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Fisherman Kept World’s Biggest Pearl Worth £76m As A Good Luck Charm

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A fisherman in the Philippines has been hoarding a giant pearl for ten years with no idea that it is the world’s biggest example of the gem.

The unidentified man found the monster pearl off the coast of Palawan Island around ten years ago and took it home as a good luck charm.

Although it’s yet to be fully certified, the mega-jewel dwarfs the world’s current record holder, weighing in at 34kg and measuring 1ft wide by 2.2ft long.

The comparatively tiny 6.4kg Pearl of Allah, which is worth an estimated $100 million (that’s around £76 million), is currently on display in New York at Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! exhibition.

After a fire at his wooden home earlier this year, the fisherman handed the pearl in to his local tourism officer who was left agog after learning that it was found inside a giant clam.

Tourism officer Aileen Cynthia Amurao said: “The fisherman threw the anchor down and it got stuck on a rock during a storm.

"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.

"But we believe Puerto Princesca is likely earn another prestigious title and a record breaker for having the world’s biggest natural giant pearl from a giant clam.

"We will keep this here in the Philippines and I hope it will bring more tourists to the city.”

Image: SWNS