List of pearls by size
Pearls are a valuable gemstone and come in a number of sizes. This is a list of the biggest pearls.
Context[edit]
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 a conulariid. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is composed of calcium carbonate (mainly aragonite or a mixture of aragonite and calcite)[1] in minute crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric layers. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other shapes, known as baroque pearl can occur.
The finest quality of natural pearls have been highly valued as gemstones and objects of beauty for many centuries. Because of this, pearl has become a metaphor for something rare, fine, admirable and valuable. The most valuable pearls occur spontaneously in the wild, but are extremely rare. These wild pearls are referred to as natural pearls. Cultured or farmed pearls from pearl oysters and freshwater mussels make up the majority of those currently sold. Whether wild or cultured, gem-quality pearls are almost always nacreous and iridescent, like the interior of the shell that produces them. However, almost all species of shelled mollusks are capable of producing pearls (technically "calcareous concretions") of lesser shine or less spherical shape.
There is a lot of myth and legend surrounding some of these pearls. The Pearl of Lao Tzu for a long time thought to be the largest pearl, but claims about its size and much of its history were found to be fabricated by a conman by the name of Victor Barbish.[2] Other pearls like the Centaur Pearl, most likely the largest gem pearl at 856.58 carats (171.316 g), have just recently emerged from private collections.[3]
List[edit]
| Name | Origin | Date | Color | Carat | Weight | Height | Length | Width | Notes | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centaur Pearl | 2000 | White [a] | 856.58 carats (171.316 g) | 114.3 mm (4.50 in) | 48.51 mm (1.910 in) [b] | [c] | [3] | |||
| Burma Pearl | 2000 | White | 845 carats (169.0 g) | [3] | ||||||
| Abalone pearl |  United States
|
May 31, 2010 | White | 718.50 carats (143.700 g) | 14 cm (5.5 in) | 8 cm (3.1 in) | 4 cm (1.6 in) | [d] | [4] | |
| Pearl of Asia |  Oman
|
1628 | White | 605 carats (121.0 g) | [e] | [5] | ||||
| Arco Valley Pearl | White [f] | 575 carats (115.0 g) | 79 mm (3.1 in) | 41 mm (1.6 in) | 34 mm (1.3 in) | [g] | [6] | |||
| Hope Pearl | White [h] | 450 carats (90 g) [i] | 50.8 mm (2.00 in) | 30.32 to 36.38 mm (1.194 to 1.432 in) [j] | [k] | [7] | ||||
| La Peregrina pearl |  Panama
|
1513 [l] | White | 50.56 carats (10.112 g) [m] [n] | 17.35 mm (0.683 in) | 17.90 mm (0.705 in) | 5.50 mm (0.217 in) | [o] | [9] [10] | |
| Giga Pearl |  Philippines
|
White [p] | 27.65 kg (61.0 lb) | 393.7 mm
(15.5 in)[11] |
228.6 mm
(9 in)[12] |
209.5 mm
(8.25 in)[13] |
[q] | [14] | ||
| Pearl of Lao Tzu | Philippines
|
1934 | White | 127,574 pearl grains | 6.4 kg (14 lb) | 24 cm (9.4 in) | 24 cm (9.4 in) | 24 cm (9.4 in) | [r] | [2] |
| Pearl of Puerto | Philippines
|
1996 | White | 34 kg (75 lb) | 67 cm (26 in) | 30 cm (12 in) | [15] | |||
| Sleeping Lion |  China
|
1765 | White | 119 grams (4.2 oz) | 6.858 cm (2.700 in) | [s] | [16] |
See also[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ^ Mauve, lavender, gray and bronze overtones with intense iridescence
- ^ Circumference is 152.4 mm (6.00 in) at its widest
- ^ Discovered in an antique sculpture of a centaur
- ^ Found by Dat Vi Truong in Mendocino, California, USA
