Pearl jewelry comes in all shapes and sizes … while there are plenty of affordable pieces, a person has to dream once in a while! We present some of history’s most famous pearls. These are made even more amazing by the fact that in centuries past, pearl farming techniques were not known, so each of these had to be found naturally.

The Abernathy Pearl - Biggest Scottish

This pearl was found in Scotland, in a local variety of mussel by a professional pearl diver in the Tay River. It is outstanding quality, and a natural freshwater pearl - very rarely found!

It was displayed for 30 years, until it was sold in 1992 … although we’ll never know how much for. It was a secret, they’re not telling us, nerny nerny ner ner!

The Arco Valley Pearl - Second Biggest Ever

This is widely thought to be the second biggest pearl ever found, and was reportedly given to Kubla Khan, Momgol ruler (who in Xanadu did a veritable pleasure dome erect), by Marco Polo. It was found again only recently, and auctioned in 2007. A European company owns it - it weighs 575 carats, or 2301 grains.

The Jomon Pearl - Oldest Pearl

The oldest known pearl in the world, it has been carbon dated at more than 5,500 years. And not a wrinkle or age spot on it! Hand cream and plenty of vegetables is the secret, boys and girls ;-). It was found near Japan, the region which the Jomon era of 10,000 to 300BC occured in.

Paspaley Pearl - Very large, near perfect

This saltwater pearl was found relatively recently off the coast of Australia, by Paspaley Pearling Co. It weighs 243 grains, or around 61 carats, so is not the largets, but is almost perfectly round, and has excellent luster and a beautiful surface for its size.

Pearl of Lao-tze

This is the largest pearl in the world, but there is a catch - it is not gem quality. It comes from a giant clam, and lacks the lustrous outer nacre that people prize in pearls. It has a wonderful abstract shape, rather like an ink-blot painting that doctors use to tell whether you are crazy…!