Filipino Fisherman May Have Kept the World’s Largest Pearl Under His Bed for Years Without Realizing It

Photo: Aileen Cynthia Maggay-Amurao/Facebook

More than 10 years ago a fisherman from the Philippines scooped up a giant pearl from the seafloor and kept it under his bed for good luck. Now experts are trying to authenticate the massive gem which if real could be worth upwards of $100 million.

The giant pearl measures 1 ft wide by 2.2 ft long and weighs in at a whopping 75 lbs (34 kg). If confirmed, it would be the largest natural pearl ever found, dwarfing the 14.1 lb Pearl of Lao Tzu, which was found in the Palawan Sea in the Philippines more than 75 years ago.

As local news reports, the new pearl was discovered by a Palawan fisherman more than a decade ago after his boat’s anchor snagged on a giant clam. Unaware of its value, the man kept it as a good luck charm underneath his bed. The gem went mostly forgotten until he went to move recently and gave it to a relative working at the city’s tourism office, who realized its potential significance and is now working with gemologists to authenticate it.

The pearl is currently on display at Puerto Princesa City Tourism Office as a tourism attraction.

Updated: November 8, 2023 (Originally published August 24, 2016)

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