A Tale of Two Pearls: Tracing La Peregrina & Mary Tudor's Pearl Through Portraits

Elizabeth of Valois, by Juan Pantoja de la Cruz, 1605 Isabel de Aviz, Infanta of Portugal, portrait by Titian, 1548 Mary Tudor by Antonis Mor, 1554. by Angela Magnotti Andrews Wading through the jewelry archives of medieval Europe can be like walking through a labyrinth. Just when you think you've found the path out, a new turn leads you back to where you began. This is especially true when the jewel in question is a pear-shaped pearl and the pearl belonged to the Spanish Royal Courts in the 1500s, a time when large pear-shaped pearls dripped from every queen's hair and gowns. Such has been the case in my research on La Peregrina, the famous pearl which rests at #15 on EraGem's Top Twenty Diamonds & Jewels Sold at Auction. I was nearly finished with the article. I needed just a little bit more information to round it all out. What should have been a brief search on Google landed me smack dab at the beginning of a maze that I still can't seem to find my way through. It seems that La Peregrina has somehow gotten mixed up with Mary Tudor's pearl. They've been confused for one another, and they have certainly caused this writer no small amount of frustration. Sorting their individual paths has been near to impossible, but I don't give up easily. After suffering a headache last night, I decided to try a new approach. I figured, why not set aside my article about La Peregrina for now? I believe the best way to trace their individual paths is to study the portraits of the women who wore these grand gifts of the sea. To that end, I've created a series of boards on Pinterest featuring portraits of Elisabeth of Valois's, Isabel de Aviz of Portugal, Mary Tudor, and more, all wearing at least one of these beautiful pearl jewels. I've also scoured all the documentation I can find on the topic of these two pearls. Since there is so much discrepancy in the accounts, I have included all the claims where they fit on the timeline. Below, I've itemized these "pearly" portraits in a timeline for you. In order to fill in gaps, I've included some dates and events that do not have corresponding portraits. Furthermore, given the vast discrepancies in written accounts I have included all the claims where they fit on the timeline.  Before we begin, I offer these points to keep in mind as you view the jewels in these portraits:

1. Portraitists interpreted what they saw with their eyes, and they were not necessarily allowed to examine closely the jewels worn by their sitters.
2. A portraitist's interpretation of a jewel does not necessarily represent its exact replication.
3. Lighting greatly affects the way colors appear to the naked eye.
4. Photographs of portraits can also greatly affect the way color appears to the naked eye, as can different monitor settings.
5. European royals named their children after living and dead relatives, causing no small amount of confusion for the modern historian.
6. European royalty was a melting pot. The Austrians were marrying the Spaniards, and the Spaniards married the Portuguese, and they were all somehow related. This means that special jewels were often copied using unique stones of similar shape and size.
7. Definitively identifying a piece of jewelry in a portrait requires a tremendous amount of cross-referencing that goes beyond the scope of this series. And often that is still not enough.

And so the adventure begins!

Timeline of "Pearly" Portraits

As Early as 1508 (Panama)

As early as 1508 (when the first Royal Governor was appointed in Panama), La Peregrina may have been found off the coast of Panama or off an island nearby called Santa Margarita. If it had been found in Panama, it would have been delivered to the Royal Governor of Panama. A pearl of this size (approximately 202.24 grains, or 50.56 carats) would have been sent posthaste to King Charles I of Spain via ship. Upon arrival, the pearl would have been entered in the registry of the Crown Jewels of Spain.

1521 (Spain)

The marriage of King Charles I of Spain (also called Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor) to Isabel de Aviz, Infanta of Portugal (not to be confused with her grandmother, Isabella the Catholic, after whom she was named) takes place.

1526-1539 (Spain)

According to Masterpiece London 2014, at some point during this span of years Isabel de Aviz acquired what is now known as the Mary Tudor Pearl. This pearl measures 258.12 grains (64.5 carats, 69.8 carats with its diamond cap) {cited}. They speculate that Queen Isabel either purchased the pearl outright or received it as a gift. Such an acquisition would have counted among the Queen's private jewelry collection and would not have been registered as part of the Spanish Crown Jewels.

 1527 (Spain)

To King Charles and Isabel de Aviz is born their son, Philip II of Spain (also known as King Felipe II von Habsburg).

1539 (Spain)

Isabel de Aviz, Queen consort to King Charles and mother of Philip II, dies after giving birth to her sixth child, John of Austria. According to Masterpiece London 2014, Queen Isabel bequeathed the Mary Tudor Pearl to her daughter, Joanna (Juana) of Austria, who took it with her when she married Prince John of Portugal in 1537. There do not appear to be any portraits of Queen Isabel or Joanna of Austria wearing the pearl.

