The Giga Pearl holds the record as the largest certified non-nacreous pearl 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 (formerly the Pearl of Allah) which weighs 6.4 kg.
It is valued at $100 Million. The pearl, which has not yet been named, beats the current “world's largest” pearl known to exist: the Pearl of Allah (sometimes called the Pearl of Lao Tze), which is valued at $35 million and weighs less than 15 pounds. That pearl was also found off Palawan in the Philippines in 1934.
The largest perfectly spherical, saltwater, nacreous pearl in existence is the 60.94-carat (243.76 grains) Paspaley Pearl .
Insurance appraisers have placed the value of The Giga Pearl at somewhere between $60 million and $90 million, according to Reyes. “It's priceless to me,” Reyes told CBC Toronto. “I believe the world should know that it does exist.
Gold Pearls
One of the largest and rarest pearls found around the world is Gold in color. They are Golden South Sea pearls, cultured in the Philippine Islands.
The lip determines the pearl color. While the white pearls are also priced by jewelers, the gold pearl variety is the most coveted color. The gold South sea pearl's color can range from creamy white to deep gold, and the darker the color, the more expensive it becomes.
Essentially the better a pearl scores for these 7 standards the higher in value it is and the more complex it was to produce. Some of the world's most expensive pearls are so notoriously difficult to successfully produce and harvest that they are 'rarer than gold'.
A black pearl can also be formed from a white pearl-producing oyster that has an unusual black colouring in its nacre. This, however, is very rare and occurs in only one in 10,000 pearls.
Pearls tend to be significantly less expensive in comparison to diamonds, offering a more affordable option for budget-conscious couples.
The Giga Pearl came into the hands of its current owner Abraham Reyes via his aunt, who was gifted a giant clam called a Tridacna gigas, purchased from a Filipino fisherman in 1959 by Reyes' grandfather.
Some pearls can develop in a period of six months. Larger pearls can take up to four years to develop. This is one of several reasons why larger pearls can yield higher values. Pearl farmers must have immense patience to wait for a pearl inside an oyster shell to develop.
South Sea. South Sea pearls are often referred to as the Rolls Royce of pearls. They are the largest and most valuable pearls grown today, with average sizes ranging from 10 to 15 millimeters. South Sea pearls grow in a large pearl oyster native to Australia, the Philippines, Myanmar and Indonesia.
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.
How much is a black pearl worth. Black pearls are one of the rarest and most unique colored pearls, which usually cost between $250 – $30,000.
Pearls are made by marine oysters and freshwater mussels as a natural defence against an irritant such as a parasite entering their shell or damage to their fragile body. The oyster or mussel slowly secretes layers of aragonite and conchiolin, materials that also make up its shell.
Fine quality freshwater pearls can fetch between $65 and $5,000, or more in certain cases. Natural saltwater pearls are grown in Pinctada radiata and Pinctada margaritifera oysters in the Arabian Gulf and are incredibly rare and sought-after. Their values can vary widely between $500 and $2,000 or more per pearl!
Nacre (/ˈneɪkər/ NAY-kər, also /ˈnækrə/ NAK-rə), also known as mother of pearl, is an organic–inorganic composite material produced by some molluscs as an inner shell layer. It is also the material of which pearls are composed.
Most people appreciate how pearls come in a variety of sizes and colors. Yet few are aware of blue pearls, one of the most unique wonders of the world, arguably, the rarest of all pearl colors.
The rarest mineral on Earth is kyawthuite. Only one crystal, found in the Mogok region of Myanmar, is known to exist. Caltech's mineral database describes it as a small (1.61-karat) deep orange gemstone that the International Mineralogical Association officially recognized in 2015.
Tanzanite is a shocking 1000 times more rare than a diamond. Discovered for the first time in 1967 and only found in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro, these gemstones go for about $1,500 per carat. Tanzanite has the ability to change color depending on the angle of light it is in.
There are many gems that are more valuable than diamonds. Emeralds, sapphires, rubies, garnets, and alexandrite, just to name a few.
Today, natural pearls are extremely rare. Only 1 in about 10,000 wild oysters will yield a pearl and of those, only a small percentage achieve the size, shape and colour desirable to the jewellery industry.
There are different classes of oysters
While true oysters can make pearls, they are typically not gem quality, and pearl oysters tend to live deep in the ocean out of fishing range, according to Food Republic.
Akoya pearls are the preeminent cultured pearls. They are the pearls that the Mikimoto brand popularized. Prized by royalty and pearl connoisseurs for centuries, Akoya pearls have long been coveted for their perfectly round shape, richness, and deep luster.