Smithsonian Butterfly Highlights Rare Natural Pearls From the Sea of Cortez

Historically, natural pearls have been found around the globe, from the Persian Gulf, Indian Ocean and Gulf of Mannar near Sri Lanka to French Polynesia, China, Japan, Australia, the rivers of Europe and even the Tennessee River basin. As we celebrate June's birthstone, let's take a closer look at the Smithsonian's Baja Pearl Butterfly, a brooch adorned with exceptionally rare natural pearls gathered over three decades from the Sea of Cortez, also known as the Gulf of California. That's the slim body of water that separates Mexico's Baja California Peninsula from the mainland.

The butterfly was designed and fabricated by renowned lapidary artist and gem cutter Elvis “Buzz” Gray and jewelry designer Bernadine Johnston, a pioneering duo known for transforming rare and unconventional gemstones into museum-quality works of art. The piece was donated to the National Gem Collection in 2022 by the Smithsonian Gem and Mineral Collectors as part of a spectacular collection of 18 jeweled butterfly brooches.

Sea of Cortez pearls are celebrated for their exceptional luster and remarkable range of colors, including silver, charcoal gray, bronze, green, blue and violet. Their thick nacre often produces vivid rainbow-like overtones that seem to shift with changing light.

The Baja Pearl Butterfly showcases these extraordinary gems in dramatic fashion. The natural pearls form the focal point of the brooch's wings, which are further accented with shimmering rainbow feldspar from Madagascar, vibrant Colombian emeralds and sparkling diamonds. All are meticulously set in 18-karat yellow gold.

Sadly, Gray passed away in April 2026 at the age of 92, leaving behind an extraordinary legacy that included his induction into the Gemstone Hall of Fame and decades of work promoting rare American gemstones and exceptional lapidary craftsmanship.

What makes the Baja Pearl Butterfly especially significant is the provenance of its pearls. According to Smithsonian records, the natural pearls were acquired over a 30-year period from local fishermen working along the eastern coast of Baja California. Such a collection would be nearly impossible to assemble today.

Unlike cultured pearls, which are produced through human intervention on pearl farms, natural pearls form entirely on their own in the wild. They are exceedingly rare in modern times. In fact, natural Sea of Cortez pearls are considered virtually impossible to find today due to centuries of harvesting pressure that severely depleted native oyster populations.

Historically, pearls from these waters captivated the world. Spanish explorers encountered them in the 16th century, and they quickly became prized possessions among European royalty and aristocracy. Today, virtually all Sea of Cortez pearls entering the marketplace are of the cultured variety and produced in extremely limited quantities.

Credits: Photos by Greg Polley / Smithsonian.