A rare example of a clipper built in the United States for foreign owners, Gravina was originally homeported in Spain, though commanded by an American.

[7] Gravina was built by the Loring Brothers with Captain Caleb Sprague, a native of Hingham, Massachusetts, in mind as her master.

[9][7] A member of this group later described their 150-day voyage on Gravina as "unfortunate in the matter of head winds and calms" but otherwise "pleasant and safe",[10] while Boone himself complimented Captain Sprague on his "most kind and obliging" manner.

[10] After taking on a cargo of tea, Gravina became stranded in the Min River, Fujian, in late June 1854, but was hauled off with minimal damage[11] and continued on to Deal, England, where she arrived 23 October.

[7] From Shanghai, Gravina went to Manila, Philippines; Batavia, Dutch East Indies; and Amsterdam, Netherlands,[7] where she arrived in March 1856.

[13] While at Batavia, Captain Sprague's wife, who had joined her husband on the ship in New York the previous year, fell ill, and died after returning home to the United States.