'One of a kind' Abernethy Pearl goes on display

The Abernethy Pearl, Scotland’s largest freshwater pearl discovered in more than 400 years, has gone on display at the National Museum of Scotland. Found inside a mussel near the River Tay in 1967 by Bill Abernethy, the pearl measures 11mm in diameter, weighs 43.6 grains and is perfectly spherical. Purchased at auction for £94,000 by jeweller Alistir Wood Tait, it has now been donated to the museum. Experts say it took around 80 years to form, something unlikely to be repeated due to environmental pressures on freshwater mussels. It joins the Kellie Pearl in Scotland’s rare pearl history.