07/09/2026
History Monday - La Peregrina
From Spanish royalty to Hollywood royalty, La Peregrina has one of the most extraordinary histories of any pearl in the world.
Discovered in the Gulf of Panama in the 16th century, the magnificent pear-shaped natural pearl weighs approximately 50.56 carats and became part of the Spanish Crown Jewels, passing through generations of Spanish kings and queens.
Centuries later, in 1969, Richard Burton bought La Peregrina at auction for $37,000 and gave it to Elizabeth Taylor. She later worked with Al Durante of Cartier to create the spectacular necklace we know today, surrounding the historic pearl with pearls, rubies and diamonds. The finished Cartier necklace dates to 1972.
After Elizabeth Taylor’s death, La Peregrina was offered at Christie’s in 2011. Estimated at $2–3 million, it eventually sold for an astonishing $11,842,500, setting a world auction record at the time for both an historic pearl and a pearl jewel.
Almost 500 years of history in one extraordinary pearl.
