In One Ear: Hidden gem

Published 6:00 am Thursday, July 24, 2025

Rarity rerun: “Sunday I had some friends down from Hillsboro,” Todd Homi of Warrenton wrote. “I went to Oysterville the day before to purchase a bushel of oysters. I have been eating oysters for over 25 years, and to my surprise, I found a pearl.” His photo is shown.

Strangely enough, the Ear grew up in an oystering village in New England, and never saw a pearl once. Anyway, How Stuff Works says “the majority of natural pearls are formed in oysters as a response to a parasitic intruder” (not a grain of sand), which makes them secrete layers of nacre over the irritant. Nacre is the same substance oysters use to make their shells, by the way. 

“My friend from Hillsboro is having her birthday,” he added, “and pearl is her birthstone, so I put it in a gem case and gave it to her as an early birthday present.” (In One Ear: 6/10/2011)