1. La Peregrina Necklace ($11.8 million)
And the most expensive jewelry auctioned off Elizabeth Taylor’s collection is La Peregrina. Anonymous buyer bought it for $11,842,500 and broke the world auction record for a pear jewel.
It is a pearl, diamond, and ruby necklace made by Cartier. Originally, it referred to a pearl which was found by an African slave in Gulf of Panama in the mid-16th century. Then, the pearl was given to Mary Tudor of England upon her engagement to Philip II of Spain. And it belonged to a succession of eight Spanish kings until 1808.
The pear-shaped pearl was bought by Richard Burton at Sotheby’s auction in 1969 for $37,000. Then, he gave the pearl to Elizabeth Taylor as a Valentine’s gift. And later on, she commissioned Cartier to design a ruby and diamond necklace mount for the piece.
La Peregrina by Cartier comprises 56 natural pearls and 4 cultured pearls. These are intersected by 8 circular-cut diamonds and cushion-cut ruby flame motif plaques. And they are mounted in platinum and gold. Suspended from a two-strand necklace is a beautiful detachable drop-shaped 50.56-carat natural pearl pendant. It also comprises an old mine-cut and rose-cut diamond and silver foliate bail.
