An unidentified Filipino fisherman living in the tourist haven island of Palawan to the west of Manila has made public what might be the world's largest pearl, a 34 kilogram (75 pound) behemoth he kept under his bed for a decade as a good luck charm. He didn't know it was a pearl.

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The pearl, named the "Pearl of Puerto" in honor of Puerto Princesa, the capital city of Palawan, is reportedly worth over $100 million. If gemologist do confirm it's really a true pearl, the Pearl of Puerto will also be the most expensive ever found. The pearl, which looks like a giant clam, is now on display in Palawan under heavy guard.

For its anonymous finder, the pearl will translate into $4.6 billion pesos, making him one of the Philippines' few billionaires and the first to make a fantastic fortune from a single gem.

The authenticity of the pearl, however, must be verified by a gemologist for it to be named the world's largest, a process that is likely to take place given the immense worldwide publicity this incredible find has generated.

Experts will likely use x-rays to peer inside the pearl to its center so they can count the gem's growth rings to estimate how long the giant clam worked to make this gigantic gem.

Media reports said the Filipino fisherman caught a giant clam on his anchor 10 years ago. He found the pearl after diving into the water to dislodge the clam.

The man kept the object, which he didn't know was a pearl, beneath his bed as a good-luck charm and touching it before he went fishing. He turned it over to his aunt, identified as Aileen Cynthia Maggay-Amurao, who put the giant pearl on display at the Puerto Princesa City Tourism office where she works. She's now asking for gemologists to prove the pearl's authenticity.

All recorded giant pearls in the world came from the waters off Palawan. The current world-record holder, a pearl weighing 24.7 kg (54 pounds), was found in Palawan's waters in 2014.

Tagspearl, Palawan, Pearl of Puerto, Puerto Princesa, Philippines, fisherman