A fisherman in the Philippines hid a 75-pound (34-kilogram) pearl under his bed for luck for a decade before learning that the gem could be worth $100 million.
The massive pearl beats out the current record holder for the biggest natural pearl ever discovered — the Pearl of Lao Tze, valued at just $35 million and weighing less than 15 pounds — by a long shot. Interestingly, both pearls were discovered in the sea off Palawan Island, according to Forbes.
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The Daily Mail reports the lucky fisherman found the larger pearl when an anchor got stuck on a giant clam (Tridacna gigas). When he pulled it aboard, the pearl was revealed.
Giant clams, which can weigh more than 440 pounds (200 kilograms) and have an average lifespan of over 100 years in the wild, are one of the most endangered clam species.
Convinced the pearl would bring good luck, the fisherman stashed it under his bed, where it stayed for 10 years, until a recent fire burned down his home — but the pearl survived. Officials in the Philippines have verified the pearl’s weight.
Pearls are usually found in oysters, but clams can produce a specific type, called nacreous pearls, which have high commercial value.
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