Two local fishermen in Thailand have found an incredibly rare orange pearl worth nearly $330,000, according to the New York Post.
Brothers Hatchai Niyomdecha, 37, and Worachat Niyomdecha, 35, from Thailand, were out on a walk when they noticed a discarded buoy that had washed up on the shore of a nearby beach in the Si Thammarat province.
They decided to pick up the buoy and take it home, as it had three shells stuck to it and they wanted to see what was inside.
Hatchai and his brother took the shells to their dad Bangmad, 60, who gave them a clean and made the discovery of the pearl, not yet knowing its worth.
The tangerine-hued pearl, which is about the width of a dime and weighs 7.68 grams, was found in the Melo Melo sea snail, as opposed to typical oyster pearls. These exceedingly rare pearls, formed in a gastropod native to Asian waters, can be found in shades from tan or brown to the more coveted orange color, and take many more years to form than standard pearls.
It wasn’t long until the family found out that the random discovery was actually an ultra-rare gem, known as the orange Melo pearl.
Experts told the family it could fetch them up to 10 million baht ($330,000).
The father believes he was subconsciously sent to the beach to find the rare pearl, as he explained that a strange dream a few days prior gave him a sign of what was to come.
He said: “An old man in white with a long mustache told me to come to the beach so I can receive a gift, I think he led me to find the pearl.”
Hatchai and his family aren’t very wealthy so the money they could fetch from the sale of the rare gem would be life-changing for them.
He and his wife want to sell the pearl for the highest possible amount and have already lined up buyers.
Hatchai added: “I want to sell the pearl for the highest price. The money won’t just change my life, it will change my destiny. My whole family will have better lives.”
In Hatchai’s eyes, the old man from his dream was a deity – a god-like figure – who was sent to help him and his family out of poverty.
A wealthy businessman from another part of Thailand has already gotten in touch with the family, offering to take the Melo pearl off their hands for one million baht, which equates to around $33,000, but the Niyomdecha family turned down his offer.
They knew the pearl could get them a much higher amount, so the offers started coming in, with one luxury items collector offering a whopping five million baht.
However, the most impressive bid is from a potential buyer from China.
He is negotiating with the family to buy the pearl for the very tidy sum of 10 million baht ($330,000).
The buyer will fly out to Thailand next week and will need to undergo the required two-week quarantine before reaching Hatchai’s home to inspect the pearl.