1543 (Spain)

Prince Philip marries his first wife, Maria Manuela of Portugal. In a portrait painted of her by an artist unknown in the 16th century, Maria Manuela wears a three-tiered jewel which features two gemstones mounted in gold and linked together in chandelier style with a large pearl drop. This jewel is very similar to a pendant worn by Isabel de Aviz in a posthumous portrait painted by Titian in 1548. However, it is difficult to be certain, as the gem worn by Queen Isabel is ornately mounted in yellow gold and worn as a brooch. It is possible that the ornate backing was removed in order to mount it as a pendant for the gold choker worn by Princess Maria.

1545 (Spain)

Maria Manuela perishes in childbirth. Any of her jewels which belonged to the Spanish Crown Jewels reverted back to Philip II's possession.

1548 (Spain)

Almost 10 years after Isabel de Aviz's death, Titian, the famed Italian portraitist, paints a portrait of the former Queen of Spain. In the portrait, she wears the stunning three-stone jewel which, as mentioned previously, closely resembles the jewel worn by Maria Manuela in her 1543 portrait. It also resembles a three-tiered jewel later worn by Prince Philip's third wife, Elisabeth de Valois. The jewel features a red gemstone (probably a ruby or spinel) mounted in yellow gold which is linked to a dark gemstone (likely a diamond) also mounted in yellow gold. A large pear-shaped pearl drop forms the jewel's third tier. It is tempting to believe that this pearl is La Peregrina or Mary Tudor's Pearl. However, there is no documented proof of this, and many, many large and beautiful pearls were discovered off the coast of Panama during this time. Furthermore, this jewel appears again later, and it appears to have no connection to either famed pearl.

1553 (Spain)

A dowry register for Philip II's sister Joanna of Austria records the 64.5-carat pearl bequeathed to her by her mother, Isabel de Aviz.

1554 (Spain/England)

Prince Philip of Spain prepares to sail for England to wed Queen Mary I (also called Mary Tudor or Bloody Mary). His sister Joanna of Austria returns from Portugal to serve as Regent of Spain during his absence. She brings with her the pearl their mother bequeathed her in 1539. For reasons unknown to this writer, Joanna gives the pearl to her brother. A detailed history on Wikipedia reports that Philip II commissioned Jacopo da Trezzo, an Italian court jeweler, to create a beautiful brooch with the Grande and the large pearl his sister brought to him. The Grande diamond was a large table-cut diamond he inherited from his mother when she died. This brooch was sent, along with several other pieces, to England for his awaiting bride. It was documented in transit by Andrés Muñoz, who was employed with the task of documenting all that he witnessed on the trip to England {cited}. In these portraits by Antonis Mor and Hans Eworth, Queen Mary wears this stunning brooch pinned to the front of her gown. It is this jewel which has added to the confusion surrounding both pearls. Many writers have assumed that Philip II mounted La Peregrina on this brooch before giving it to his bride. However, according to Masterpiece London 2014, the pearl on this brooch is the one Joanna brought from Portugal, the one given to her by Isabel de Aviz. As a side note, I have been unable to find any portraits of Queen Mary wearing the three-tiered gemstone and pearl jewel worn by Queen Isabel and Princess Maria Manuela. As mentioned before, this jewel will emerge again in a few years.

1556 (Spain)

King Charles passes away, and Philip II ascends the throne as King of Spain.

 1558 (England)

Queen Mary I of England dies during a flu epidemic. Her sister, Queen Elizabeth I, ascends the throne after her death, and numerous portraits of her follow. In a fair number of them, Queen Elizabeth I is pictured wearing a diamond and pearl brooch which very closely resembles the one Mary received from Philip II on the event of their wedding. This brooch is another source of confusion.

1558-1560 (England)

Several portraits of Queen Elizabeth I, including this one, were painted, likely by several different artists in the manner of the English School. In all of them, the Queen holds a pair of gloves in her left hand, a book in her right hand. She also wears a jeweled pendant which is nearly identical to Mary Tudor's favored jewel with the square-cut gemstone and the large pearl drop. Here is another portrait of Queen Elizabeth I which features the pearl and gemstone pendant. And yet another one, also by an unknown artist, features the same gemstone and pearl pendant. Many historians believe that this brooch is the same one worn by Mary Tudor. However, the queen indicated in her last wishes (documented in 1557) that all the jewels from her husband, including the "Grande jewel," were to be returned to him as a memoriam. Since these wishes were upheld, the brooch worn by Queen Elizabeth I must be one she had made with another diamond and pearl, perhaps also in honor of her sister.

