BONHAMS TO SELL WORLD'S SECOND-LARGEST PEARL

BONHAMS & BUTTERFIELDS, LOS ANGELES, WILL BE AUCTIONING OFF WHAT IS BELIEVED TO BE THE WORLD'S SECOND-LARGEST DOCUMENTED PEARL, A FIVE-POUND GEM FOUND OFF THE COAST OF THE PHILIPPINES THAT HAS BEEN DUBBED THE 'PALAWAN PRINCESS'. THE NATURAL NON-NACREOUS PEARL WAS FOUND IN SALTWATER NEAR THE PHILIPPINES' PALAWAN ISLAND AND 'BEARS AN UNCANNY RESEMBLANCE TO A HUMAN BRAIN', THE AUCTION HOUSE SAID IN A RECENT STATEMENT. BOTH RARE AND IMMENSE, THE GEM IS THOUGHT TO BE SURPASSED IN SIZE ONLY BY THE 14-POUND 'PEARL OF ALLAH', AN APPROXIMATELY 31,893.5 CARAT PEARL THAT WAS ALSO FOUND OFF THE COASTAL WATERS OF THE PHILIPPINES. THE APPROXIMATELY 11,339 CARAT PALAWAN PRINCESS IS A BLISTER PEARL MEASURING SIX INCHES IN DIAMETER AND IS ACCOMPANIED BY THE LOWER HALF OF ITS ORIGINAL GIANT CLAM SHELL, WHICH SHOWS THE POINT OF ATTACHMENT WHERE THE PEARL FORMED. THE PEARL, WHICH WILL BE ON THE AUCTION BLOCK AT BONHAMS & BUTTERFIELDS' 6.DECEMBER HOLIDAY AUCTION OF NATURAL HISTORY IN LOS ANGELES, IS VALUED AT $300,000 TO $400,000