Famous Pearls

The Pearl of Lao-tze

The Pearl of Lao-tze is the largest pearl in the world, though it is not a gem quality (nacreous) pearl and comes from a giant clam(Tridacna gigas). It was found by an anonymous Filipino diver off the island of Palawan in. In 1936, Wilbur Dowell Cobb received this pearl as a gift by a chieftain of Palawan for saving the life of his son.

The Gogibus Pearl

This pearl is said to have been the largest pearl in Europe. In 1620, it was brought to Spain from the West Indies by Francois Gogibus who sold it to King Philip IV. The King had it mounted on a button on the royal cap.

This pear-shaped pearl weighs 126 carats.

The Pearl of Asia

Pearl of Asia

The Pearl of Asia was most likely harvested from the Persian Gulf in the late 16th or early 17th century. Shah Jahan, the ruler of the Mughal Empire from 1628 to 1658 and builder of the Taj Mahal, gave this pearl to his wife. Later it was among the treasures seized by the King of Persia, Nadir Shar after the besieged Delhi in 1739. Later, he gave it to the Chinese Emperor Qianlong who had it put in his tomb. Grave robbers stole it in 1900. Eventually, it surfaced in Hong Kong and was eventually sold in Paris. It currently resides in a private collection, but has been displayed at the Smithsonian.

The Pearl of Asia is roughly pear shaped and weighs 2,400 grains (600 carats).

The Big Pink Pearl

The Big Pink Pearl holds the records as the largest natural abalone pearl ever found in the Guiness book of World Records. It was found by a man named Wesley Rankin in 1990 in Salt Point State Park in Petaluma California.

The Big Pink Pearl is a baroque pearl that was valued at $4.7 million dollars in 1991 and weighs 470 carats.

The Hope Pearl

The Hope pearl

Considered to be one of the largest saltwater pearls in existence, the Hope Pearl was first acquired by Henry Philip Hope in the 19th century. Hope was a banker and collector of gems whose collection contained nearly 150 natural pearls. He was also an owner of the Hope Diamond to which he also lent his name.

The pearl remained in the Hope collection at a South Kensington Museum for many years before it was sold at auction by Christie's in 1886. In 1913 it was appraised at $17,000. In 1974, it was offered for private sale for $200,000 and purchased by H.E. Mohammed Mahdi Al-Tajir. It has since been sold and is the property of a private collector. Though, it has also been reported to be on display at the British Museum of Natural History.

The Hope pearl is a white drop-shaped freshwater blister pearl of 1,800 grains (450 carats). It has a dark bronze coloration on the bottom.

The Pearl of Kuwait

The Pearl of Kuwait is generally regarded as the sixth largest pearl. It is bell shaped and most likely comes from the Persian Gulf. It is believed to have been found and set as the centerpiece of a necklace the 19th century. It was sold on the London market in 2004. It weighs 257.41 grains (64.35 carats).

The Jomon Pearl

The Jomon pearl is the oldest known pearl in the world. It dates back more than 5,500 years, and is named after a period in Japanese history (the Jomon era which lasted from 10,000 to 300BC). It has been dated using archaeological evidence found at the same site.

La Peregrina

La Peregrina(The Pilgrim)

This pearl was reportedly found in the Gulf of Panama in the 16th century. Legend holds that it was found by a slave who was given his freedom as a reward for finding it. It then found its way to the possession of King Phillip II of Spain who gave it to Queen Mary Tudor. Later it wound up back in the possession of the Spanish royals. Later it was sold to the British Marquis of Abercorn by son of Napoleon III. It had a habit of getting lost and found as it easily fell out of its setting and did so three times. In 1969 it was bought by actor Richard Burton for $37,000 and given to his wife Elizabeth Taylor for Valentines Day. She also lost it, but later found it in her dog's mouth.

It is a pear shaped white drop pearl that weighs 202.28 grains (50.6 carats). Currently, it is set in a necklace with diamonds, rubies, and other pearls. The necklace was designed by Cartier inspired by a portrait of Mary Queen of Scots.

