A fisherman in the Philippines is probably the happiest man in the world after discovering that a huge pearl he had stashed away under his bed is worth 100 million US dollars! As UK Mirror reports, the man, whose name remains unknown, found the 34-kilo mammoth pearl 10 years ago in the sea off Palawan island and decided to keep it for good luck, unaware of its value. A fire in his home forced him to move and he decided to hand over the large pearl to the tourism office. A dumbfounded tourism officer determined the 30cm wide and 1 meter long pearl surpassed the official current world holder known as the ‘Pearl of Allah’ , which was also found off the island of Palawan in 1935. “We were amazed when he brought it to us,” said tourism officer Aileen Cynthia Amurao. “We now need help from gemologists to fully certify it. But we believe Puerto Princesa is likely to earn another prestigious title and a record breaker for having the world’s biggest natural giant pearl from a giant clam.” Officials plan to keep the fisherman’s pearl in the Philippines in a bid to increase tourism to the area.
Giant clams, which rarely produce pearls, can grow as large as four feet in length and weigh 500 pounds. They’re typically found in the South Pacific or Indian Ocean.