World's largest known freshwater pearl to be auctionned in The Hague

The world's largest known freshwater pearl, dubbed the "Sleeping Lion" due to its irregular shape, will be auctioned on Thursday (May 31) in The Hague.

The sellers, a commercial group called the Amsterdam Pearl Society, said the pearl had once been owned by Catherine the Great of Russia and believe it comes from China.

Along with its size and animal-like appearance, the pearl is renowned for its approximately 300-year history, during which it changed hands between colonial merchants, noble jewelers and European royals, including Catherine the Great.

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The Sleeping Lion will be sold at the Venduehuis auction house in The Hague on May 31, with top estimates valuing it at 540,000 euros ($632,000).

The pearl is of Chinese origin and is believed to have formed between 1700 and 1760, during the Qing dynasty, according to Venduehuis. 

Pearl expert Hanco Zwaan said the pearl is unique because it was formed in nature without any human intervention. One of the earliest accounts of the pearl was in the city archives of Amsterdam which called it the Sleeping Lion Pearl, and said it weighed 578 carats.

The pearl's current owner, Herman Dommisse, who is the chairman of the Amsterdam Pearl Society, said he decided to sell the pearl because it is an important piece of nature and should be exhibited in a museum.