The Peregrina Pearl is perhaps one of the most controversial jewels with the longest history of today. This pearl in the shape of a drop of water was owned by Liz Taylor, but previously belonged to the crown jewels of Spain. The pearl has followed a journey of travel, gifts and thefts until its last auction a few years ago.
Discovery of the Peregrina Pearl
The Peregrine Pearl was discovered in 1515 by a slave in Panama. Today, the region in which this strange pearl appeared belongs to Venezuela. It is known as “Pilgrim” for its strange appearance and that adjective was used in the past to highlight the strange nature of anything. Drop-shaped pearls were highly demanded due to their scarcity.
Diego de Tebes offered this pearl to King Felipe II of Spain, who included it among the crown jewels. There were many Spanish queens who were immortalized with the precious jewel. The last queen to wear it officially was Isabel de Borbón, the first wife of Felipe IV.
In 1808, José Bonaparte requests that all the jewels of the Spanish crown be delivered to him, after invading Spain and taking over the reign of the country. Julia Clary, Bonaparte’s wife, wore the jewel on several occasions. Upon her death, Napoleon Bonaparte was the heir to the Peregrine Pearl, who must have sold it for financial reasons. The Marquess of Abercorn was the one who bought the jewel in 1848.
Comings and goings of the famous jewel
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Abercorn family sells the Peregrina Pearl to an English jeweler. And in this way, the jewel was in the hands of a couple of jewelery collectors, until 1969, when it went up for auction.
Apparently, the Spanish Royal House wanted to stop that auction indicating that the Pilgrim Pearl that was offered was not authentic and showing another similar pearl, which was part of the crown jewels of Spain. It was a pearl that Alfonso XIII gave to his wife. Despite this, New York’s Parke Bennett auction house went ahead with the sale.
Today it is known that the bid was attended by numerous private collectors and Alfonso de Borbón, who bid for the jewel, without success. This is how the actor Richard Burton got hold of the Peregrine Pearl. He bought it as a gift to Liz Taylor, who kept it among her personal jewelry until the day she died.
History says that the second pearl bought by the Spanish Royal House is not the real one. Apparently, the Abercorn family offered the original to Alfonso XIII, who was unable to buy it due to not reaching an economic agreement, and it was then that he acquired the other one, which was shown in 1969.
Pilgrim Pearl Auction
At the end of 2011, the jewels of the late Elizabeth Taylor go up for auction. Among all the pieces was the prestigious Peregrina Pearl. It was 9 million euros that were paid for this jewel, which the actress set in a diamond necklace.
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