1559 (Spain)

King Philip II of Spain marries Elisabeth of Valois, daughter to Henry II of France and Catherine de' Medici.

1560 (Spain)

King Philip II of Spain gives a marvelous diamond to his wife, Elisabeth of Valois. The diamond is a large table-cut diamond which was given the name Estanque (translated 'pond' or 'pool'). Sources do not seem to clearly differentiate this diamond from the one Philip once gave to Mary I, which she referred to as the Grande diamond. It is at this point that more confusion arises. Many of the accounts relate that Philip gave La Peregrina as a gift to Elisabeth. However, other sources place La Peregrina in Philip's hands well after his third wife's death in 1568. Further confusion arises in 1598, when some historians write that the diamond and the pearl were paired together to form a brooch (more on that later).

1560 (Spain)

George Frederick Kunz, one of the industry's most respected gemstone historians, wrote in 1908, "According to Garcilasso de la Vega, who says that he saw it at Seville in 1597, this was found at Panama in 1560 by a negro who was rewarded with his liberty, and his owner with the office of alcalde of Panama. Other authorities note that it came from the Venezuelan fishers in 1574" {1}. Clearly, La Peregrina's origins were somewhat of a mystery even then. While this book by George Kunz seems to be the most original source for all of the accounts I came across, each account presents his words in a slightly different context.

1565 (Spain)

Queen Elisabeth of Valois sits for Juan Pantoja de la Cruz, whose exquisite rendering features a gorgeous jewel pinned to her headdress. This jewel very closely resembles the one worn by her mother-in-law and her husband's deceased wife Maria Manuela. In chandelier style, mounted in an ornate yellow gold setting, a dark square-cut gem is linked to a larger red square-cut gem, which is followed by a large tear-shaped pearl drop. Again, there is no documentation linking this jewel with La Peregrina or Mary Tudor's Pearl. Incidentally, this writer was unable to find any portraits of Elisabeth of Valois wearing a brooch with a large table-cut diamond and pearl.

1566 (Spain)

Elisabeth of Valois and King Philip II welcome their eldest daughter, Isabella Clara Eugenia.

1568 (Spain)

The tragic miscarriage of their youngest daughter takes the life of Elisabeth of Valois, leaving a terrible void in the Kingdom of Spain.

1570 (Spain)

King Philip II marries his fourth and final wife, Anna of Austria of the House of Habsburg.

1574 (Spain)

The pearl once worn by Mary Tudor is mentioned in an auction record for Joanna's (Philip II's sister) estate. Apparently, when the brooch was returned to Philip II after Mary's death, he gave the pearl back to his sister. It failed to sell at that auction.

1575 (Spain)

Alonso Sanchez Coello is commissioned to paint a portrait of Queen Anna, King Philip II's fourth wife. In the painting, Queen Anna wears a familiar jewel pinned to her hat--a three-tiered pin featuring a red stone, a dark stone, and a drop pearl. This jewel appears to be the very one worn by Elisabeth of Valois in her portrait from 1565.

1575 (Spain)

Though Elisabeth of Valois had been dead for several years, in 1575, Alonso Sanchez Coello painted another portrait of the former Queen of Spain. In this painting, she wears an elaborate headpiece which prominently features a pearl resting at the apex of her hairline. The pearl is linked with a square gemstone mounted in yellow gold, which is in turn linked to another gemstone mounted in gold. It is possible that this portion of her headpiece might have been removable and that she wore it separately. It very closely resembles the jewel she wears in other portraits clipped to her hats and aigrettes.

1579 (England)

Queen Elizabeth I of England sits for a portrait by George Gower. In the portrait, she wears a pendant which resembles the one worn by herself and her sister Mary in previous portraits. Like before, it features a square-cut gemstone with a large pearl drop. However, in this painting the gemstone is mounted in an ornate gold backing embellished with four smaller pearls. It is possible that the artist added his own interpretation of the jewel, and it is also possible that the jewel was embellished by order of the Queen. There is also the possibility that this is not the same pendant she wears in previous paintings. Again, we know this is not the same brooch worn by her sister. Therefore, the pearl is not the Mary Tudor Pearl, and since Queen Elizabeth I spurned Philip II's offers of marriage, the Queen would have had no access to La Peregrina, even if it had been among the Spanish Crown Jewels at this time.

