Mary Queen of Scots is one royal who amassed a great deal of gems throughout her life including a piece that is part of the current Queen of England's collection. This particular piece of pearl jewellery is made up of six strands of pearls in a necklace/rosary. More than six hundred separate pearls make up this unique piece. Mary Queen of Scots collected a great deal of jewellery that was left to her by King Henry VII, of the Tudors. Mary Queen of Scot is known for wearing outfits that were specially created from gold, precious gems and thousands of pearls.
This royal enjoyed pearls and had many unique pieces that contained one of a kind rubies but they were not complete without a large number of pearls. Most of her special pieces have been split up into various other collections around the world. Queen Elizabeth I purchased the necklace/rosary piece for about twelve thousand crowns. It is thought that Mary Queen of Scots was forced to sell many of her beloved pieces because of her involvement in the murder of her second husband.
Another very rare and popular pearl is the back pearl that often has a purplish hue to it. Queen Elizabeth I was often given first choice when these unique pearls were discovered. The ruby and pearl pieces that Mary Queen of Scots preferred eventually found their way to many other royals and even a few Hollywood celebrities. Mary Queen of Scots would often give pearls as a gift to people she met. However, her most favourite black pearls were reserved for her alone.