The Mystery of Ann Boleyn's Pearls

Anne Boleyn (1501?-1536) and her pearl B necklace are part of a jewelry mystery. Did her sister, Mary Boleyn (1499?-1543), take the necklace away for safekeeping one night before Queen Boleyn's 1536 beheading? Did Elizabeth I's pearl necklace shown in Henry VIII's family portrait give a subtle nod to her mother's lineage? This video explores the presence of six similarly shaped teardrop pearls in Elizabeth I portraiture and whether these teardrop pearls may have made it into the Imperial State Crown of the United Kingdom.

Sources:

George Gower, Elizabeth I Armada Portrait, World History (March 2020), https://www.worldhistory.org/collection/137/gallery-of-elizabeth-i-portraits/6/#gallery_wrapper

"Old portrait of an aging Queen Elizabeth I gets a second look" (October 2013), https://royalcentral.co.uk/interests/history/old-portrait-of-an-aging-queen-elizabeth-i-gets-a-second-look-17640/

Stellene Volandes, Town and Country Magazine, "Anne Boleyn's Lost "B" Necklace Is One of the Great Jewelry Mysteries" (March 2019), https://www.townandcountrymag.com/style/jewelry-and-watches/a26622469/anne-boleyn-jewels-balenciaga-b-necklace/

Natalie, On the Tudor Trail, "Anne Boleyn's Famous Pearl Necklace", https://onthetudortrail.com/Blog/2010/09/04/anne-boleyns-famous-pearl-necklace/

Alice Loxton, "Elizabeth I: Uncovering the Secrets of the Rainbow Portrait", History Hit, https://www.historyhit.com/elizabeth-i-rainbow-portrait/

Tudor Travel Guide, "The Chequers' Ring", (2019) https://thetudortravelguide.com/2019/07/13/the-chequers-ring-the-mysterious-riddle-of-the-woman-in-the-portrait/

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