Off the shores of the Philippines, a fisherman discovered a very large, misshapen pearl. It was not pretty. It looked more like an amoeba, with blobs and folds everywhere. He took the unusual find home and stowed it under his bed. When he moved ten years later he gave it to one of his relatives for safe keeping. The relative was part of the local tourism office. The 75 lb.-170,000 carat pearl is on display in the city hall of Puerto Princesa. It happens to be the world’s largest pearl, with an estimated worth of roughly $100 million. Continue reading →