Details
THE TAVERNIER PEARL, NUMBER 3
A VERY IMPORTANT GREY PEARL PENDANT
The drop-shaped grey pearl weighing approximately 292 grains including the pavé-set diamond cap
Jean Baptiste Tavernier (1605-1689) was the Marco Polo of the jewellery world. A gem dealer, he journeyed from France to India and the Orient on six different occasions, inspecting the treasures of numerous rulers and potentates of his time, and later writing his autobiography. Trusted by kings, as well as admired for his knowledge and accuracy of detailing, Tavernier saw, handled, and sold some of the most fabulous and famous jewels the world has ever known. The Tavernier Blue Diamond, which was brought back to France and sold to the Sun King, Louis XIV, later became the renowned Hope Diamond. In addition, Tavernier examined such diamonds as the Great Mogul, the Florentine, the Great Table, and the Koh-I-Noor.
Some incredible natural pearls also passed through Tavernier's hands. An engraving he made shows 4 huge pear-shaped pearls. Referring to the pearl listed as Number 3, Tavernier states "(Number 3) is the figure of a pearl that I sold to Cha-Est-Kan (Shaista Khan, uncle of the Grand Mogul). The water is somewhat faint, but it is the biggest Pearl that was ever carried out of Europe into Asia". According to Tavernier, he brought the " 55 carat pearl (220 grains) with him from Europe, although its home sourse was the waters near the Island of Margarita on the Venezuelan Coast. He also remarks that although the pearls of the Americas were inferior in luster to those found in all other known sources (Persian Gulf, Coast of Arabia, Ceylon and Japan), these were by far the largest, sometimes exceeding 42 carats.
In the 1677 edition, Tavernier says about pearl colours: "Take this observation along with you, touching the difference of their waters; some being very white, others inclining to yellow, others to black, others to a leaden color. As for the last, there are no such but only in America, which proceeds from the nature of the Earth at the bottom of the water, which is generally more ouzy than in the East."
His last observation seems quaint and naive today, but this quote and others from the same source confirm the large, leaden-colour, irregular-shaped pearls were only found in American waters, and were exceedingly rare in sizes over 200 grains. With the cap, the present pearl weights 73.20 carats, or 292.80 grains. The cap has been attached for so many years that it is now part of the pearl, and both would be damaged if removal were attempted. However, the cap is estimated to weigh 50 to 70 grains. Luster matches Tavernier's reference as well. And as can be seen by placing the overleaf onto the photograph of the pearl, if Tavernier's Pearl Number 3 had a cap placed upon it, these two pearls would be identical.
According to my records this is the third largest pearl ever to be offered at auction. Furthermore, according to all available literature, this pearl is the seventh largest known to be in existance (the sixth, if only saltwater pearls are counted). In 1908, Frederick Kunz wrote, "Pearls of 100 grains are even more rare at the present than are diamonds of 100 carats. Until the middle of the 19th Century the diamonds of the world weighing 100 carats or over could be counted on the fingers, but since the opening of the African mines in 1870 the number of large diamonds has increased at a much greater ratio than have the pearls of one quarter of their weight. It would thus seem that pearls of great size are worth four times as much as diamonds of equal weight."
It is not surprising that one of the great pearls of old would be connected to Royal Houses. In Lord Twining's book, The History of the Crown Jewels of Europe, there is a picture of pearls from the Prussian Royal collection. These are the famous Orange Pearls, assembled in 1703, and the pendant on the top right is a match to the current offering. According to Hans Nadelhoffer on page 127 of his book,Cartier, Jewelers Extraordinary, there was a sale of pearls from the Prussian Crown Jewels in 1923; these were purchased by a dealer from Holland. A fact pointing strongly to possible Prussian connection is the style of cap of this lot. Most European aristocrats preferred caps on their pearls to have points on the ends, or with the tiny diamonds seperated by pronounced strips of metal. However, the caps of Northern countries, notably Denmark and Prussia, usually did not terminate in a pointed, undulating pattern, and preferred an almost pavé look in the diamond work. Nor did these certain countries very often drill their pearls all the way through, top to bottom, as was the case in the many other European realms.
