The most expensive pearl jewel ever sold at auction is Marie Antoinette’s natural pearl and diamond pendant, which fetched about $36 million at Sotheby’s in 2018. The most expensive pearl necklace is La Peregrina, once worn by Elizabeth Taylor, at $11.8 million in 2011. As of October 2026 this ranking of the five highest pearl sales is unchanged by anything we could find in 2025 or 2026.
| Rank | Item | Price (USD) | Sale date | Sold at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marie Antoinette’s pearl and diamond pendant | about $36 million | 2018 | Sotheby’s |
| 2 | La Peregrina pearl and Cartier necklace | $11.84 million | December 2011 | Christie’s, New York |
| 3 | Seven-strand natural pearl necklace | about $9 million | 2013 | Christie’s |
| 4 | Chinese imperial court pearl necklace | about $8.7 million | 2010 | Sotheby’s |
| 5 | The Baroda Pearls | about $7.1 million | 2007 | Christie’s |
1. Marie Antoinette’s pearl and diamond pendant: about $36 million
This natural pearl pendant, set with diamonds, belonged to the last queen of France. Much of her jewellery went missing during the French Revolution, but some pieces were passed to her daughter and later through the House of Bourbon-Parma. The pendant sold at Sotheby’s in 2018 for about $36 million, one of the highest prices ever paid for a pearl jewel. Reports give $36.2 to $36.8 million depending on the exchange rate.
How we valued it: the price with premium at Sotheby’s, rounded because published conversions differ slightly.
2. La Peregrina: $11.84 million
This pear-shaped natural pearl was said to have been found in the Pearl Islands off Panama in the 1500s. It then passed through the Spanish crown jewels for more than 200 years, then the Bonaparte family. Richard Burton bought it in 1969 at auction for $37,000 and gave it to Elizabeth Taylor as a Valentine’s Day gift. Taylor had Cartier mount it on a necklace of pearls, rubies and diamonds. At Christie’s New York on 14 December 2011 it sold for $11,842,500, against an estimate of about $3 million. That is the record for any pearl necklace at auction.
How we valued it: $11,842,500 with premium at Christie’s.
3. Seven-strand natural pearl necklace: about $9 million
This necklace carries more than 200 natural pearls and has an old mine-cut diamond bar clasp. It was offered at Christie’s in 2013 and made about $9 million. It matters because natural pearls from the Gulf became nearly impossible to source after cultured pearls arrived in the 1920s.
How we valued it: a single published price with a year, so we label it approximate.
4. Chinese imperial court pearl necklace: about $8.7 million
Known as a chaozhu, this 18th-century court necklace is believed to have belonged to the Qing Emperor Yongzheng, who reigned from 1722 to 1735. Sotheby’s sold it in 2010 for about $8.7 million. The ownership is “believed” rather than certain, which is why we hedge it.
How we valued it: a published price with a year, from one source.
5. The Baroda Pearls: about $7.1 million
The necklace is 68 pearls drawn from the fourth to seventh rows of a seven-strand collar made for Maharaja Khanderao Gaekwad of Baroda in the late 1800s. It passed through the royal treasury to Sita Devi, Maharani of Baroda. It was sold at Christie’s in 2007 as part of a suite with a ring, brooch and earrings, and it more than doubled the previous record for a natural pearl necklace.
How we valued it: about $7.1 million as published, with premium.
Records set in 2025 and 2026
We found no new pearl records in 2025 or 2026, so the ranking stands. Two nearby results are worth knowing. The Cowdray pearls, a set of black pearls, sold for about $5.2 million in 2015 (they had made about $3 million in 2012). And the Duchess of Windsor’s pearl collar and pendant brought nearly $5 million at Sotheby’s in 2007.
What changed from our earlier list
Our old ranking included the “Pearl of Lao Tzu” at $3.5 million and the “Big Pink Pearl” at $4.7 million. Neither is an auction sale. They were valuations, and the history of the Lao Tzu pearl is now known to rest on invented claims, so we dropped both. Only completed auction sales remain.
What drives these prices
- Natural versus cultured. Natural pearls form without human help and are almost extinct on the market, so strands with matched natural pearls command the money.
- Royal and famous owners. Marie Antoinette, Elizabeth Taylor and Indian maharajas account for four of the five.
- Matching. Assembling dozens of pearls of the same size, colour and lustre can take decades.
- Estimates are cautious. La Peregrina sold for almost four times its estimate.
FAQ
What is the most expensive pearl ever sold?
Marie Antoinette’s pearl and diamond pendant, sold at Sotheby’s in 2018 for about $36 million.
What is the most expensive pearl necklace?
La Peregrina, sold at Christie’s New York in December 2011 for $11.84 million.
Who owned La Peregrina?
It passed from the Spanish crown to the Bonaparte family, then to Elizabeth Taylor, who received it from Richard Burton in 1969.
Why are natural pearls so valuable?
They are almost impossible to find now. Most pearls sold today are cultured.
Are pearls more valuable than diamonds?
At the top, individual diamonds sell for far more. The best pearl jewels, though, still reach eight-figure prices.
How much does a normal pearl necklace cost?
Cultured pearl strands typically cost from a few hundred to several thousand dollars, depending on size and quality.
How we put this list together
We ranked pearls by verified auction price, using results compiled in an internal valuation model. Prices are approximate and rounded, and some listings differ by a few hundred thousand dollars.
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Last updated: October 2026.
