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Lot 1773 THE SULTRY, TROPICAL, SOUTH AMERICAN COUNTRY OF COLOMBIA HAS LONG BEEN THE PREEMINENT PRODUCER OF GEM-QUALITY EMERALDS. PRIZED FOR THEIR TRANSPARENCY, SUPERIOR CRYSTAL STRUCTURE AND FIRE, THE RAREST AND MOST EXPENSIVE EMERALDS IN THE WORLD COME FROM THE THREE MAIN COLOMBIAN MINING AREAS OF MUZO, COSCUEZ AND CHIVOR. THE ORIGINAL EL CHIVOR DEPOSITS DATE BACK TO THE EARLY 1500'S AND WAS MINED BY NATIVE INDIGENOUS TRIBES, WHO IN TURN CREATED OPULENT GOLD AND EMERALD ENCRUSTED TREASURES.
NEWS OF THE COLOMBIAN JEWELS ULTIMATELY LURED IN THE SPANISH CONQUISTADORS: ADVENTURERS AT THE SERVICE OF THE SPANISH EMPIRE. THEY CONQUERED TERRITORIES, OPENED TRADE ROUTES AND SUBSEQUENTLY INVADED AND RAVAGED LANDS OF ITS NATURAL RESOURCES. COLONIZING MUCH OF THE WORLD FOR SPAIN IN THE 15TH, 16TH AND 17TH CENTURIES, THE SPANISH INVASION INTRODUCED THE WORLD TO HIGH-QUALITY, LUSH GREEN EMERALDS WHICH WERE USED TO ADORN THE EUROPEAN MONARCHS.
THE MAJORITY OF THESE EXCEPTIONAL GEMSTONES EMERGED FROM A BLACK, SOOTY, CARBONACEOUS SHALE THAT CONSTITUTES THE PRIMARY HOST ROCK OF THE AREA THAT INCLUDES THE FAMOUS MINES OF MUZO AND CHIVOR. RICH IN CHROMIUM AND VANADIUM, THE CAUSE OF EMERALD'S INTENSE GREEN COLOUR, THESE CHEMICALS CONTRIBUTES TO THE GEMSTONE'S UNIQUE VISUAL APPEAL. HOWEVER, IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED THAT THE PRESENCE OF HIGH LEVELS OF CHROMIUM AND VANADIUM IN COMBINATION WITH DIMINISHED AMOUNTS OF IRON IN EMERALD'S ATOMIC STRUCTURE CAUSE INTERNAL CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC STRESS RESULTING IN FRACTURES THAT CHARACTERISTICALLY LOWER THE CLARITY OF THESE INTENSELY GREEN GEMS. CONSEQUENTLY, HIGH CLARITY EMERALDS ARE EXTREMELY RARE AND HIGHLY PRIZED.
LOT 1773, A PAIR OF EMERALD, COLOURED DIAMOND AND DIAMOND EAR PENDANTS, IS AN EXEMPLARY SPECIMEN OF THE DISTINGUISHED COLOMBIAN GEMSTONES. SUCH COLOUR AND QUALITY COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS "OLD-MINE" EMERALDS, REPRESENT A UNIQUE TIME IN COLOMBIA'S HISTORY AND ITS CONTRIBUTION TO THE WORLD. ACCOMPANIED BY SUCH HIGH CLARITY, THIS PAIR OF EAR PENDANTS IS TRULY AN EXTRAORDINARY FIND.
NEWS OF THE COLOMBIAN JEWELS ULTIMATELY LURED IN THE SPANISH CONQUISTADORS: ADVENTURERS AT THE SERVICE OF THE SPANISH EMPIRE. THEY CONQUERED TERRITORIES, OPENED TRADE ROUTES AND SUBSEQUENTLY INVADED AND RAVAGED LANDS OF ITS NATURAL RESOURCES. COLONIZING MUCH OF THE WORLD FOR SPAIN IN THE 15TH, 16TH AND 17TH CENTURIES, THE SPANISH INVASION INTRODUCED THE WORLD TO HIGH-QUALITY, LUSH GREEN EMERALDS WHICH WERE USED TO ADORN THE EUROPEAN MONARCHS.
THE MAJORITY OF THESE EXCEPTIONAL GEMSTONES EMERGED FROM A BLACK, SOOTY, CARBONACEOUS SHALE THAT CONSTITUTES THE PRIMARY HOST ROCK OF THE AREA THAT INCLUDES THE FAMOUS MINES OF MUZO AND CHIVOR. RICH IN CHROMIUM AND VANADIUM, THE CAUSE OF EMERALD'S INTENSE GREEN COLOUR, THESE CHEMICALS CONTRIBUTES TO THE GEMSTONE'S UNIQUE VISUAL APPEAL. HOWEVER, IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED THAT THE PRESENCE OF HIGH LEVELS OF CHROMIUM AND VANADIUM IN COMBINATION WITH DIMINISHED AMOUNTS OF IRON IN EMERALD'S ATOMIC STRUCTURE CAUSE INTERNAL CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC STRESS RESULTING IN FRACTURES THAT CHARACTERISTICALLY LOWER THE CLARITY OF THESE INTENSELY GREEN GEMS. CONSEQUENTLY, HIGH CLARITY EMERALDS ARE EXTREMELY RARE AND HIGHLY PRIZED.
LOT 1773, A PAIR OF EMERALD, COLOURED DIAMOND AND DIAMOND EAR PENDANTS, IS AN EXEMPLARY SPECIMEN OF THE DISTINGUISHED COLOMBIAN GEMSTONES. SUCH COLOUR AND QUALITY COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS "OLD-MINE" EMERALDS, REPRESENT A UNIQUE TIME IN COLOMBIA'S HISTORY AND ITS CONTRIBUTION TO THE WORLD. ACCOMPANIED BY SUCH HIGH CLARITY, THIS PAIR OF EAR PENDANTS IS TRULY AN EXTRAORDINARY FIND.
AN IMPORTANT PAIR OF EMERALD, COLOURED DIAMOND AND DIAMOND EAR PENDANTS, BY VAN CLEEF & ARPELS
Closed27 November 2012
Price Realised
HKD 10,740,000
More Information
Specialist note
US$1,200,000-1,500,000