This is surely a jewel with an exciting history. A pearl of this size was rare and much sought after in olden days, just as it is today. Its size and rarity alone are enough to assure that is has been held by many famous hands, worn around numerous notable necks. Although we can not confirm the pearl's identity, this is quite likely Tavernier's Pearl Number 3, and it is one of the great pearls of the world.
Jim Becker
March 26, 1992
Jim Becker heads Gem Advice Company, located in Florida. Mr. Becker is a noted gem historian, as well as a jewellery dealer, and prior to starting his own company worked for a number of years with Mayor's Jewelers. Among some of his most recent discoveries: he recognized a major emerald at auction as having an Imperial Russian provenance; noted the reappearance of one of Enid Annenberg Haupt's jewels; and is about to publish a theory regarding what may have happened to the missing "Florentine" diamond. In the January 1st issue of National Jeweler, Mr. Becker was referred to as a "gem sleuth", and he will appear in Ian Balfour's next annual review of the diamond market, in Indiaqua.
The seven largest pearls:
The Pearl of Asia 2,400 grains
The Hope (a freshwater pearl) 1,800 grains
Shah Sofi's pearl (estimate) 500 grains
Unnamed baroque pearl 303.36 grains
Regente 302.68 grains
The Spanish "La Peregrina" 223.80 grains
Tavernier Pearl, Number 3 (approx.) 220 grains
Bibliography:
The Six Voyages of John Baptista Tavernier, 1677, written by Tavernier, translated by Robert Littlebury.
The Book of the Pearl, 1908, by George Frederick Kunz.
The History of the Crown Jewels of Europe, 1960, by Lord Twining.
Pearls and Pearling Life, by Edwin Streeter.
The Book of the Pearls, by Joan Younger Dickinson.
The Ball-Crooke 1977 translation of The Six Voyages of Jean Baptiste Tavernier
Cartier, Jewelers Extraordinary, 1984, by Hans Nadelhoffer.
Legendary Gems, 1986, by Eric Bruton.
A VERY IMPORTANT GREY PEARL PENDANT
The drop-shaped grey pearl weighing approximately 292 grains including the pavé-set diamond cap
Jean Baptiste Tavernier (1605-1689) was the Marco Polo of the jewellery world. A gem dealer, he journeyed from France to India and the Orient on six different occasions, inspecting the treasures of numerous rulers and potentates of his time, and later writing his autobiography. Trusted by kings, as well as admired for his knowledge and accuracy of detailing, Tavernier saw, handled, and sold some of the most fabulous and famous jewels the world has ever known. The Tavernier Blue Diamond, which was brought back to France and sold to the Sun King, Louis XIV, later became the renowned Hope Diamond. In addition, Tavernier examined such diamonds as the Great Mogul, the Florentine, the Great Table, and the Koh-I-Noor.
Some incredible natural pearls also passed through Tavernier's hands. An engraving he made shows 4 huge pear-shaped pearls. Referring to the pearl listed as Number 3, Tavernier states "(Number 3) is the figure of a pearl that I sold to Cha-Est-Kan (Shaista Khan, uncle of the Grand Mogul). The water is somewhat faint, but it is the biggest Pearl that was ever carried out of Europe into Asia". According to Tavernier, he brought the " 55 carat pearl (220 grains) with him from Europe, although its home sourse was the waters near the Island of Margarita on the Venezuelan Coast. He also remarks that although the pearls of the Americas were inferior in luster to those found in all other known sources (Persian Gulf, Coast of Arabia, Ceylon and Japan), these were by far the largest, sometimes exceeding 42 carats.
In the 1677 edition, Tavernier says about pearl colours: "Take this observation along with you, touching the difference of their waters; some being very white, others inclining to yellow, others to black, others to a leaden color. As for the last, there are no such but only in America, which proceeds from the nature of the Earth at the bottom of the water, which is generally more ouzy than in the East."
