Origin of name
The Chalk Emerald Ring which is an important and famous exhibit in the
National Gem Collection of the National Museum of Natural History of the
Smithsonian Institution, gets its name from the one time owner of the
emerald Mrs. Claire Chalk, wife of Oscar Roy Chalk, the renowned New York
entrepreneur who was the owner of real estate, airlines, bus companies,
newspapers and a rail line that transported bananas in Central America, and
even a Central American banana plantation for a short period. Mr. O. Roy
Chalk purchased the emerald ring from Harry Winston and gifted it to his
wife, who wore the stunning emerald ring for a state dinner at the White
House, in honor of Queen Elizabeth II. However, during the party Mrs. Claire
Chalk observed that Her Excellency the Queen, was wearing a less attractive
emerald ring, and decided to turn her ring around on her finger, so as not
to upstage the queen. In the year 1972, Mrs. Claire Chalk in consultation
with her husband, donated the fabulous emerald ring to the National Museum
of Natural History, of the Smithsonian Institution.
© Smithsonian Institution, photo by Chip
Clark
Characteristics of the gemstone
The Chalk Emerald is a 37.82-carat, square emerald-cut, deep bluish-green
emerald of Colombian origin, with a good transparency. Like all natural
emeralds the Chalk Emerald also contain some Jardin or inclusions, but in
spite of it ranks among the very finest of Colombian emeralds.
The top quality emerald was previously the centerpiece of an emerald and
diamond necklace, that belonged to the most flamboyant Maharani of Baroda,
Maharani Sita Devi, the "Wallis Simpson of India" who was compelled to sell
part of her enormous collection of jewelry due to financial difficulties,
while living in Monaco. Harry Winston purchased the necklace, and
after re-cutting the emerald from its original 38.40 carats to 37.82 carats,
set it in a platinum ring, surrounded by 60 pear-shaped colorless diamonds,
with a total weight of 15 carats. The surrounding colorless diamonds further
enhanced the beauty of the emerald, and made it a masterpiece in
jewelry setting, that would forever remain a living monument to the
designing skills of the the "King of Diamonds" Harry Winston.
History of the gemstone
The source of the Chalk Emerald
The Chalk Emerald is undoubtedly of Colombian origin, as all other emeralds
that reached India during and after the Moghul period that lasted from the
early-16th century to the mid-19th century. The Spanish discovery of
emeralds in Colombia also took place around the mid-16th century, and most
of the emeralds mined from the historic emerald mines of Colombia, Muzo,
Chivor and Coscuez, eventually found their way to the Islamic Empires of
Turkey, Persia (Iran) and India (Moghul Empire). The Chalk Emerald would
have entered the treasury of Baroda either during the Mughal period of its
history that lasted from 1573 to 1734 or during the Maratha period
(1734-1947) when Baroda became the capital of the powerful Gaekwar family.
Is Chivor the possible mine of origin of the
Chalk Emerald?
Even though it is known for certain that the Chalk Emerald originated in
Colombia, the actual mine from which the emerald was discovered is not
known. But, the deep bluish-green color of the emerald might provide some
clue as to the mine of origin, as the emeralds produced in the three mines
have their own characteristic colors and other physical and optical
properties such as specific gravity and refractive index. Emeralds produced
in the Muzo mines have a deep herbal-green color, those produced in Coscuez
have a typical yellowish-green color, while those produced in the Chivor
mines are deep bluish-green in color. Thus the Chalk Emerald based on its
color alone appears to have originated in the Chivor mines of Colombia. This
could have been confirmed if the specific gravity and the refractive index
of the emerald was known, as emeralds originating in Chivor have a slightly
lower specific gravity (2.69) and refractive index (1.571), than those of
the Muzo emeralds (2.71 and 1.578).
When was the Chalk Emerald discovered ?
