A record-breaking giant pearl, reportedly 1ft wide and 2.2 ft in length, has gone on display 10 years after it was first discovered off the coast of Palawan Island, Philippines in 2006.
The £100m find, which experts believe could be the biggest natural giant clam pearl in the world, will be unveiled to the public, it was announced on Monday.
The enormous pearl was found by fisherman who cast down his anchor and it got wedged on a rock during a storm, said Tourism officer Aileen Cynthia Amurao. The find is thought to be five times larger than the previous record set by the Pearl of Allah, which was also found near Palawan Island in 1939.
"He noticed that it was lodged on a shell and swam down to pull up the anchor, and also brought the shell with him. This was a decade ago and he kept it at home.
"He didn't know how much it was worth and kept it tucked away at home as a simple good luck charm.
"We were amazed when he brought it to us. We now need help from gemologists to fully certify it. We're waiting for authentication from Gemologist Institute and other international authorities.
Giant clams can reach over four feet in length and very rarely produce pearls, making this discovery extremely rare.
That's a big perl.
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