Offbeat

Giant pearl likely to be worth €88m kept under fisherman’s bed

Man handed pearl in to local tourism office after keeping it for more than 10 years

An undated handout photo provided by the Puerto Princesa Tourism Office and released on 23rd August, 2016 shows a pearl that weighs 34kg and is awaiting to be certified as the biggest in the world, in Puerto Princesa, Palawan island, Philippines. According to Puerto Princesa City tourism officer Aileen Amurao, the gigantic pearl was turned over by a relative of a local fisherman, who has been keeping the gem for the past years. The local fisherman and his family said that they kept the pearl a secret for almost ten years before they finally decided to turn it over to the the local government, Amurao added. Photograph: EPA
Wed Aug 24 2016 - 11:03

A fisherman in the Philippines has kept what might be the largest natural pearl ever found hidden in his home for more than 10 years.

The enormous pearl is 30cm wide (1ft), 67cm long (2.2ft) and weighs 34kg (75lb). If it is confirmed to have formed within a giant clam, as has been reported, it would likely be valued in excess of US$100m (€88m).

According to a report in the local Palawan News, a man from Puerto Princesa, on Palawan Island, found it more than a decade ago while out fishing. His boat's anchor caught on the giant clam and he had to swim down to dislodge it.

An undated handout photo provided by the Puerto Princesa Tourism Office and released on 23rd August, 2016 shows a pearl that weighs 34kg and is awaiting to be certified as the biggest in the world, in Puerto Princesa, Palawan island, Philippines. According to Puerto Princesa City tourism officer Aileen Amurao, the gigantic pearl was turned over by a relative of a local fisherman, who has been keeping the gem for the past years. The local fisherman and his family said that they kept the pearl a secret for almost ten years before they finally decided to turn it over to the the local government, Amurao added. Photograph: EPA
The local fisherman and his family said that they kept the pearl a secret for almost ten years before they finally decided to turn it over to the the local government, Amurao added. According to local news reports, the pearl that weighs 34 kg is awaiting to be certified as the biggest in the world. Photograph: EPA

He was not aware of its potential value but kept it as a good luck charm.

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He has now handed the pearl over to the local tourism office, which has put it on display in the atrium of the New Green City Hall in Puerto Princesa.

Aileen Cynthia Maggay-Amurao, an aunt to the fisherman, and the local government’s tourism officer in Puerto Princesa, told the Palawan News that she had alerted gemologists’ groups to the discovery.

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!

“Just for the info of everyone, all recorded giant pearls in the world came from Palawan waters.”

Ms Maggay-Amurao told the Guardian that her nephew had kept it under his bed as a lucky charm. “He said every time he goes out for fishing he will touch the pearl.”

She encouraged all residents of Puerto Princesa, Palawan, and Filipinos around the globe to raise awareness of the potential record-breaker. The post was shared thousands of times.

If it is found to be real, the pearl is significantly larger than the current record-holder, which as Ms Maggay-Amurao noted was also from Palawan. A local diver from Brooke’s Point in Palawan recovered what is now known as the Pearl of Lao Tzu, weighing 6.4kg, in 1939.

In 2003 it was valued at $93m by Michael “Buzz” Steenrod, a gemologist based in Colorado Springs.

The Guardian