If the origin of the Chalk Emerald is the Chivor mines, situated at the
southeastern end of the NW-SE emerald belt of the Andes Mountains, the
emerald would have been discovered in Chivor most probably in the period
between the 1540s and 1675, before the Chivor mines were closed down
indefinitely by royal decree issued by King Charles II of Spain, due to the
brutal and unbearable cruelty shown towards the Indian workers. After the
closure of the Chivor mines, the surrounding jungles reclaimed the mines,
and the whereabouts of the mine was unknown, until rediscovered in 1896 by
the mining engineer Don Francisco Restrepo. However, production in the
Chivor mines resumed only in the year 1911. It is also quite possible that
the Chalk Emerald was discovered after 1911 and entered the Baroda treasury
between the years 1911 and 1947, the year the Princely States were
abolished. But, the period 1540 to 1675 is more favorable as emeralds in
large quantities entered the Mughal treasury during this period, the height
of Mughal power in India. Large quantities of the bright green stones filled
several chests in the Mughal treasury, and several of them were mounted on
the splendorous "Peacock Throne" of Emperor Shah Jahaan (1628-58). It is
also well known that Nadir Shah the mighty conqueror from Iran, carried away
several chests full of emeralds, rubies, sapphires, diamonds and pearls,
when he invaded Delhi and Agra in 1739, and plundered the wealth of the two
cities. According to historical evidence, India, under the mighty Moghul
Emperors Babur (1526-30), Humayun (1530-56), Akbar the Great (1556-1605),
Jahangir (1605-27), Shah Jahaan (1628-58) and Aurangzeb (1658-1707), was one
of the richest nations on earth, whose subjugation and eventual colonization
was the primary aim of the western colonial powers.
The Chalk Emerald enters the Baroda treasury
Khande Rao
Gaekwar
The Maharajah's of Baroda were well known for their lavish and extravagant
tastes, which almost reached mythical proportions during the reign of Khande
Rao Gaekwar (1856-70), who was one of the most notable jewelry collectors of
the 19th century, and possessed an impressive and unparalleled collection of
jewels and jewelry. Khande Rao Gaekwar did not mind the expenditure, when it
came to the acquisition of remarkable pieces of jewels and jewelry. In fact
one of his most remarkable acquisitions was the 128.48-carat "Star of
the South" diamond, which has gone down in history as the first Brazilian
diamond to receive international acclaim, and was purchased by the Maharajah
for £80,000. The Maharajah also purchased the
76.5-carat drop-shaped "English Dresden Diamond" and got both stones set as
the centerpiece of a triple-tiered diamond necklace, which came to be known
as the "Baroda Diamond Necklace."
Some of the other extravagant pieces of jewelry
attributed to Khande Rao Gaekwar are , the magnificent ceremonial necklace,
the seven-stranded diamond and emerald necklace known as the "Hindu
Necklace," and the magnificent and legendary seven-stranded natural pearl
necklace, which came to be known as the "Baroda Pearl Necklace." These two
pieces were the most expensive pieces of jewelry owned by the Gaekwar of
Baroda.
If the Chalk Emerald originated in the Chivor mines, it
might not have entered the Baroda treasury during the reign of Khande Rao
Gaekwar (1856-70), as during this period the mines were not yet
rediscovered. But, it is possible that Khande Rao Gaekwar might have
inherited the Chalk Emerald from his predecessors, who acquired or received
the gemstone as a gift from the Moghul Emperors.
Sayagi Rao Gaekwar III
Khande Rao Gaekwar was succeeded by his estranged
brother Mulhar Rao who only reigned for a very short period from 1870 to
1875, and was forced to abdicate in 1875 by the British, after being found
guilty of attempting to poison the British Resident Officer of Baroda
Colonel Phayre with diamond dust. As their were no heirs to the throne of
Baroda, the British adopted a twelve year old boy from another branch of the
Gaekwar lineage, as successor, who ascended the throne as Sayagi Rao Gaekwar
III, who ruled from 1875 to 1939. Sayagi Rao who was educated in England by
the British, traveled extensively in Europe, and was exposed to the cultures
of different nations, and after returning to Baroda adopted some measures
which he experienced personally in these countries that would uplift the
living standards of his people. In the field of education he established
compulsory primary education, a library system and the Maharajah Sayajirao
University of Baroda. He promoted the health care of
his people, addressed social injustice, developed communication networks,
and also established a museum in Baroda. He also set up textile factories
that helped create the Baroda textile industry. He was one of the first Indian
Princes who staunchly supported Indian nationalism and the idea of a free
India. Thus, without any doubt, Sayagi Rao Gaekwar III became one of the
most enlightened and greatest modern leaders of India. Sayagi Rao Gaekwar
III was greatly assisted by his wife Chimnabai in the implementation of the
progressive measures adopted by her husband.