His last observation seems quaint and naive today, but this quote and others from the same source confirm the large, leaden-colour, irregular-shaped pearls were only found in American waters, and were exceedingly rare in sizes over 200 grains. With the cap, the present pearl weights 73.20 carats, or 292.80 grains. The cap has been attached for so many years that it is now part of the pearl, and both would be damaged if removal were attempted. However, the cap is estimated to weigh 50 to 70 grains. Luster matches Tavernier's reference as well. And as can be seen by placing the overleaf onto the photograph of the pearl, if Tavernier's Pearl Number 3 had a cap placed upon it, these two pearls would be identical.
According to my records this is the third largest pearl ever to be offered at auction. Furthermore, according to all available literature, this pearl is the seventh largest known to be in existance (the sixth, if only saltwater pearls are counted). In 1908, Frederick Kunz wrote, "Pearls of 100 grains are even more rare at the present than are diamonds of 100 carats. Until the middle of the 19th Century the diamonds of the world weighing 100 carats or over could be counted on the fingers, but since the opening of the African mines in 1870 the number of large diamonds has increased at a much greater ratio than have the pearls of one quarter of their weight. It would thus seem that pearls of great size are worth four times as much as diamonds of equal weight."
It is not surprising that one of the great pearls of old would be connected to Royal Houses. In Lord Twining's book, The History of the Crown Jewels of Europe, there is a picture of pearls from the Prussian Royal collection. These are the famous Orange Pearls, assembled in 1703, and the pendant on the top right is a match to the current offering. According to Hans Nadelhoffer on page 127 of his book,Cartier, Jewelers Extraordinary, there was a sale of pearls from the Prussian Crown Jewels in 1923; these were purchased by a dealer from Holland. A fact pointing strongly to possible Prussian connection is the style of cap of this lot. Most European aristocrats preferred caps on their pearls to have points on the ends, or with the tiny diamonds seperated by pronounced strips of metal. However, the caps of Northern countries, notably Denmark and Prussia, usually did not terminate in a pointed, undulating pattern, and preferred an almost pavé look in the diamond work. Nor did these certain countries very often drill their pearls all the way through, top to bottom, as was the case in the many other European realms.
This is surely a jewel with an exciting history. A pearl of this size was rare and much sought after in olden days, just as it is today. Its size and rarity alone are enough to assure that is has been held by many famous hands, worn around numerous notable necks. Although we can not confirm the pearl's identity, this is quite likely Tavernier's Pearl Number 3, and it is one of the great pearls of the world.
Jim Becker
March 26, 1992
Jim Becker heads Gem Advice Company, located in Florida. Mr. Becker is a noted gem historian, as well as a jewellery dealer, and prior to starting his own company worked for a number of years with Mayor's Jewelers. Among some of his most recent discoveries: he recognized a major emerald at auction as having an Imperial Russian provenance; noted the reappearance of one of Enid Annenberg Haupt's jewels; and is about to publish a theory regarding what may have happened to the missing "Florentine" diamond. In the January 1st issue of National Jeweler, Mr. Becker was referred to as a "gem sleuth", and he will appear in Ian Balfour's next annual review of the diamond market, in Indiaqua.
The seven largest pearls:
The Pearl of Asia 2,400 grains
The Hope (a freshwater pearl) 1,800 grains
Shah Sofi's pearl (estimate) 500 grains
Unnamed baroque pearl 303.36 grains
Regente 302.68 grains
The Spanish "La Peregrina" 223.80 grains
Tavernier Pearl, Number 3 (approx.) 220 grains
Bibliography:
The Six Voyages of John Baptista Tavernier, 1677, written by Tavernier, translated by Robert Littlebury.
The Book of the Pearl, 1908, by George Frederick Kunz.
The History of the Crown Jewels of Europe, 1960, by Lord Twining.
Pearls and Pearling Life, by Edwin Streeter.
The Book of the Pearls, by Joan Younger Dickinson.
The Ball-Crooke 1977 translation of The Six Voyages of Jean Baptiste Tavernier
Cartier, Jewelers Extraordinary, 1984, by Hans Nadelhoffer.
Legendary Gems, 1986, by Eric Bruton.