La Peregrina Pearl

"La Peregrina" means "the Wanderer" in Spanish and it certainly was: the pearl was found on the coast of the isle of Santa Margarita by an African slave in the mid-16th century. Then it went to the administrator of the Spanish colony in Panama. Later, the pearl went to the kings of Spain, until it changed the royal families and traveled to England, to be presented to Mary I of England, also known as "Mary Tudor" or "Bloody Mary". After Queen Mary's death in 1558, the pearl returned to Spain where it remained for over 250 years. In 1808, Napoleon invaded Spain, and placed Joseph Bonaparte on the Spanish throne. Joseph ruled for five years until he was defeated by the Duke of Wellington in 1813, which meant he had to flee Spain. He took with him La Peregrina and passed it on to his nephew who sold it to Lord James Hamilton in 1873. Richard Burton purchased the pearl at the Sotheby's auction in 1969 for $37,000. He gave it to his wife, Elizabeth Taylor, as a Valentine's Day gift during their first marriage. After Elizabeth Taylor’s death in March 2011, her jewelry was shown on a world tour. The pearl was sold at a Christie's auction in December 2011 for a record $11.8 million.