Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Finding a pearl while eating or buying oysters
• Method 2 of 3: Go pearl fishing
• Method 3 of 3: Get a permit to fish for mussels and dive for pearls
• Tips

Finding a pearl, especially in the wild, is a rarity. However, it is possible; it is best to go to an area where pearls are commercially fished. If you want to have a little more chance, you can also take a diving trip with a guide to look for a pearl.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Finding a pearl while eating or buying oysters

1. Order oysters at a restaurant. Eating oysters in a restaurant is one way to find a pearl. However, it is not often that you find a pearl in an oyster in a restaurant, and certainly not one that is worth a lot. So you don't really have much of a chance of finding an oyster using this method, but you can. In fact, the types of oyster that are eaten generally produce a different type of pearl than the pearl oysters, but there have been rare cases of guests finding a real pearl in their oyster.
   • You don't necessarily have to order a bowl of half open oysters. You can try all kinds of dishes, as long as they contain oysters.
   • You can also try eating oysters bought at a fish market at home. If you want to open an oyster, place it with the opening facing up. Place a regular knife on one side of the opening, pushing the knife down a little while moving around the entire opening. Open the oyster to see if it contains an oyster. If there is none, you can still enjoy your oyster.
2. Know what to look for. Most oysters found in edible oysters are worth next to nothing. They often do not have a nice shape and are very hard. But see if you can find a round pearl. If it contains colors, such as purple or orange, then the pearl can be worth a lot more.
   • There are pearls in all kinds of colors, such as blue, purple, orange, white, pink, green and black. They can be round, oval, egg-shaped or irregularly shaped.
   • But most oysters produce a small pebble rather than a nice round big pearl.
3. Don't bite through. If you feel something hard while eating oysters, try not to bite it. Most of the pearls found in oysters are extremely hard and can break your teeth. It is also better not to swallow them. Remove the pearl from your mouth immediately. If it looks round, smooth and shiny, you can have it appraised by a jeweler.
4. Buy pearl oysters. Some companies sell pearl oysters that can be shipped straight to your home. These types of companies usually guarantee that you will find at least one oyster with a pearl in it.

Method 2 of 3: Go pearl fishing

1. Look for a guided dive tour. If you have never fished for pearls before, it is best to take a guided tour. You can find one online or through a travel agent.
   • Some pearl fishing companies sometimes permit others to dive for natural pearls. There are also companies that grow pearls. You are more likely to find a pearl in cultured pearl water, but you won't get that much time to dive there.
   • In fact, some companies even guarantee that you will find a pearl, otherwise they will give you one.
2. Make sure you can swim well enough. If you go pearl fishing, make sure you can swim well. Usually you wear a diving suit with webbed feet, but that is not always the case. Either way, you need to be able to swim in both cases.
   • If you can't swim yet, you may be able to take swimming lessons at a pool near you or at a swimming club.
3. Wear suitable clothing for diving. Which clothing is suitable depends on the place where you go pearl fishing. In Dubai, for example, people wear loose-fitting white trousers and a matching top, which you get from the diving companies. They give this clothing to the divers so that they are protected against jellyfish. Ask the dive company that organizes the trip what is the most suitable clothing for pearl fishing.
4. Dive for the pearls. A dive boat will then take you to the diving area. Usually it is necessary to dive 300 to 450 m deep. The diving company sometimes gives you a weight that makes you sink faster. You may be able to collect loose oysters, or you may be loosening rows of oysters while fishing at a pearl farm.
5. Open the oysters. After diving, an experienced employee of the oyster company will help you open the oysters. Sometimes a device is used that gently opens the oysters. In that case, the oysters go back into the ocean after the pearl has been taken out.

Method 3 of 3: Get a permit to fish for mussels and dive for pearls

1. You can also go to an area where natural pearls can be found, such as in the United States where freshwater pearls can be found, or Hawaii for saltwater pearls.
   • Look for an area where pearls are commercially fished, as this is where you have the best chance of success.
2. Pay for the permit. In most pearl fishing areas it is required to pay for a permit. It can make a difference whether you are a commercial fisherman living in the area or further afield. You can also sometimes apply for a license as a wholesaler.
3. Use a dive flag. When in the water it is usually required that you use a dive flag. The flag makes it clear that there is a diver in the water. In some areas, it is legally stipulated that boats, for example, cannot come closer than 50 m from the flag, or make stern waves within 60 m from the flag. The only boat that is allowed to come within the radius of 50 m in that case is the submarine.
4. Dive for pearls. As with a guided dive tour, you will likely need a boat to get to the dive area, especially if you are looking for saltwater pearls. However, there are also many freshwater mussels with pearls in them in river beds. So if you are looking for freshwater pearls all you have to do is walk along certain areas by the river. Mussels are sometimes difficult to find because they are camouflaged and difficult to distinguish from the sand and salt at the bottom of the river.
   • You can also look for mussels in shallow water. Sandy areas are best suited for this, and you will find the mussels in rivers, lakes and streams.
   • Many fishermen use stilts to wade through the river and to catch mussels. The bottom line is that you wade to the center of the shallow water and feel at the bottom to see if there are mussels.
   • In lakes, you can use similar methods to feel for mussels on the bottom, but you will likely need basic scuba gear.
   • If the water is not cloudy, you can see mussels sticking out of the sand at the bottom.
5. Open the mussels. Use a dull knife to open the mussel. Place it on a hard surface, opening up where you insert the knife on one side of the opening. Pull the knife through the entire opening and also push the knife down at an angle. Once you have done this you should be able to open the mussel and see if there is a pearl in it.
   • Polish the pearl with table salt and a soft cloth that you have slightly dampened.
6. Stick to local laws and regulations. Usually you can only pick mussels that have a certain size. At the Waddenzee and Oosterschelde, for example, you are only allowed to collect for your own use, which amounts to a maximum of 10 kg per person per day.
   • In some areas of the United States, you are only allowed to collect mussels of a certain size. The easiest way to measure the mussels is to use a ring with a circumference of the appropriate size. Then you just see whether the mussel can pass through or not.
   • There are sometimes different sizes for different types of mussels.

Tips

• You may also want to consider taking a tour of a pearl farm. You can then find out how to fish for pearls without having to dive for them yourself.