A report by the local Palawan News said a fisherman from Puerto Princesa has been keeping the world’s biggest pearl under his bed for years.
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The pearl’s existence was revealed by Aileen Cynthia Maggay-Amurao, a tourism officer in Puerto Princesa, on the island of Palawan.
“The Puerto Princesa City would likely earn another prestigious title and [be] a record breaker for having the world’s biggest natural giant pearl from a giant clam (34 kilograms) after being certified for its authenticity”, Amurao wrote on Facebook.
The giant pearl measures 1 ft wide by 2.2 ft long and weighs in at a whopping 75 lbs (34 kg). The officials of the city opened a public viewing last August 22 from 8-9 a.m.at the Atrium of New Green City Hall, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, Philippines.
The giant pearl is not the flawless spherical shape you might be picturing but instead a huge, misshapen blob, albeit one that’s valued at about a hundred million dollars. The pearl is speculated to be worth millions. He later found that it was actually stuck to the shell of a giant clam – that contained the world’s largest pearl.
When the weather improved, Amurao said the relatives had a hard time pulling the anchor of their boat. When the anchor caught on a large shell during a storm, he swam down to unlodge the anchor and brought the shell up with him.
The fisherman took it to the local tourism officers who were astounded to see what he had in his possession.
Giant clams, which rarely produce pearls, can grow as large as four feet in length and weigh 500 pounds.
“We have decided that the pearl will be used as one of our tourists attractions in the city”, she added.
However, not all believe in the theory that the pearl is worth millions. “Need help from gemologists!”
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It was also found in the Philippines, off the west coast in the Palawan sea. As much as it looks like an enormous shiny wad of chewed gum, there’s precedent for record-breaking gems being found in the waters off Palawan, an island province.
