AN IMPORTANT NATURAL PEARL
Lot 79

AN IMPORTANT NATURAL PEARL

Closed20 April 2011

Price Realised

USD 254,500

More Information

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AN IMPORTANT NATURAL PEARL
The baroque drop-shaped natural pearl weighing 239.7 grains (59.92 carats) to the circular-cut diamond foliate surmount and spectacle-set diamond chain, 42.0 cm long, with fitted case and book 'H. Bari and D.Lam, 'Pearls', published for the exhibition 'Pearls' at the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Qatar, 2009
Accompanied by report no. 0612198 dated 19 December 2006 from the Gübelin Gem Lab stating that the pearl is natural, saltwater

Specialist note

This impressive pearl formed part of the collection of Valda Virginia Vaughn Scott, the daughter of an English diplomat and a member of the prestigious Alessi family. Her Alessi grandfather and great-grandfather were respectively a Major in the Royal Malta Regiment and the Malta Crown Advocate, whose ancestors in turn descended from the Maltese nobleman, the Marquis di Taflia.

This fine provenance also lends itself to the rarity of the pearl, whose size places it as one of the largest natural saltwater pearls so far recorded.