Chimnabai had a great passion for gemstones, pearls and
diamonds, and was a connoisseur and collector of these items. She had
profound knowledge of jewels and traveled extensively in Europe, making
purchases of jewels for her collection. She made all the purchasing
decisions and used her knowledge to outwit the European jewelers when making
purchases of diamonds and other gemstones such as emeralds, rubies etc. She
built up a working relationship with the House of Cartier, and invited
Jacques Cartier to India in 1911. Thus, it is quite possible that the
extraordinary emerald that came to be known as the "Chalk Emerald" would
have been purchased by Chimnabai during one of her trips to Europe after
1911, when the Chivor mine came into full production once again. The cut and
polished emerald was incorporated into an emerald and diamond necklace
in which it became the centerpiece.
Pratapsingh Rao
Pratapsingh Rao
Sayagi Rao Gaekwar III was succeeded by his grandson
Pratapsingh Rao (1939-47), who was the last Gaekwar of Baroda, before the
Princely State was absorbed into the new Indian Republic created in
1947. Pratapsingh Rao Gaekwad became very famous because he contracted a
second marriage in 1943 to Sita Devi, wife of the Zamindar of Vayyur, while
his first wife, the Maharani, who bore him four children was still living.
It all happened when Pratapsingh Rao Gaekwad attended the Madras races in
1943. He met and fell in love with a beautiful lady, the wife of the
Zamindar of Vayyur, who reciprocated his advances. However, since both of
them were already married there were many legal obstacles that had to be
overcome before they could unite as man and wife. The first hurdle was for
Sita Devi to obtain a divorce from her husband. But, to obtain a divorce
from her husband without any valid reason was a difficult task. Legal
advisers to Sita Devi and the Maharaja put forward an ingenuous plan, that
required Sita Devi to convert to the religion of Islam. After her conversion
she invited her Zamindar husband to follow suit to reap the benefits of her
new religion. The Hindu Zamindar husband was well aware of Sita Devi's
intentions and did not even bother to react to this drama. A week later she
filed for divorce from her Hindu husband under Islamic law that does not
permit a Muslim woman to take a non-Muslim husband. The divorce was granted
and she was free. Immediately after the divorce she converted herself back
to Hinduism by Arya Samaj rights, and married her lover, Maharaj Pratapsingh
Rao, in spite of the fact that he was already married with four children.
According to the law of Baroda State decreed by Sayagi
Rao Gaekwar, the grandfather of Pratapsingh Rao, nobody in Baroda could take
a second spouse if the earlier one was still alive and not divorced. The
British Viceroy who was not happy about the farce that was enacted by the
Maharaja, summoned him and informed him that he had violated the law of the
State, to which the Maharaja replied that the laws forbidding bigamy were
applicable only to his subjects, and he as the ruler was exempted from this
ban. Legal opinion sought by the British favored the Maharaja, and
thus his second marriage to Sita Devi was accepted as legal.
Maharani Sita Devi
Soon after the end of World War II, in 1946, Pratapsingh
Rao took his second wife Sita Devi for a tour of Europe. The main purpose of
their visit was to find a suitable country where they could set up a second
home, and perhaps Maharani Sita Devi could take up permanent residence.
After visiting many countries and seeing the ravages caused by the war, they
found that the independent principality of Monaco which was untouched by the
war was a suitable place to set up their second home. They bought a
magnificent mansion in Monaco and Maharani Sita Devi took up permanent
residence in this mansion. The Maharaja then moved cabin loads of the great
treasures of Baroda State to his new home in Monaco and the Maharani
became the custodian of these treasures. Prince Rainier of Monaco welcomed
the Maharaja and Maharani, and helped them to set up home in his domain. The
Maharaja was considered to be the 8th richest man in the world, and his
presence in Monaco was a big boost to his country's image.
