Pearl Maxima is one of the largest true pearls or

nacre Nacre ( , ), also known as mother of pearl, is an organicinorganic composite material produced by some molluscs as an inner shell layer; it is also the material of which pearls are composed. It is strong, resilient, and iridescent. Nacre is f ...

ous pearls in the world. This irregularly shaped pearl has a weight of 2385

grain A grain is a small, hard, dry fruit (caryopsis) – with or without an attached hull layer – harvested for human or animal consumption. A grain crop is a grain-producing plant. The two main types of commercial grain crops are cereals and legum ...

s (119.25 grams) and is 71 millimetres long. Its colour varies from cream to gold.Naturalis (2008). Reuzenparel twee weken te zien in Naturalis. Press Release dated 10 December 2008.

History

The first known owner of the pearl was Sir Hendrik Coenraad Sander, who auctioned the pearl in Amsterdam in 1778.A description and history of one of the largest nacreous pearls in the world. ''Journal of Gemmology'' 2009, vol. 31, no 5-8, pag. 196-202 The Polish count Plonsky from

Gdańsk Gdańsk ( , also ; ; csb, Gduńsk;Stefan Ramułt, ''Słownik języka pomorskiego, czyli kaszubskiego'', Kraków 1893, Gdańsk 2003, ISBN 83-87408-64-6. , Johann Georg Theodor Grässe, ''Orbis latinus oder Verzeichniss der lateinischen Benen ...

was the second known owner of the pearl. In 1865, King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy bought the pearl, but around 1868 he sold it to Willem van Kooten, a Dutch goldsmith from Amsterdam. Willem van Kooten inserted the Pearl Maxima into a golden basement with precious stones. The current owner bought it from the heirs of Willem van Kooten. Since its arrival in the Netherlands it has been on display only twice; the most recent time was from 19 December 2008 until 23 February 2009 in the National Museum of Natural History "

Naturalis Naturalis Biodiversity Center ( nl, Nederlands Centrum voor Biodiversiteit Naturalis) is a national museum of natural history and a research center on biodiversity in Leiden, Netherlands. It was named the European Museum of the Year 2021. Alth ...

" in Leiden, the Netherlands.

References

{{Reflist Pearls