"The Ugliest Pearl in the World"

At 9.45 inches-yes INCHES-in diameter, and 14.1 pounds-yes POUNDS, the Pearl of Allah is also the Largest known Pearl.

Pearl of Allah


Most Pearls are formed in Oysters, yet all mollusks can create a pearl. Some not as pretty as others though. Clams do not layer the lustrous nacre over an irritant. "Clam Pearls"are more "porcellaneous", or porcelain-like. And are usually not round at all.

In 1934, Wilburn Cobb first heard of this HUGE Pearl and tried to buy it from a Tribal Chieftain on the Island of Palawan in the Philippines. He was turned down. Then in 1936, Cobb was GIFTED the Pearl out of gratitude for saving the same Chief's son from malaria.  He continued to own the Pearl until his death in 1979.

This is the story he told the Natural History Magazine.

In 1969, a "NEW" History of the Pearl came to light. More Fantastical.  More Mythical.  A True Chinese Artifact

According to Cobb he was approached by a gentleman, Mr Li, while the Pearl was on display. Li said that the "Pearl of Allah" was really the LOST "Pearl of Lao Tzu".

Myth says that this Pearl was grown from a much smaller Clam 2500 yrs ago when a Jade Amulet engraved with images of the Buddha and Confucius was implanted to create a Pearl that was to bring Peace and Harmony to all Mankind.  Over the years, legend has it that the Pearl was transferred to successively larger Clams as it outgrew it's host Clam.

Peace was not to be had, wars were fought over the Pearl, and in 1750 it was supposedly sent to the Philippines-still inside the Giant Clam-for safe keeping....And Lost at Sea.

While trying to retrieve a Giant Clam a young Muslim pearl diver was trapped by the Clam. When the body was recovered and the Clam opened, a pearl resembling the Image of Muhammad wearing a turban was revealed and worshipped.

There are a lot of signals that tell this story not to be true, BUT the story does help to drive the value of the Pearl...$93M in 2007

I am not going to go into any of the sordid, mundane details of the Pearl since Wilburn Cobb's passing. Just know that Wars-of a personal nature-continued to be fought over the "Pearl of Allah", or the lost "Pearl of Lao Tzu"