Michele Hicklin's Quahog Pearl

by Michele Hicklin
(Painter, Virginia)

I am a native of the Eastern Shore of Virginia. One Saturday night about 35 years ago I was dining at a Restaurant known as "The Island House", located in Wachapreague, Virginia. This is a seafood restaurant located on the Seaside. I ordered cherrystone clams on the half shell as an appetizer and began to enjoy there salty taste when much to my surprise, I began to feel a large hard object in my mouth. I retrieved it and there was a beautiful large black pearl in my hand about the size of my little finger nail. I've had it mounted on a sterling silver shell and turned it into a lovely pendant. The pendant can be purchased at "The Barrier Island Center", Machapongo, VA...however, there will not be a pearl on it. I'm looking for another black pearl to mount on a ring to go with my pendant.