- ^ Shah Jahan gave it to his wife Mumtaz Mahal of Taj Mahal fame. Later Persian Nadir Shah looted it and gave to Manchu emperor of China Qianlong and was buried with him. During Boxer Rebellion it was looted and in 1918 was sold to a French Father Souvay. Stolen in 1944 from Paris but later recovered. [5]
- ^ Pink and yellow overtones
- ^ Mongolian emperor Khubilai Khan reportedly gave it to Marco Polo
- ^ Grading from a dark bronze to white
- ^ 1800 grains
- ^ Circumfrance ranges from 95.25 mm (3.750 in) to 114.3 mm (4.50 in)
- ^ Owned by collector Henry Philip Hope
- ^ Sources claim a slave discovered the pearl but at the time no slaves were in the region
- ^ 202.24 grains
- ^ Other sources list it as 55.95 carats (11.190 g) 223.8 grains
- ^ Elizabeth Taylor set the pearl in a necklace that she sold for $8.8 million in 2011 (US$ 11,919,100 in 2024).[8]
- ^ White and cream-coloured
- ^ Owned by a Mississauga, Ontario, man Abraham Reyes's family since 1959
- ^ It is not considered a gemstone pearl, but is instead known as a "clam pearl" or "Tridacna pearl" from a giant clam
- ^ Is the world’s largest freshwater pearl and in 2018 sold for $374,000 at auction in the Hague, Netherlands
References[edit]
Citations[edit]
- ^ Farn 2013, p. 2.
- ^ a b LaPointe 2018.
- ^ a b c Matlins 2001, p. 17.
- ^ Guinness World Records 2019.
- ^ a b LIFE 1945, pp. 134–136.
- ^ Thomas 2009, p. 26.
- ^ Matlins 2001, pp. 16–17.
- ^ BBC News 2011.
- ^ Galante 2011.
- ^ Christie's 2011.
- ^ "GIA - Report Check". www.gia.edu. Retrieved 2020-11-14.
- ^ "GIA - Report Check". www.gia.edu. Retrieved 2020-11-14.
- ^ "GIA - Report Check". www.gia.edu. Retrieved 2020-11-14.
- ^ Gourley 2019.
- ^ Domonoske 2016.
- ^ Daley 2018.
Bibliography[edit]
- BBC News (December 14, 2011). "Elizabeth Taylor jewellery auction fetches $116m". BBC News. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
- Christie's (December 13, 2011). "SALE 2623: The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor: The Legendary Jewels, Evening Sale (I)". Christie's. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
- Daley, Jason (June 12, 2018). "The Odyssey of the World's Largest Freshwater Pearl". Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
- Domonoske, Camila (August 24, 2016). "Filipino Fisherman Reveals 75-Pound Pearl He Kept Hidden For A Decade". NPR. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
- Farn, Alexander E. (2013). Pearls: Natural, Cultured and Imitation. Elsevier. ISBN 9781483162737. - Total pages: 160
- Galante, Meredith (December 19, 2011). "A Funny Story About The Elizabeth Taylor Pearl That Set A World Record Last Week". Business Insider. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
- Gourley, Dayna (March 28, 2019). "Mississauga, Ont., man's been hiding what could be the world's largest pearl — now he wants to show it off". CBC News. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
- Guinness World Records (2019). "Largest abalone pearl". Guinness World Records. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
- LIFE (December 17, 1945). "French Police Get Back Biggest Pearl". LIFE Magazine. Time Inc. p. 136. ISSN 0024-3019. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
- Matlins, Antoinette L. (2001). The Pearl Book: The Definitive Buying Guide - How to Select, Buy, Care for and Enjoy Pearls. Gemstone Press. ISBN 9780943763354. - Total pages: 198
- LaPointe, Michael (June 1, 2018). "The world's largest pearl: fantastical tale of an 80-year hoax and the men and women who lost millions to its dubious charms". South China Morning Post. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
- Thomas, Alex (2009). The Pearl City. Dorrance Publishing. ISBN 9781434949028.