The Drexel Pearl

The exact origin of the Drexel Pearl is unknown, but it is likely that it was found in French Polynesia then found its way back to France. In 1905, a wealthy philanthropist named Mary S. Irick Drexel commissioned Cartier of America make the Belle Epoque pendant-brooch which incorporated the Drexel Pearl.

The Drexel pearl is a dark grey pearl with pink overtones. It is drop shaped and weighs 135.2 grains (33.8 carats).

The Abernathy Pearl

Nicknamed "The Little Willie Pearl", this freshwater pearl was found in the River Tay in 1967 and is considered the most perfect pearl ever discovered in Scotland. It was discovered by a professional pearl diver named Bill Abernathy, who gave the pearl both it official name and nickname. It rested in a jewelry store in Carincross for nearly thirty years until it was sold in 1992.

The Paspaley Pearl

The Paspaley Pearl was discovered in the waters off Australia's northern coast in 2002. It is a nearly perfectly round while pearl with a pinkish luster. It was named for the company that found it. It weighs 243.76 grains (60.94 carats).

Gresham Pearl

The story of this pearl is very similar to that of Cleopatra. It is said that this pearl was crushed into a glass of wine by Thomas Gresham to win a wager. Apparently, the merchant bet the Spanish ambassador that he could provide the most expensive feast for Queen Elizabeth. It is said that the pearl was worth fifteen thousand pounds.

The Arco Valley Pearl

The Acro Valley Pearl is a baroque pearl that was given to Kublai Kahn by Marco Polo. It is considered to be the second biggest pearl ever. The pearl resurfaced in May of 2007 when it came up for auction in Abu Dhabi. A collector from the United Arab Emirates claims he bought the pearl from a French owner for 8 million dollars, but, in fact, it was still owned by a European company as of August 2008.

The Acro Valley Pearl is white with pink overtones and weighs 2301 grains (575 carats).

The Huerfana (The Orphan)

The Huerfana was found in the Gulf of Panama and was apparently loose on the sea bed (not in an oyster). It was part of the Spanish Crown Jewels. It was owned at one time by Isabel de Bobadilla, the first woman governor of Cuba. It is thought to have been destroyed durina fire at the Spanish Palace in the 18th Century. It was said to have weighed 31 carats.

King Charles I

Charles I Pearl

This pearl can be seen in portraits of King Charles I hanging from his left ear. The pearl was apparently stolen when the king was beheaded and the crowd swarmed his body.

Charles II Pearl

This pearl was found in 1691 and given to King Charles II by a native of the Canary Islands. It was reported to have weighed 130 grains and was remarkably similar to La Peregrina, so similar, in fact, that they were put together for a set of earrings. These earrings were worn by women of the Royal family. The Pearls was apparently destroyed in a 1734 fire that destroyed much of the Madrid palace.

La Pellegrina (The Incomparable)

A whole book has been written about this single pearl. In 1818, G.Fisher de Waldheim, vice-president of the Imperial Medico-Chirurgical Academy, wrote a 48 page book dedicated to it. Yet, the history is still a bit unclear. It is likely that this pearl was found of the coast of South America and may have been a part of the Spanish crown jewels. It is reported that the pearl turned up in Russia where it was brought by one of the Zozima brothers (jewelers of the Czar) who bought it from an English admiral returning from India. It resurfaced at Christie's auction house in 1987 when it sold for $463,800.

It is described as perfectly spherical, never pierced, with a silvery sheen and weighs 111.5 grains.

La Reine De Pearls

This pearl was once part of the French crown jewels. It was listed in the inventory in 1791 and valued at 200,000 francs having been bought for 40,000 livres from a gem dealer in 1691. It was describes a perfect and round. It was thought to have been stoled from the Gardde-Meuble in 1792. It is possible that this may be La Pellegrina.