Summary of Principal Great Pearls in History

Here is a preview of the great pearls of history and their weights from Kunz and Stevenson's book on pearls published in 1908.

Hope Pearl

Charles the Bold's Great Pearls. Three, each about.....................60 grains

Gomara Pearl, 31 carats.................................................124 grains

Oviedo Pearl, 26 carats (probably the Morales or Pizarro Pearl)..104 grains

La Peregrina................................................................ 134 grains

Charles II's Pearl, (nearly equal to La Peregrina)

Morales and Pizarro Great Pearl, 26 carats.............................104 grains

Rudolph II's Pearl, 30 carats.............................................120 grains

Tavernier's Great Pearls:

Shah Sofi's Pearl (estimated)...............................................500 grains

Imam of Muscat's Pearl, 12 1/16 carats........................... 48 1/4 grains

Shaista Khan's Great Pearl, 55 carats......................................200 grains

Great Mogul's Great Pearls:

Peacock Throne's Great Pearl...............................................200 grains

Two pear-shaped, one about 70 ratis..................................186.2 grains

More of Tavernier's Great Pearls:

Olive-shaped pearl (estimated)..............................................125 grains

One button-shaped, 55-60 ratis ..............................146.3-159.6 grains

One round pearl, 56 ratis (gift of the Shah Abbas II)...........148.9 grains

Round Pearl (estimated)................................................ 110 grains

As this pearl was brought from the East later on, it may be the same as the Reine des Perles, stolen form the French crown jewels in 1791. It is evidently the same as the La Pellegrina of the Zozima brothers (1814) and later stolen form them, reappearing as the pearl described by Kohl, in 1840, first in the possession of a Russian merchant and then later in the Russian Treasury.

Three yellowish great pearls, 25-28 ratis.......................66.5-74.5 grains

One perfectly round great pearl, 35 1/2 ratis........................94 1/4 grains

Two perfectly shaped and equal, each 25 1/4 ratis.............67.1 grains

La Reine des Perles ....................................................109 1/4 grains

Great Pearls of Marie Theresa's Necklace (three) ............92-100 grains

La Regente (once owned by Princess Yousoupoff ................337 grains

La Pellegrina .......................................................111 1/2 grains

The Ynaffit, pear-shaped ...........................................143 1/8 grains

Hope Pearl, drop-shaped baroque ..................................1800 grains

Great Pearls also in the Hope Collection:

Conical pearl ...........................................................151 grains

Bouton pearl .........................................................124 grains

Oval pearl ................................................................94 grains

Roughly spherical pearl ........................................................89 grains

Acorn-shaped pearl ..........................................................85 grains

Oval conch pearl .........................................................82 1/4 grains

Button-shaped conch pearl ..............................................77 1/2 grains

Drop-shaped pearl ....................................................76 1/2 grains

Pear-shaped Scotch pearl .........................................34 1/4 grains

Van Buren Great Pearls:

Two great pearls, each about ............................................30 grains

Also a necklace with 148 great pearls ..................................700 grains

Tiffany Queen Pearl, American ..............................................93 grains

Black bouton earring-pearl ..............................................88 grains

White bouton earring-pearl ...............................................93 grains

Bapst Great Pearls, two ..........................113 1/4 & 113 3/4 grains

Round pearl of Paris Exposition of 1889 ...................................70 grains

Mme. Nordica's Pearl (abalone) ........................................175 grains

Great Bahama Conch Pearl ......................................138 1/4 grains

The Queen Conch Great Pearl ............................................90 grains

W.H. Moore's Great Pearl (Arkansas pearl, brown) .........122 1/2 grains

Shark's Bay Great Pearl, golden yellow .........................30 1/2 grains

Rudolph II Crown Pearl, 26 carats .........................................104 grains

Carlotta's Pearl, pear-shaped ............................................84 grains

Marquis of Anglesey's Pearl drop-shaped ...........................105 1/2 grains

Black pear-shaped pearl (Lower California) .........................49 grains

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