THE TIFFANY MUZO EMERALD
Tiffany & Co. announced that the House has acquired an extraordinary gemstone: an emerald of over 10 carats. Sourced directly from Muzo Emerald Colombia, where the world’s finest emeralds are unearthed, the exceedingly rare ‘Tiffany Muzo Emerald’ is named after its source, the renowned Muzo mines, located 60 miles northwest of Bogotá.
“As the world’s authority on rare gems, we are thrilled to announce our recent acquisition of the Tiffany Muzo Emerald,” said Victoria Wirth Reynolds, Chief Gemologist, Tiffany & Co. “This remarkable stone, weighing over 10 carats, is a continuation of Tiffany’s longstanding heritage of acquiring the most coveted gemstones that Mother Nature has to offer.”
Weighing over 10 carats, this rectangular square cut emerald was extracted from the historical Puerto Arturo shaft in December 2019. This emerald is exceedingly rare due to its exceptionally high clarity, which provides a superior degree of transparency, which highlights its exceptional color.
This emerald has absolutely no fissures and is virtually inclusion free, displaying only a few inclusions found by microscopic examination, which are consistent of those found in Colombian emeralds from the Muzo mine. Furthermore, this historic emerald showcases the perfectly saturated green color that Muzo emeralds are so highly coveted for.
THE HOOKER EMERALD
This is a 75.47 carat, square, inclusion-free Colombian emerald that was originally the property of Abdul Hamid II, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. The emerald was used by the sultan to decorate a belt buckle until it was purchased by Tiffany & Co in 1911 and was made into a brooch. The brooch has 109 round diamonds and twenty baguettes, the combined weight of the diamonds are 13 carats. Mrs Janet Annenberg Hooker (sister of Walter Annenberg) purchased the emerald brooch from Tiffany in 1955 and donated it to the Smithsonian Institute in 1977.
THE SPANISH INQUISITION NECKLACE
Neither the origin nor the name of this necklace can be substantiated. We know that parts of the original necklace are over three hundred years old, and some believe its gemstones to have once belonged to the Spanish royal family. Is 374 diamonds must have come from India as India was the only diamond source at that time. There are 15 emeralds, the largest of which is 45 carats, all of which came from Colombia. According to experts the necklace that exists today was probably created in the twentieth century, judging from its style. The Maharaja of Idore owned the necklace until 1948 when it was purchased by Harry Winston. The necklace became part of the National Gem Collection when it was donated to the Smithsonian Institute by Cora Hubbard Williams in 1972.
THE MACKAY EMERALD
The stunning 167.97-carat Mackay Emerald was mined in Muzo, Colombia.
The largest cut emerald in the National Gem Collection, it is set in an Art Deco diamond and platinum necklace designed by Cartier Inc. In 1931, Clarence H. Mackay presented the necklace as a wedding gift to his wife, Anna Case, a prima donna of the New York Metropolitan Opera from 1909 to 1920. The piece was donated to the Smithsonian Institute by Mrs. Anna Case Mackay in 1984.
THE CHALK EMERALD
With its superb clarity and deep green color, the 37.82-carat Chalk Emerald ranks among the very finest Colombian emeralds.
According to legend, it was once the centerpiece of an emerald and diamond necklace belonging to a maharani of the former state of Baroda in India
It originally weighed 38.40 carats (7.68 g), but was recut and set in a ring, where it is surrounded by sixty pear-shaped diamonds by Harry Winston Inc. The ring was donated to the Smithsonian Natural History Museum by Mr. and Mrs. O. Roy Chalk in 1972.
THE EMERALD UNGUENTARIUM
An enormous twin crystal weighing over 3,000 carats, most probably originated from the Muzo mines of which it bears the deep vivid green color, was purchased by Rudoloph II of Hapsburg in the early 17th century.
In 1641, Emperor Ferdinand III of Austria commissionned the famous gem cutter Dionysio Miseroni to fashion the crystal into an ointment vessel (unguentarium), measuring 8.5 cm in length, 7.2 cm in breadth and 10.9 cm in height.
THE DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE EMERALD
The Duke of Devonshire Emerald, a deep-green crystal weighing 1,384 carats could be the most famous emerald stone in the world.
Extracted from the mines of Muzo (Colombia), it was gifted to William Cavendish, the 6th Duke of Devonshire, by Emperor Don Pedro I of Brazil, in 1831.
THE MUZO 1350ct GREEN OBSESSION
Unearthed on the 16th September 2020 at the famed Muzo mine along one of the Puerto Arturo shafts.
Upon examination the crystal has pristine hexagonal formation, where the six prism faces are perfectly planar.
The crystal has remarkable termination, producing sharp, crisp edges void of nicks and damages (American Gemological Laboratories). AGL Certificate
"Exceptional Emerald Crystal" (Swiss Gemmological Institute). SSEF Certificate