1579 (Spain)

According to writers on Wikipedia, Mr. Kunz's 16th-century expert, Garcilasso de la Vega (1539-1616), wrote in 1609 of a pearl brought from Panama to Seville by Diego de Temez, a Spanish courtier. They intimate that the courtier came to Seville with the intention of selling the stone to Philip II {cited}. However, another interpretation is made possible by Mr. Kunz's summary: "It was carried to Spain by Don Diego de Temes, who presented it to Philip II" {2}. Indeed, the original excerpt reads, "...un caballero que se deci a Diego de Témez, dedicado para el rey don Felipe segundo" {cited}. The word dedicado can be translated 'dedicated', which does not rule out the possibility of selling, but implies that the pearl either belonged to the king already or that it was intended as a generous gift to the Crown. Sr. de la Vega's account also serves as the first time this pearl was called La Peregrina. Contrary to popular belief, La Peregrina was not intended to be translated 'The Pilgrim', as modern translators claim. Sr. de la Vega explains that the pearl's name actually means The Incomparable. He writes, "The Milanese Giacomo de Trezzo, distinguished goldsmith and lapidary, of his Catholic Majesty , said the pearl was worth 14,000, 30,000, 50,000, even 100,000 ducats because it was priceless and incomparable in this world. So it came to be named 'la Peregrina.' In Seville people went to see it because it was a wondrous thing" {cited}. According to George Kunz, this same historian wrote of the pearl's original discovery in 1560. Neither historian relates why the pearl was on display in Seville, but it's possible that King Philip II was displaying it for some purpose. The Wikipedia writers intimate that the pearl was brought to Seville by Diego de Témez in 1579, but this appears to be an assumption and not actual fact. Neither Kunz nor the writers on Wikipedia present enough information to make such an assumption.

1580 (Spain)

Tragedy strikes again. This time Anna of Austria, Queen consort to King Philip II of Spain dies of heart failure 8 months after giving birth to their fifth child, Maria.

1581 (Spain)

According to Masterpiece London 2014, a man named Diego Ruiz paid 3,300 reales for the pearl that once belonged to Joanna and Mary Tudor. It's whereabouts remain a mystery until it appeared at Christie's London in 2004. At that auction, it was purchased by its current owners, jewelers Symbol & Chase of Bond Street.

1583 (England)

In a portrait painted by Quentin Metsys the Younger, Queen Elizbeth I wears a familiar-looking jewel as a brooch. The square-cut gemstone and pearl drop match up with the pendant she wears in 1560 and in 1565. The ornate backing connects it loosely with the pendant she wears in 1579, though this one is not so clearly delineated and it's missing the four small pearl embellishments. Not to be repetitive, but again this jewel had to have been either an intentional or unintentional copy of Mary's brooch and not the actual brooch she received from King Philip II in 1554.

circa 1586 (Spain)

A portrait of Princess Isabella Clara Eugenia, daughter of King Philip and Elisabeth of Valois, by Alonso Sanchez Coello demonstrates two jewels, both of which closely resemble the one worn by Elisabeth of Valois upon her headdress in her 1565 portrait. After the fashion of her mother, Isabella Clara Eugenia wears one of these jewels pinned to her aigrette. Incidentally, if this is the same one worn by her mother, she has turned it the opposite direction so that it hangs not from the red stone, but from the pearl. The other jewel she wears as a brooch on the front of her gown. This same brooch worn at the front of her gown looks nearly identical to one she wears in a later portrait by Sofonisba Anguissola (see 1599). Neither of these pearls is in any way connected to Mary Tudor's Pearl or La Peregrina.

1592 (England)

Queen Elizabeth I stands on  a map of England in this portrait by Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger. Her pendant is reminiscent of the one worn in previous portraits, though a surround of ornate yellow gold, set with 7 square-cut red gemstones (possibly rubies or spinels), has been added.

1598 (Spain)

King Philip II died, reportedly from a painful bout with cancer {cited}. He was succeeded by his son, Philip III (born to his fourth wife, Anna of Austria). According to historians, Philip II's last testament indicated that La Peregrina and the diamond known as Estanque, which he once gave to his third wife Elisabeth of Valois, should be paired together in a jewel according to his specifications {cited}. Estanque was mounted in an ornate golden setting, with La Peregrina suspended as a drop from the mounting. It is this jewel, which has come to be known as The Pond and The Pilgrim, which is likely responsible for the mistranslation of La Peregrina's true meaning. It is also this jewel which has caused further confusion between La Peregrina and the Mary Tudor Pearl, since it looks nearly identical in portraits to Queen Mary's favored brooch.

