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CARTIER A HIGHLY IMPORTANT EMERALD AND DIAMOND RING, CA. 1970 THE RECTANGULAR-CUT EMERAL

Currency:CHF Category:Everything Else / Other Start Price:NA
CARTIER A HIGHLY IMPORTANT EMERALD AND DIAMOND RING, CA. 1970 THE RECTANGULAR-CUT EMERAL
CARTIER
A HIGHLY IMPORTANT EMERALD AND
DIAMOND RING, CA. 1970
THE RECTANGULAR-CUT EMERALD WEIGHING 36.54 CARATS,
TO TRIANGULAR DIAMOND SHOULDERS,
MOUNTED IN PLATINUM AND 18K GOLD,
NUMBERED 30315
ACCOMPANIED BY AN SSEF REPORT
NO. 40794, DATED MARCH 10, 2003, STATING THAT THE EMERALD IS OF COLUMBIAN ORIGIN WITH MODERATE CLARITY ENHANCEMENT BY OIL
CHF 350,000-450,000
$ 250,000-350,000
COLUMBIAN EMERALDS ARE THE MOST VALUABLE AND DESIRED OF
THE EMERALDS. THE BEST OF THESE, WITH THEIR DEEP VIVID GREEN HUE, ARE CLASSIFIED AS "OLD MINE EMERALDS." DURING THE 16TH CENTURY THE SPANISH CONQUISTADORES HAD ESTABLISHED THE FAMOUS CHIVOR AND MUZO EMERALD MINES IN COLUMBIA. INSTEAD OF SENDING THEIR PLUNDER BACK TO SPAIN FOR SALE, THEY SOLD THEM DIRECTLY TO THE MUGHAL PRINCES OF INDIA, WHO AT THE TIME VALUED THE GEMS ABOVE DIAMONDS. BY THE LATE 17TH CENTURY, SUCH A VAST AMOUNT OF COLUMBIAN EMERALDS WERE CIRCULATING IN INDIA, IT WAS WIDELY ASSUMED THE GEMS HAD BEEN MINED ON THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT. IT HAS OFTEN BEEN NOTED IN EMERALD MINING THAT THE SMALLER, PALER COLORED CRYSTALS TEND TO BE FOUND DEEPER IN THE EARTH. THIS IS ALSO WHY THE LARGER GEMSTONES ARE CONSIDERED OLD MINE MATERIAL, BECAUSE THE BIGGEST STONES OF THE BEST COLOR WOULD HAVE BEEN FOUND CLOSER TO THE SURFACE, AND SUBSEQUENTLY EXTRACTED EARLIER IN THE MINE'S HISTORY. IT IS THESE STONES THAT ARE PRIZED AMONGST COLLECTORS, FOR EMERALDS OVER 2.00 CARATS IN WEIGHT OF A VIVID DEEP GREEN COLOR ARE EXTREMELY RARE IN NATURE, AND RARELY APPEAR AT AUCTION.
THE FAMOUS JEWELRY HOUSES, SUCH AS CARTIER, VAN CLEEF & ARPELS AND HARRY WINSTON, SPECIFICALLY SOUGHT OUT SUCH HIGHLY PRIZED EMERALDS IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY TO SET INTO THEIR DESIGNS. THE FINE EMERALD OFFERED HERE EXHIBITS THE VERY QUALITIES AND FINE CHARACTERISTICS THAT WERE SO HIGHLY PRIZED BY THE MUGHAL PRINCES OF THE 16TH CENTURY,
AS WELL AS THE DISCERNING COLLECTOR OF TODAY.