A giant pearl – believed to be the biggest in the world and possibly worth over $100m (£76m) – has been discovered in the Philippines after a fisherman’s family handed it in to authorities.
The huge pearl is confirmed to have come from a giant clam. It measures at 30.5cm in width and 2.2ft in length, and weighs a staggering 34kg.
It was discovered nearly a decade ago by the local fisherman but was kept hidden under his bed as a good luck charm until recently.
Puerto Princesa City Tourism Officer Aileen Amurao said the gigantic pearl was handed in by a relative of the fisherman.
“We were amazed when he brought it to us,” Palawan tourism official Aileen Amurao told local media, the BBC reports.
Ms Amurao put out a plea on Facebook for gemologists to visit Puerto Princesa and help certify the pearl’s authenticity and officials are currently waiting on confirmation of the gem’s status as the largest pearl in the world.
Prior to this discovery, the world’s largest pearl was known to be the Pearl of Lao Tzu, also found in the Philippines, and weighing 6.4kg.
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