La Peregrina: The Pearl Worth a Mansion
From royal courts to Elizabeth Taylor – and an $11 million sale
Some jewels are just beautiful. Others carry entire histories within them.
La Peregrina is one of those rare objects. Discovered over 500 years ago in the Gulf of Panama, this perfectly shaped pearl passed through the hands of Spanish kings, English queens, and European nobility before landing in the jewellery box of Elizabeth Taylor.
In 2011, it sold for over 11 million dollars. Enough to buy a mansion in Beverly Hills. But it’s true value lies not just in its price, but in the centuries of power, longing and love stories woven around it.
This is the story of a pearl that was never just an ornament. It was a legacy.
La Peregrina was discovered in the early 16th century off the coast of Panama. Its name means “The Pilgrim” or “The Wanderer” in Spanish, fitting for a pearl that would travel across continents and centuries.
The pearl weighed 55.95 carats, remarkable not only for its size but for its perfect pear shape and lustre. According to legend, it was found by an enslaved African diver, who was granted his freedom as a reward for bringing such a treasure to the Spanish colonial authorities.
From Panama, it was sent to King Philip II of Spain. For the royal court, this pearl was more than adornment. It was a symbol of the empire’s reach, proof of the riches flowing from the New World to Europe.
La Peregrina became part of the Spanish Crown Jewels, destined to be worn by queens and immortalised in portraits that signalled power and divine right.
After arriving in Spain, La Peregrina quickly became a favourite among royal women. It was worn by Mary I of England, better known as Bloody Mary, after her marriage to King Philip II. Portraits from her reign show the pearl hanging from elaborate chokers, resting against heavy Tudor gowns.
For Mary, the pearl was more than a jewel. It was a statement of her connection to Spain, Europe’s most powerful empire at the time, and a symbol of her authority as queen.
When it returned to Spain after her death, La Peregrina continued its journey through generations of Spanish queens. It adorned ceremonial dresses, featured in royal portraits, and travelled with its owners to courts across Europe.
Over centuries, the pearl became layered with meaning – from its discovery by an enslaved diver, to its place in royal regalia, to its eventual auction under flashing cameras. Each owner added to its story, making it far more than a beautiful gem. It became an object of history, politics, and desire.
In 1969, La Peregrina entered a new chapter. It was purchased at auction by Richard Burton for $37,000 as a Valentine’s Day gift for Elizabeth Taylor. At the time, Taylor and Burton were one of the world’s most famous couples, known for their passionate, tumultuous relationship and extravagant gifts.
For Taylor, La Peregrina wasn’t just a jewel to wear on red carpets. She treated it with deep reverence, studying its history and commissioning Cartier to design a necklace that would do justice to its beauty. The final piece featured La Peregrina alongside rubies, diamonds, and smaller pearls in an elaborate yet balanced setting.
One of the most famous stories about the pearl happened shortly after she received it. While staying at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, Taylor lost the pearl in her suite. Frantic, she searched the room until she saw her small dog chewing on something under a chair. To her horror, it was the priceless pearl – intact, but with faint bite marks that only she would ever notice.
For Taylor, La Peregrina was more than a symbol of wealth. It was a link to centuries of queens before her, a piece of history she could hold in her hands and wear against her skin.
After Elizabeth Taylor’s death in 2011, La Peregrina went to auction as part of her legendary jewellery collection. Collectors and museums from around the world watched as one of history’s most famous pearls came under the hammer.
At Christie’s New York sale, La Peregrina sold for $11.8 million USD. To put that into perspective, this single pearl necklace was worth more than many luxury homes in Beverly Hills or London. Its final price far exceeded the original estimate, driven not only by the pearl’s rarity and beauty, but also by Taylor’s own provenance – her ownership adding another layer to its story.
For the buyer, it wasn’t just a purchase. It was the acquisition of a living piece of history. A jewel that had touched the necks of queens and one of Hollywood’s greatest icons. Its value was not merely in its materials, but in the centuries of power, love and the silent call of ownership it carried within.
La Peregrina is more than a pearl.
Its journey reminds us that the true value of an object lies not just in its beauty or rarity, but in the lives it touches and the histories it carries. From a diver in Panama to Spanish queens, from royal courts to Hollywood’s brightest star, it has been a witness to centuries of power, love, and desire.
In the end, jewels like La Peregrina are not just ornaments. They are stories made tangible, small pieces of eternity we can hold in our hands.
See you soon.
—Dibyanshu.