The world’s largest pearl, valued at as much as $90 million, has been discovered in… Mississauga, Ontario?
That’s right. A family in the Toronto suburb of Mississauga has unveiled what is believed to be the world's biggest natural pearl – weighing in at 27.65 kilograms, four times the weight of the Lao-Tzu Pearl, also called the Pearl of Allah, which had previously held the record as the world's biggest pearl.
Appraisers, who have valued the pearl at between $60 million and $90 million, say it is the size of a baby and have dubbed it the "Giga Pearl." Abraham Reyes, 34, who received the pearl from an elderly aunt a few years ago as an heirloom says he didn’t realize it was a pearl at all.
“It doesn't look like a pearl,” said Reyes in media interviews.
Ironically, Reyes works in Toronto as a professional mineral broker.
Apparently, Reyes’ grandfather brought the giant pearl to Canada when he was visiting Toronto from Manila in the Philippines back in 1959. The grandfather brought a giant clam as a gift, or “pasalubong,” a custom in Filipino culture. The giant pearl was inside the giant clam that came from a fisherman in Camiguin, a small island southeast of Manila, that is surrounded by volcanoes and deep water.
It was eventually suggested to Reyes by other family members that he get the pearl authenticated to see what, in fact, it is. He had it tested at the Gemological Institute of America in New York City. They told Reyes that it is a pearl and is likely more than 1,000 years old.
Despite its value, Reyes says he plans to display the pearl in a museum for other people to see and enjoy.
