We have a little cluster of these stories. I know the owner of the new, huge pearl, PM'd me. I am not sure he posted, though I thought he did. I have been searching through the old threads for a while and can't find it. The dude contacted me off the public part of the forum, but if he didn't actually post himself, I am not sure I have the right to post his email and my answer- if I knew where it was.
The info is now public domain and I want to follow anyone's progress at selling any one of these calcareous concretions. They aren't blister pearls and they aren't the gem pearls that come from the mantle of the Tri-gigas, so I am back to calling them calcareous concretions. So far, nada from any of these people with any kind of price.
If you read this interesting thread from the beginning, you will really understand why this is one subject where I try to break the illusions and lies, even if I sound really tough on the poster with the fantasy.
The only redemption for the Pearl of Allah, is to return it to the Philippines, telling the entire truth of the story. It is true that all the investors lose their money-but since they already have, they can all donate the thing to the biggest museum in Palawan, or the Philippine govt to set up as a tourist trap on Palawan, and for the investors to try to take some of it off their taxes.
Right now, no one has anything, so turning it into some kind of heartwarming publicity stunt with a pompous return of the object, might help the investors write off the "donation" - if any of them are still alive. As it is Mario Barbish has to fend off all the people who donated to his father. If there really is a "pearl" to return at all. I am not the only one who thinks the pearl may no longer exist- only porcelain replicas.
If I can think up a "return the pearl" stunt/scenario, then certainly a Barbish has at least considered it. Perhaps, the real reason Mario continues to cover for his deceased father and to stonewall investors, is that there is no way out, because there is no longer a pearl.
Well, this story has legs, doesn't it?
