One of the world's largest pearls - Giga Pearl - was found in the Philippines. It is shaped like a dinosaur tooth and is valued at $90 million.
For the previous sixty years, the pearl was a family heirloom, and is now in the possession of one of the family members, Abraham Reyes. In 1959, Reyes' grandfather bought a shellfish from a simple Filipino fisherman as a gift to his daughter, Abraham's aunt.
The shell was opened and a cream-colored formation was found inside, but then the family members did not think that it had any value. Some of them did not even realize that it could be pearls. Reyes himself and his aunt have always had a passion for collecting antiques and works of art.
In 2016, Reyes' aunt decided to divide her property among relatives. Directly Abraham got pearls and 15 thousand Oriental and Filipino antiques in addition.
Reyes himself is involved in the marketing of minerals. The man carefully kept the pearl for several years in a safe place, until he managed to show the treasure to the gemologist. Experts from the Gemological Institute of America GIA rated the 34-year-old Mississauga resident as the largest blister pearl. Blister pearls are distinguished by the fact that they grow attached to the inner shell of the shell.
The most amazing mollusks live in the waters of the Philippines - Giant Tricorns. These largest individuals, according to fossil studies, are capable of producing pearls of impressive size. The length of the shell of these mollusks can reach one meter, and the weight sometimes exceeds two hundred kilograms. Apparently, it was one of these mollusks that gave rise to the pearl-record holder.
Insurers named the price of a giant pearl - from 60 to 90 million dollars. Reyes admitted that he would like to show it in museums and galleries around the world. Now the jewel is displayed in tandem with a 22-carat gold-plated octopus, created by New York sculptor Bethany Krall.
A similar case of an unexpected discovery is not the only one. So, in 2016, a Filipino fisherman from the province of Puerto Princesa discovered a 34-kilogram pearl during his work shift: his anchor was stuck in a giant shell. The man kept the find for ten years under his own bed, believing that it brings him good luck. Each time he set sail again, he touched the shell to attract fortune and protect himself.
After a while, the fisherman was forced to leave his native province, but he did not have the opportunity to take the pearl with him. He handed it over to a relative, Eileen Cynthia Maggei-Amurao, who worked for the city's tourism company, and asked her to protect his talisman.
The woman quickly realized that such a miracle would attract many tourists. The man, of course, allowed to show the world his find. Now the pearl, which has been named Puerto Princesa, flaunts in the city's showroom.