1599 (Spain)

A portrait of Princess Isabella Clara Eugenia (daughter of King Philip II and Elisabeth of Valois) was painted by Sofonisba Anguissola. In the portrait, Isabella wears a stunning three-tiered pendant which may or may not include La Peregrina. In the portrait, this jewel features a round red stone, followed by a triangular dark stone, followed by a round (not pear-shaped) pearl. I do not believe this is the jewel which her mother wore in her hair. In other portraits, Princess Isabella Clara wears this brooch on the front of her gown along with a similarly styled hair clip. It stands to reason that the jewel she wears in her hair is the same jewel her mother wore in hers, though this writer has yet to find definitive documentation to prove the assertion. This same year, King Philip III married Margaret of Austria. She wears The Pilgrim and The Pond frequently. Throughout the next 210 years, the Spanish royals enjoy this beautiful jewel which plays host to La Peregrina.

Summary

This exercise has definitely cleared things up for me. I hope it has for you, as well. As you probably noticed, there are actually at least four different pearl jewels mentioned in the above timeline. I believe a summary is order here:

Mary Tudor's Pearl

1. Mary Tudor never owned La Peregrina, though she did own a slightly larger pearl now known as the Mary Tudor Pearl.
2. Mary Tudor wore her pearl suspended from a golden brooch set with the Grande diamond that Philip II inherited from his mother, Isabel de Aviz.
3. Upon her death, Mary Tudor returned this brooch to her husband, who removed the pearl and gave it back to his sister Joanna.
4. Upon Joanna's death, the pearl was put up for auction.
5. The pearl failed to sell at the 1574 auction, but a man by the name of Diegor Ruiz purchased it in 1581 for 3,300 reales. After this, the pearl disappears from record.
6. In 2004, this pearl appears on the block at Christie's London, at which time it is purchased by Symbol & Chase of Bond Street.

La Peregrina

1. Legend has it that the pearl was found in Panama in the early-to-mid 1500s by an African slave and sent to King Charles I or King Philip II by the attending Royal Governor of Panama. These and other stories of an early discovery of the pearl appear to just be legends.
2. La Peregrina was first mentioned in 1609 in an account written by Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, who wrote of seeing the wondrous pearl in Seville in 1579.
3. Sr. de la Vega reports that a courtier named Diego de Temez brought the pearl from Panama in 1579 with the intent to sell it to King Philip II of Spain. The date of such a transaction is not recorded, but King Philip II is known to have made mention of La Peregrina in his will.
4. Upon King Philip II's death in 1598, La Peregrina was paired with the Estanque diamond and made into a brooch that closely resembled the brooch he had made for Mary I with the Grande diamond in 1554.
5. La Peregrina remained in the Spanish Crown Jewels until Joseph Bonaparte's invasion in 1813.

Isabel de Aviz's Pearl

1. Isabel de Aviz wore a very large pearl on a three-tiered brooch. The brooch consisted of two square-cut gemstones mounted in gold with a single pear-shaped pearl suspended as the bottom tier.
2. Upon her death, it appears that this jewel was inherited by her son Philip II. If not, then Philip II had one very similar made for his first wife, Maria Manuela. She wore it as a pendant on a golden choker. Unfortunately, Maria Manuela died only two years after they were married.
3. This jewel seems to lie dormant throughout his marriage to Mary Tudor.
4. It reappears in 1565 in a portrait of Philip II's third wife, Elisabeth of Valois. She wears it as a pin on her headdress in several different portraits.
5. Upon Elisabeth's death in 1568. In 1570, Philip II marries Anna of Austria, and in a portrait painted of her in 1575, she wears a similar jewel pinned to her hat.
6. In 1580, Anna of Austria dies of heart failure 8 months after giving birth. The next time the jewel is seen is in a portrait of Isabella Clara Eugenia, daughter of Philip II and Elisabeth of Valois. She also wears the jewel in her headdress.
7. Isabella Clara Eugenia died without issue. At this point, the trail ends here for this writer.

Queen Elizabeth I's Pearl

1. Many of Queen Elizabeth I's portraits feature a golden brooch mounted with a large table-cut diamond and a tear-shaped pearl drop.
2. Queen Elizabeth's sister, Mary Tudor, owned a similar brooch which was given to her by her husband, King Philip II of Spain, in 1554.
3. The pearl and the diamond on Mary Tudor's brooch were once owned  King Philip II's mother Isabel de Aviz. This pearl is not La Peregrina.
4. When Mary Tudor made out her will in 1557, she indicated that the diamond and pearl brooch should be returned to King Philip II.
5. Upon her death in 1558, her wishes were granted. This means that the brooch worn by Queen Elizabeth I cannot be the same one worn by her sister.

Notes

1. Kunz, George Frederick and Charles Hugh Stevenson. The Book of the Pearl: The History, Art, Science, and Industry of the Queen of Gems. New York: The Century Co., 1908, p. 452.
2. Ibid., p. 452.