Imperial Hong Kong Pearl

IMPERIAL HONG KONG PEARL

The Imperial Hong Kong Pearl is believed to have once been owned by Chinese Empress Dowager Tz'U-Hi.

The Imperial Hong Kong Pearl, also known as the 'Miracle of the Sea,' is believed to have originated in a saltwater oyster, Pinctada Maxima, commonly found between Southern China and Northern Australia. The pearl is a beautiful silvery-white color, baroque with an irregular drop-shape and weighs 127.5 carats.

During the Renaissance Period (late 16th to 17th Century), jewelers valued baroque pearls because of their unique shapes and colors. The Imperial Hong Kong Pearl is believed to have once been owned by Chinese Empress Dowager Tz'U-Hi, ruler of China from 1861 to 1908. The Empress wore the pearl on an amulet for good luck. Upon her passing, her tomb was filled with pearls and gems, including a large pearl placed in her mouth, which was believed to preserve her body.

The tomb was robbed 20 years later and the jewels resurfaced in Hong Kong where they were purchased by various companies with western ties. The large baroque pearl made its way to the United States company 'Imperial Pearl Syndicate' in the 1940s.

Currently, the pearl is set in a platinum and diamond pendant designed as a foliage leaf which was intended to express the designs of jewelry during the Renaissance Period.