Couple Found Surprise Pearl While Eating Clam Dinner and Turned the Gemstone Into Engagement Ring
“This is a Hallmark story if there ever was one,” Ken Steinkamp, 75, told 'USA Today.'
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Stock image of shell with pearlA couple who found a pearl inside a clam while on a date years ago has turned the gemstone into a precious piece of jewelry.
Ken Steinkamp and Sandy Sikorski were dining at a Rhode Island restaurant in December 2021 when Sikorski, 70, ate a clam that had a little something extra in it — a pearl. Although the eatery, Broad Restaurant, is now closed, the pair’s memory from that meal lives on.
“This is a Hallmark story if there ever was one,” Steinkamp, 75, told USA Today.
Sikorski said a year-and-a-half later, she and her soon-to-be husband used the pearl for an engagement ring. She also said her story has become known in the small beach town, and people even come up to her when they see her wearing it.
“I am surprised every single time somebody says, ‘I know about this ring,’ ” Sikorski said. “It’s hard to go unnoticed because it's white and people are looking for a diamond. “
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Stock image of pearl ringBoth divorced, the couple met on a dating app in 2018.
On April 14, Sikorski and Steinkamp will tie the knot in a small wedding of 27 people at Ocean House in Watch Hill, Rhode Island. The story of the pearl will be present in the celebration: the cake will have pearls surrounding the base, the wedding party will wear pearl jewelry and Sikorski’s granddaughter will be flaunting pearl shoes.
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During their wedding cake tasting in the beginning of March, the couple once again found a surprise pearl in their food. Hannah Bontempo, the catering and sales manager at Ocean House, said the chef made them a chocolate clam with a pearl inside.
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Stock image of man and woman with pearl ring.“I had shared the story of their ring,” Bontempo told the outlet. “I was sharing that with our pastry chef so when they came for their cake tasting, she wanted to make it a little bit more special for them.”
At the boutique wedding, Sikorski said she hopes her father, who has been sick in the hospital, can be there to walk her down the aisle.
“He said ‘I’m not going to miss it,’ ” Sikorski recalled.
Steinkamp added: “One of the challenges of doing this is not only the cost and the timing but it's the organization around her father,” he said. "It's the coordination of that and allowing us some time away. Sandy's been because she's the oldest, she's been the main caretaker for mother and father for many years.”
After the ceremony, the couple will jet off to Europe for their three-week honeymoon.
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