Maharani Sita Devi
Just one year after in 1947, India became an
independent republic, and the Princely State of Baroda joined the Indian
Union. The Government of India took over the Baroda treasury and was shocked
to find that all the valuable treasures were gone, and the treasury was
virtually empty. The government attempted to force the Maharaja to
bring back the
stolen treasures, but the Maharaja only returned the famous 7-stranded
necklace now reduced to six strands. Shortly afterwards the Maharaja was
forced to abdicate in favor of his son, by his first wife. In Monaco,
Maharani Sita Devi had taken full control of all the jewels and long before
independence had got her husband to transfer the ownership of the jewels to
her name. She also got the jewelry firm Van Cleef & Arpels based in Paris
and New York, to remove the jewels from the old settings and remount them in
new settings. Thousands of old gemstones were remounted in this way. It is
not known whether the Chalk Emerald was also one of the gemstones that was
remounted in a new setting.
Maharani Sita Devi now became a celebrated figure in
the west and was invited for many high society functions and gatherings. The
western media now began to refer to her as India's Wallis Simpson. The
original Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor, had also swapped husbands
like Maharani Sita Devi.
Meeting of the two Wallis
Simpsons
Sita Devi who inherited a fortune of over $300 million settled down in
comfort with her only son Princie, in her luxurious mansion in Monaco. Her
Husband Pratapsingh Rao Gaekwad visited them from India, several times in a
year. Many stories are told about her high flying life style in Monaco,
mingling with the rich and the powerful of the world. One such story refers
to her attempts to make a call to her husband in India, when she was on a
trip to the United States. She encountered difficulties in making the call
from the U.S. and decided to fly across the Atlantic to London, to make her
call to India, which she did, and then returned to the U.S. to continue her
holiday.
Another interesting story concerns the meeting of the two Wallis Simpsons of
the east and the west at a New York ball held in 1957. Harry Winston the
"King of Jewelers" and "Jeweler to the Kings" based in New York, purchased a
pair of anklets mounted with cabochon-cut emeralds and rose-cut diamonds,
belonging to Maharani Sita Devi, in 1953. The expert jewelry designer that
he was, Winston decided to remount the jewels of the anklet on a newly
designed diamond choker, and sold the exquisitely crafted item to the
Duchess of Windsor (former Wallis Simpson), who wore the choker to a New
York ball held in 1957, which coincidentally was also attended by Maharani
Sita Devi, the India's Wallis Simpson. Sita Devi was sharp enough to
recognize the diamonds on the Duchess of Windsor's choker as the one's that
once adorned her feet, mounted on the anklets, but she pretended not to know
anything about it. At one point during the party, when the guests mesmerized
by the beauty and size of the diamond choker were congratulating the
Duchess on her recent acquisition, Sita Devi unable to bear it anymore
commented loudly, that they had also looked very nice on her feet. The
Duchess of Windsor seemed to be humiliated by this incident, and the very
next day returned the diamond choker to Harry Winston.
The declining years of the Maharani
As time passed Sita Devi's glamour as well as her riches faded. Since the
time she settled in Monaco, the Maharani had gone on an unprecedented
spending spree, and her fortunes began declining as she continued to spend
without an income to replenish her savings. Moreover, after her husband's
kingdom acceded to join the Indian Union and the forceful abdication of her
husband in favor of his son, all her sources of income dried up. Sita Devi then resorted to selling her
expensive jewelry items secretly whenever she needed money. The selling of
the diamond and emerald anklets to Harry Winston in 1953 was one such
instance of a private sale. Perhaps, the necklace containing the Chalk
Emerald as the centerpiece might also have been sold to Harry Winston during
this period under similar circumstances.
