August 5, 2020

Emeralds of Columbia

I found a historically interesting pendant that is available for sale in the estate market.

The pendant includes emeralds that are likely from Columbia.

Spain controlled the emerald market in Columbia from approximately 1400 to 1820.Columbia became an independent nation in 1819.

Mines at Munzo, Chivor and Coscuez are the source of the finest Columbian emeralds.

The term Muzo or Chivor originally referred to color, not the location of the discovery. Muzo is a warm, grassy-green emerald, with flashes of yellow. Chivor, emeralds are typical of a strongly saturated green color.

Here is the broker's description of the item:

Rare Opportunity - Circa 1850

Antique Old Mine Muzo Emerald Pendant

Made in Italy

Renaissance Revival Style

The Emeralds are Truly Vivid Green .

Must Be Seen In Person to Truly Appreciate.

Actual Measurements ; 3 inches long by 1 /14 inches wide

OLD-MINE MUZO EMERALD ANTIQUE BROOCH AND PENDANT, RENAISSANCE REVIVAL STYLE, MADE IN ITALY, CA 1850

The incomparable bright yellow-green with undertones of blue: this one-of–a–kind color hits the eye and immediately indicates an emerald from the “old mine.” The old Muzo mine of Colombia, now closed, produced and exported the world’s finest emeralds to Europe, Persia and India as far back as the Sixteenth Century. We find these ancient South American emeralds in the finest antique jewelry of Spain, Italy, and in the crowns of the Maharajas.

Rare enough in themselves, and no longer obtainable, they are particularly treasured when they are discovered to be of the category: “Clarity enhancement: None.”

In this renaissance revival gem, crafted in Italy in the mid-1800’s, we find a unique, almost modern labyrinthine pattern, accented by brilliant tiny emeralds, of the same fine quality as the two larger center-gems. In the upper pendant, the oval shaped old-Muzo gem emerald is over approximately 2 ¼ ct. We see the diagonal cross-hatched cutting on the bottom of the stone, indicative of the ancient cutting styles. On the pendant is a shield-shape emerald, matching the oval in color, approximately 1 ¾ ct in weight.

We have gemological certifications from two of the world’s most respected gem-labs, AGL of New York and CD of Luzern, Switzerland, verifying that these stones are completely natural. Most emeralds are “treated” with oil or resin to “enhance” color. These emeralds achieve their perfect color “as they are…,” that is, naturally, as they emerged from nature. The fact that they are a pair, matching in color, makes them particularly rare.

The design is exquisite… almost mind-boggling in its complexity, with geometrical patterns in three dimensions. The more one examines, the more details are revealed, such as diamonds set in the prongs holding the emeralds, filigreed design on the galleries, and several levels of depth in the construction of the pieces. Two rings of turquoise blue enamel, almost imperceptible, finish the general effect. It is a small masterpiece of mid-Nineteenth Century jewelry, and a gemological marvel.