A fisherman in the Philippines has found – and kept in his home for more than a decade – an enormous pearl weighing 34kg and measuring 30cm wide and 67cm long. It was formed within a giant clam and could be worth more than $100 million.
According a report in the local Palawan News, quoted by several news sources, a man from Puerto Princesa, in Palawan island, found the precious gem while out fishing. He kept it as a good luck charm.
When he moved from the area, he entrusted it the the care of his aunt, Aileen Cynthia Maggay-Amurao. She offered the pearl to the mayor, and the pearl is now on display in the atrium of the New Green City Hall in Puerto Princesa.
Maggay-Amurao is now seeking help from experts to certify the pearl’s authenticity. She made a call on Facebook for experts’ help in confirming the pearl’s authenticity: “The Puerto Princesa City would likely earn another prestigious title and a record breaker for having the world’s biggest natural giant pearl from a giant clam (34 kilograms) after being certified for its authenticity”, she wrote. “Need help from gemologists!”
The record for the biggest pearl, which also came from Palawan, is currently being held by “Pearl of Lao Tzu”, which was discovered in 1939 and weighs 6.4kg. In 2003, it was valued at $93 million.
