Anger and Passion - Elizabeth Taylor, the Last Star of the Hollywood's Golden Age
3/21/2015
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3/15/2015
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.
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