A man in Southwest China's Sichuan Province was beaming when he discovered a pearl in his seafood platter on Saturday night.
The customer, surnamed Zhou, said he bit down on something hard after downing a grilled oyster with family at a Chengdu seafood restaurant, reported Chengdu Business Daily on Monday.
Zhou said he was amazed when he spit out an oblong pearl the size of a soy bean.
"At least nothing happened to my teeth and I didn't swallow it," Zhou said.
The find was a first for the restaurant, according to the manager.
Though experts said Zhou's pearl would not fetch much at market, the lucky discovery may hold some other value with Spring Festival just around the corner.
"I see it as a good sign for Chinese New Year" said Zhou, adding he plans on mounting it on a ring.
Because of the variety of oyster, the chances of Zhou finding a natural pearl were "one in a million," a pearl farm employee told newspaper Xiamen Daily.
