The Tudor pearl was found around 1526 and was given to
Isabella of Portugal. When Isabella died in 1539, she bequeathed it to her daughter,
Juana of Austria. It was then sent to Mary I as part of the
negotiations for her marriage to Juana's brother,
Philip of Spain and is seen in contemporary portraits, suspended from a
circular golden brooch. In Mary's will, she specifies other gems Philip gave her, including large diamonds but does not mention the pearl. A 1554 portrait of Mary I by
Hans Eworth, which prominently shows
The Tudor pearl, was owned by
Elizabeth Taylor and
Richard Burton when they mistakenly believed it depicted the La Peregrina pearl which Burton had recently gifted his wife for
Valentine's Day. When the Burtons discovered that the British
National Portrait Gallery didn't have an original painting of Mary, they donated their recent acquisition. ==References==