We are pleased to present a highlight of our December 2025 Jewellery auction: an exceptional Scottish freshwater pearl pendant of notable size, rarity and provenance. Among the most important Scottish pearls to reach the market in recent decades, this rare and exciting opportunity for collectors lead to the pendant achieving £17,780.
Jewellery
Crowning Glory | Exceptionally Rare Scottish Pearl Pendant
28 November 2025
Ruth Davis
Building on the success of The Cairncross Collection and the landmark sale of The Abernethy Pearl for £93,951 (inc. premium) in 2024, the December auction will feature a carefully curated group of Scottish pearl jewellery. Leading the selection is a superb Scottish freshwater pearl pendant of rare scale and quality. Measuring just over 12mm, it exceeds the Abernethy Pearl in size and matches it in surface quality and lustre; unlike the Abernethy, it is subtly bouton in form and drilled for suspension beneath an exquisitely crafted 18ct gold multi-gem floral crown.
The historic prestige of Scotland’s natural pearls. is evoked in the pendant's design - with its jewel-encrusted crown it evokes the famous Kellie Pearl, set in the Crown of Scotland, which dates back to the 1540s. This Royal pearl holds the record for the largest river pearl ever found in Scotland.
Originally sourced in the 1960s by Edinburgh jewellers James Ness & Son directly from a pearl fisher, the pearl has remained in the same family ever since, preserved within its bespoke setting. Its first appearance on the market this December offers collectors a rare opportunity to acquire a jewel of exceptional provenance and significance within Scotland’s natural pearl tradition.
As the largest Scottish river pearl found in living history, weighing 43.6 grains, the Abernethy Pearl is a remarkably perfect example. Bill had been trained how to fish for pearls by his father, and had a rare understanding of the mussels and the rivers in which they could be found. During the 1970s, wildlife cameraman Doug Allen worked with Bill as a pearl diver, and in Bill’s 2021 obituary he noted how he was able to discern from the size and shape of the mussel as to the likelihood of it containing a pearl; enabling him to pick carefully and leave undisturbed many of the other mussels, better maintaining their numbers and health.
It is believed the Abernethy Pearl (affectionately known as ‘Little Willie) could have been quietly growing in its mussel for over 80 years before it had been found by Bill. It is interesting to think that 80 years prior to Bill plucking it from the water, was the Golden Jubilee year of 1887, evoking images of Queen Victoria tramping the heather with her pony Fyvie and servant John Brown while the pearl was quietly growing.
Celebrated for their lustre, natural beauty and scarcity, Scottish freshwater pearls hold a distinguished place in both jewellery history and the cultural fabric of Scotland. Harvested from the native pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera) in rivers across Perthshire, the Highlands and the Tay system, these pearls were once coveted for royal ornament and fuelled centuries of pearl fishing. Their rarity is now heightened by strict conservation protections, making historical examples particularly desirable.
Further highlights in December included the second instalment of a private collection from a Perthshire connoisseur - following the strong reception of the first part in August 2025 - as well as additional consignments such as a rare two-strand Scottish freshwater pearl necklace formed of large, well-matched pearls originally sourced from Cairncross that sold for £15,240.
