Naive fisherman had a $100 million fortune right under his bed — didn't know about it for 10 years

Recognizing precious items is an art. This is why some things that are worth a lot are often hidden in plain sight. A fisherman in the Philippines kept a pearl under his bed for a decade. The enormous pearl, which could be the largest natural pearl ever found, is 30 cm wide and 67 cm long and weighs an incredible 75 pounds.

The evaluators confirmed that it was actually formed inside a giant clam, and it could make the man a millionaire overnight. According to Palawan News, the fisherman from Puerto Princesa found it over a decade ago while he was fishing in the sea. The local news outlet later reported that he found it when his boat's anchor caught on a giant clam and he had to jump into the water to separate the two.

However, when he found the pearl, he kept it as a good luck charm and stowed it under his bed. It was when he moved to another party that he gave this pearl to his aunt. Aileen Cynthia Maggay-Amurao works at the local government as a tourism officer, and he brought it over to her. “That’s why he brought it to me since it’s quite heavy," she told The Guardian. 

She later went to experts to authenticate the pearl. "So far based on our research in the web we cannot find any recorded article about this kind and as big as this size. He said every time he goes out for fishing, he will touch the pearl."

However, it is confirmed that because it had come from a giant clam it would be valued at more than $100 million which can make the man a millionaire overnight. For the time being, the aunt with the man's permission gave their mayor Lucilo R Bayon the pearl as a tourist attraction. It is currently sitting in New Green City Hall in Puerto Princesa.

In his aunt's quest to find the value of the pearl, she asked experts on Facebook, “The Puerto Princesa City would likely earn another prestigious title and a record breaker for having the world’s biggest natural giant pearl from a giant clam (34 kilograms) after being certified for its authenticity. "Need help from a gemologist! "Just for the info of everyone, all recorded giant pearls in the world came from Palawan waters." 

She also urged people to raise awareness about the pearl and surrounding areas. If the pearl is found to be authentic, it'll beat the world's current biggest pearl which was discovered by a local diver from Brooke’s Point in Palawan, dubbed the Pearl of Lao Tzu. This one was found back in 1939 and weighed 14 pounds. If this one's actual it will surpass the weight of the previous one by 66 pounds.

Pearls are the only gems in the world that are found and grown inside a living organism. Most are found inside oysters and scarcely found in clams making this clam-found pearl even rarer. The pearl had been displayed in the country many times as mentioned.

This article originally appeared 2 months ago.