A fisherman in the Philippines is happy as a clam after discovering that a mammoth pearl he stashed away for 10 years under his bed is worth a cool $100 million.
The lucky angler, who has not been identified, discovered the 75-pound pearl believed to be the biggest ever in the sea off Palawan Island, the Mirror of the U.K. reported.
Unaware of the giant pearlโs value, he kept it as a good-luck piece under his bed until a fire in his home forced him to move. The superstitious fishermen then decided to hand it over to the tourism office in remote Puerto Princesa, city officials said.
A stunned tourism officer determined that the pearl, measuring a foot wide and 2.2 feet long, dwarfs the official current record holder the $35 million, 14-pound Pearl of Allah, which in 1934 was also found off Palawan.
โThe fisherman threw the anchor down and it got stuck on a rock during a storm,โ tourism officer Aileen Cynthia Amurao explained. โHe noticed that it was lodged on a shell and swam down to pull up the anchor, and also brought the shell with him.
โHe didnโt know how much it was worth and kept it tucked away at home as a simple good-luck charm,โ she added.
Amurao told local media she has called on experts to authenticate the fortunate find.
โWe were amazed when he brought it to us,โ she said. โWe 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 worldโs biggest natural giant pearl from a giant clam.โ
An expert at Appraisers World Wide said pearls typically arenโt cut down into smaller pieces because theyโll lose their luster.
โI donโt know what kind of jewelry can be made out of [this pearl],โ he mused. โThis is probably a museum item.โ
The Pearl of Allah, also known as the Pearl of Lao Tzu, has been exhibited at the Ripleyโs Believe It or Not! in Times Square.
Officials plan to keep the fishermanโs 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. Theyโre typically found in the South Pacific or Indian Ocean.