Adding to the Maharani's woes was the estrangement between her and her
husband Pratapsingh Rao which eventually led to separation and divorce in
1956. Pratapsingh Rao moved to London, where he took up residence and
eventually died in exile in 1968. Sita Devi's financial situation worsened,
and she was forced to pawn her more expensive jewels, which included the
Hindu Necklace. But, this compounded her problems, as she was forced to pay
an annual interest of $200,000. Finally the Maharani was forced to sell her
jewels at a secret auction held in Monte Carlo in 1974, organized by Credit
Mobilier of Monaco, and the sale netted her $4 million.
More misfortunes came her way, and in the year 1985 she lost her only son
Princie after his 40th birthday, apparently by suicide, precipitated by
alcoholism and drug addiction. The loss of her only son was too much for the
aging Maharani to bear, and she too died the following year in 1986, in
Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, at the age of 69 years.
Harry Winston resets the Chalk Emerald on a
ring and sells it to Oscar Roy Chalk
Harry Winston who purchased the necklace in which the Chalk Emerald was the
centerpiece, got the emerald slightly re-cut from its original weight
of 38.40 carats to 37.82 carats, and set it as the centerpiece of an
exquisitely crafted ring, surrounded by 60 pear-shaped diamonds, with a
total weight of 15 carats. Mr. O. Roy Chalk then purchased the fabulous ring
from Harry Winston and gifted it to his wife, Mrs. Claire Chalk, who wore
the ring for a State Dinner at the White House, in honor of Queen Elizabeth
II. Later in the year 1972, Mr. and Mrs. O. Roy Chalk, donated the
extraordinary emerald ring to the National Museum of Natural History of the
Smithsonian Institution, and the ring came to be known as the "Chalk Emerald
Ring." Today the "Chalk Emerald Ring" is exhibited in the Janet Annenberg
Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems and Minerals of the Smithsonian Institution.
A short biography of O. Roy Chalk
Oscar Roy Chalk was born in Britain on June 7, 1907, to a Russian-born
father and Polish-born mother, who brought him to New York, America, when he
was 3 years old. He grew up in the Bronx, and among his neighbors were
George and Ira Gershwin. Chalk graduated from New York University and its
Law School. He married Claire, the daughter of Nina and Jacob Cole. It was
under Jacob Cole that Chalk received his first lessons about the real estate
business. His business boomed and eventually he became the owner of several
New York City apartment buildings.
From the real estate business he branched into the metropolitan transit
business, acquiring the Washington D.C. transit system in 1955, and
unsuccessfully attempting to purchase the New York transit system in 1959.
He further expanded his business activities by entering the airline
business, starting Trans Caribbean Airlines with two DC-3 aircraft. In the
mid-1960's, the Trans Caribbean Airlines acquired the 800-mile rail line
that transported bananas in Central America, known as the International
Railways of Central America, and Mr. Chalk became its chairman. This railway
company had been in the business of hauling bananas for the United Fruit
Company for several decades. Later it is said that Mr. Chalk himself
invested in the banana growing industry and owned a banana plantation for
sometime. The Trans Caribbean Airlines was later sold to the American
Airlines.
In the early 1960s he ventured into the publishing business, and started the
tabloid newspaper "The Washington Examiner" which he promoted aggressively.
The maiden issue of the newspaper was given free to the public, and he also
ordered that free copies of the first issue be placed on all buses belonging
to his transit system. This is a strategy that is still being adopted by
most newspaper companies when they put out their maiden issue. Later Mr. Roy
Chalk acquired two Spanish Language newspapers published in New York, El
Diaro de Nueva York and La Prensa, and merged them into a single newspaper
El Diaro La Prensa. The Newspaper was subsequently sold to the Gannett
Company in 1981.
Mr. Chalk had residences in Manhattan, Washington and Palm Beach. He
was a connoisseur and collector of artworks, and owned a collection of works
by Renoir. In October 1954, Mr. Roy O. Chalk acquired the renowned painting
by Nicholas Benjamin De La Pierre, "Portrait of a Seated Gentleman" executed
in canvas in 1785, from Parke-Bennett Galleries in New York. His other interests included traveling, owning fancy cars,
yachts, and plenty of clothes. He was fashion conscious, and dressed well to
suit the occasion. He owned dozens of suits, with shirts, ties and shoes to
match. His interests also included the promotion of cultural and charitable
endeavors. He once sponsored a lavish ball at the Plaza Hotel in aid of the
National Society for Crippled Children and Adults.
