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If you’re a big fan of how a simple string of pearls looks or have been embracing pearl jewelry a lot more lately, you may be interested in learning about one of the world’s most fascinating and treasured pearls, the La Peregrina.
The La Peregrina is a pear-shaped pearl first discovered off Panama’s coast during the mid-16th century.
While it’s unclear exactly who found the pearl, the administrator of the Panama colony, Don Pedro de Temez, took the pearl to Spain with him and gifted it to King Phillip II of Spain, who then gave it to his bride, Queen Mary I of England.
Queen Mary I can be seen wearing the stunning pearl as part of a brooch in a famous portrait of her from 1554. After she died, her sister, Queen Elizabeth I of England, returned the pearl to the Kingdom of Spain, where it remained one of the crown jewels for 250 years.
The pearl was famous for its shape and remarkable size, weighing approximately 202.24 grains and measuring approximately 17.35 to 17.90 x 25.50 mm. To summarize, it’s a very heavy, big pearl!
In the 1800s, the pearl was then owned by Napoleon’s brother, Joseph Bonaparte of France, when he ruled Spain for a few years. It eventually made itsit’s way to England after being sold to the Duke of Abercorn as a gift for his wife, Duchess Louisa Hamilton.
After being owned by several monarchs, the pearl then made its way to a very iconic figure in American film and history, actress Elizabeth Taylor.
In 1969, when the Hamilton family put the pearl up for auction at Sotheby’s London, actor Richard Burton bought it for his then-wife, Elizabeth Taylor, for $37,000 to give to her as a Valentine’s Day present.
Elizabeth and Richard cherished Le Peregrina for years, as she proudly wore it and treasured it.
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