands
Today, at lunch, I ordered the crab legs. We were at the Lime Inn on St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. In the very last piece crab, near the joint,...
I Found 4 Crab Pearls
My name is Tonya, from Oregon, on Saturday June 6, we purchased several Alaskan king crab legs, to our surprise, my husband bit into the meat of the crab ...
buffle_head
6-8-09 found a "crab pearl" this evening while eating king crab legs. It's white and roughly round, quite a surprise!
What the??
Well, same start. . . My husband and I were eating king crab legs and I bit into something hard. I pointed out the round hard "thing" and he said, "It'...
Never knew there was such a thing as a crab pearl
Bit into a wonderful big King crab 0nly to find a pearl exactly the color of the crab & the size of an average pearl. Took it back to seafood store & owner ...
Crab Pearl Lunch
While on lunch from work, I had decided to devour a King crab leg from the evening before. While waiting for a hot dog to nuke itself in the microwave,...
Wife Bit Into Crab Meat and Found A Pearl
My family decided to have some King Crab legs for supper on May 9, 2009.
My wife had just pulled some of the meat from the knuckle were the leg meets ...
mmmm....*CRUNCH*......what was that?
I was eating crab legs at Joeys Only Seafood when I bit into something hard, so I spit out my food and found this little pearl. My bf said crabs can't ...
Jack pot in the buffet line??
I was eating king crab at a seafood buffet at an Idaho casino when something fell out of the claw shaped like a small bird egg.
At first I thought ...
A partially formed crab pearl
A found a pearl in a king crab leg last month (Chistmas dinner '08). While I fiddled with it it separated into two pieces. You could clearly see the ...
King Crab Pearl?
I purchased a box of King Crab Legs at the local Grocery Store for my son and I because they were having a great sale and we both love King Crab. When ...
New Years 2009 Pearl
We had a feast of Alaskan King Crab for our New Years Day supper. My husband pulled a beautiful shiny pink object our of his mouth. It was a pearl. Very ...
Pearl in a King Crab Leg
Hi, my name is Nita,
I was at home on 11/30/08 and had boiled some king crab at 7:30 pm. I sat at my table and started eating my crab when I felt something ...
Another pearl (from a king crab leg)
I purchased some king crab legs from a popular named grocery store. I had to go to 2 different stores before I could find any. I purchased all that they ...
Found a pearl in my Alaskan King Crab Legs, I think
I went out to dinner with my high school friends tonight in NJ. I was eating King Crab Legs and something rounds was in my mouth. I took it out and dropped ...
Pink Pearl in King Crab leg
Last week, I was dining at an all you can eat King Crab leg buffet at a casino in Temecula, California. I bit down on something hard and, out of my mouth,...
Birthday surprise!
It was my mother's birthday and we were having King crab legs and special side-dishes and I was on my second leg. I bit down in a big chunk of meat when ...
My King Crab Leg "Pearl"
While enjoying a rare, king crab leg dinner on Friday past, 4/18/08, something rolled around my plate.
It certainly looks like a pearl.
I am not certain ...
King Crab Pearl
My Gentleman / Significant Other, Bruce, decided we should dine on some King Crab that was in our freezer since January '08... the last we had, purchased ...
Found what looks to be a Pearl in a Dungeness Crab Leg
I was eating a Dungeness Crab tonite and in it I found a pearl after I bit into it. It looks to be a scallop pearl. Does this happen often? I have eaten ...
Stone Crab Pearl?
BAY CITY — Crab tooth or a pearl, Paula Miller thinks it’s a keeper.
The Bay City resident was dining on stone crab claws over the weekend, and after ...
King Crab Pearl?
January 2008 -- I don't know if this is a pearl or not. We were eating King Crab legs at a restaurant in Naples, Florida and my mother bit into this little ...