His interests also reached an international dimension when he founded the
American-Korean Foundation to foster closer ties between the people of the
United States and South Korea. In recognition of his services to this
foundation, the Government of South Korea not only gave him the National
Medal of Honor, but also awarded him with an honorary citizenship, something
Mr. Chalk cherished until his death. His other international commitment
included the Chairmanship of the United Nations Finance Committee for
several years, a vital body that generates and administers the funds of the
World Organization.
His national responsibilities included, fund raiser for the Democratic Party
in the 1960's, fund raiser for the United Negro College Fund, and serving as
member of the Georgetown University Board of Regents.
Thus Mr. Oscar Roy Chalk, the son of immigrant parents to the United States,
eventually turned out to be a great American citizen, who excelled in
whatever field he chose to apply himself, be it in business enterprises,
social services, or other national and international assignments.
Mr. Oscar Roy Chalk died from cancer in a New York hospital, on December 1,
1995, at the age of 88 years.
Mrs. Claire Chalk
Mrs. Claire Chalk was born on January 22, 1911, in New York, and was the
daughter of Jacob and Nina Cole. She married Oscar Roy Chalk the young New
York University Law Graduate, who was four years her senior. Her husband O.
Roy Chalk was introduced to the real estate business, by her father, and he
became so successful in his business, that within a short period he was the
proud owner of several New York City apartment buildings.
Claire Chalk was Roy Chalk's constant companion and adviser and their joint
effort helped them to diversify into multifarious business activities, such
as mass transit bus companies, airlines, railways, and newspaper publishing,
building up a successful business empire.
Besides assisting her husband in his business activities, Mrs. Claire Chalk
took an active part in the work of several voluntary and humanitarian
organizations, such as the American Red Cross, the American Heart
Association, the American Cancer Society, the Retina Foundation, the
Salvation Army, Good Samaritan and St. Mary's Medical Center, and the Animal
Rescue League. Towards the latter part of her life, she lived mainly in her
Palm Beach House, and was active in Palm Beach charity and society.
Mrs. Claire Chalk is well known in the United States, as the owner of the
renowned 37.82-carat Chalk Emerald Ring, exhibited in the Janet Annenberg
Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems and Minerals, of the National Museum of Natural
History, of the Smithsonian Institution. This webpage is entirely dedicated
to this extraordinary ring. Mr. & Mrs. Chalk donated the Chalk Emerald Ring
to the Smithsonian Institution in the year 1972. Mrs. Claire Chalk died on
Monday, May 1, 2006, at the ripe old age of 95 years.
Related :-
1)
Maximilian Emerald
2)
Patricia Emerald
3)
The Moghul Emerald
4)
The Duke of Devonshire Emerald
5)
The Gachala Emerald
6) The Hooker Emerald
Please submit
your contributions ,comments and questions (See below)
-When you submit a question/comment we will build a
page exclusively for you. You can add more contributions, or let visitors
add comments and ratings
-The idea is Ask one or Answer one!
This way, you save yourself and others the trouble of asking the same
questions I'd appreciate a
little help here! Absolutely!!!
References
1.The National Gem Collection - Jeffrey Post
2.The
Maharaja's Jewels - John Adamson and Katherine Prior
3.The
most flamboyant Maharani - K. R. N. Swamy. The Tribune, on line edition.
Sunday, August 13, 2006.
4.Royal-Magazine.de - The Hindu Necklace,
Three-tiered Baroda Diamond Necklace, The famous Baroda Pearl Necklace.
5.The New York Times - December 2, 1995.- O. Roy Chalk, 88, Entrepreneur
With Diverse Holdings is Dead.
6.The Palm Beach Daily News -
Sunday, May 14, 2006 - Chalk Emerald owner dies at 95.
