The Giga Pearl holds the record as the largest certified non-

nacreous Nacre ( , ), also known as mother of pearl, is an organicinorganic composite material produced by some molluscs as an inner shell layer; it is also the material of which pearls are composed. It is strong, resilient, and iridescent. Nacre is ...

pearl A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is composed of calcium carb ...

in the world. The pearl weighs in at 27.65 kg (60-lb 15-oz) and measures 39.37 cm (15.5 in) x 22.86 cm (9 in) x 20.95 cm (8.25 in), which is four times larger than the

Pearl of Lao Tzu The Pearl of Lao Tzu (also referred to as Pearl of Lao Tze) was once considered the largest known pearl. The pearl was found in the Palawan sea, which surrounds the island of Palawan in the Philippines, and was found by a Filipino diver. It is not ...

(formerly the Pearl of Allah) which weighs 6.4 kg. There have been claims of "the world's largest pearl" in recent years, however, only the Giga Pearl holds the title on record as the worlds largest GIA (

Gemological Institute of America The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) is a nonprofit institute based in Carlsbad, California. It is dedicated to research and education in the field of gemology and the jewelry arts. Founded in 1931, GIA's mission is to protect buyers and ...

) certified natural blister pearl, making it indisputably the largest in the world.

Origin

The Giga Pearl is owned by Abraham Reyes, a natural pearl and antiquities collector in Canada. Reyes comes from the rank of avid collectors. His great aunt, who is in her late 90s, is a major collector of Asian artifacts in the Philippines. The pearl was given to his great aunt by his grandfather who came to visit her in Manila and brought a giant clam as a gift or ''

pasalubong ''Pasalubong'' ( Tagalog, " omethingfor when you welcome me") is the Filipino tradition of travellers bringing gifts from their destination to people back home. ''Pasalubong'' can be any gift or souvenir brought for family or friends after bei ...

'', a custom in Filipino culture. The Giga Pearl was formed by a ''

Tridacna gigas The giant clams are the members of the clam genus ''Tridacna'' that are the largest living bivalve mollusks. There are actually several species of "giant clams" in the genus ''Tridacna'', which are often misidentified for ''Tridacna gigas'', th ...

'' which is the largest mollusc in the fossil record. These giant clams can grow up to approximately four and a half feet (1.3 m) wide and can weigh up to approximately 550 pounds (250 kg). They are found in the eastern Indian Ocean and west Pacific Ocean, from Thailand and western Australia eastward to Micronesia. The Giga Pearl with Octopus 2018

Value

The Giga Pearl is reported to be worth $60–$200 million USD. The pearl is currently being displayed in an octopus sculpture gilded in 22k gold by artist Bethany Krull.

References

{{reflist Pearls Gemology Jewellery