Woolley & Wallis to auction 33.15 carat natural pearl

One amongst the large natural pearls in the world ever to be auctioned will be part of the offerings of Woolley & Wallis, when the auction house holds its jewellery auction on May 1, 2014, reports say. The pearl is of 33.15 cts and has a maximum diameter of 17.44 mm. It carries a sale estimate of $419,000.

This pearl is derived from a private source and could well be the largest natural pearl in the world to have ever come up for sale by auction, reports say. The auction will also offer a Kashmir sapphire of 9.68 carats. Both the Kashmir sapphire and the natural saltwater pearl, with their exceptional size add to the importance of the auction, as rarely do round natural pearls over 10mm or any Kashmir sapphire over 5cts appear in the open market, reports add.