The Programa Royal Collections
The Programa Royal Collections based in Madrid, Spain, contains one of the
most comprehensive and unique collections of gems and minerals ever
assembled, that includes all varieties and classes, besides other
collections such as precious metal and gemstone artwork and sculptures both
current as well as ancient, a collection of gem-encrusted regal tapestries
from Asia and the Near East, and collections of great sculptors of Spanish
art including Anton Gaudi, Picasso, Dali, Julio Gonzalez, of the classical
period and also several other great contemporary sculptors. The collections
were started in 1997 by a business grouping that consisted of institutions
specializing in gemology, geology, art, the management of cultural tourism
projects, and international trade and communication, and was regulated by
the European Union.
Aims and objectives of the Programa Royal
Collections
One of the main objectives in starting this collection on gemology, the
sciences and the arts was to respond to the new demands of the 21st century
culture, tourism and leisure. The project was aimed at popularizing and
disseminating knowledge of the earth sciences, natural history and the arts,
with a view of inculcating a sense of respect towards nature and its
resources and also help cultivate among the general populace a sensibility
towards arts and its appreciation. While promoting research and
development in these fields, the program also intended to make the
initiative a truly international effort, by promoting loans and exchanging
cultural and scientific collections, and giving out its various exhibitions
on hire at nominal rates to organizations such as museums in different
countries and cities around the world.
The Emerald Collection of the Programa Royal
Collections
The gemstone collection of the Programa Royal Collections contains over
500,000 carats of gemstones, which is one of the largest collections of
faceted gemstones in the world. Out of this the emerald collection
constitutes about 6,000 carats, which includes three significantly large
emeralds, the Corazon emerald weighing 456.50 carts, the Agra emerald
weighing 350 carats and the Jaipur emerald weighing 220 carats. Other
emeralds in the collection include over 1,000 smaller emeralds of various
cuts, shapes and sizes, with a total weight of over 2,600 carats.
The Agra Emerald
Characteristics of the Agra Emerald
The 350-carat "Agra Emerald" is a masterpiece in the tradition of the
engraved Mogul emeralds, a skill that had reached a high stage of
perfection and refinement during the period of the great Mogul emperors of
India (1526-1707) , as reflected by some of the engraved emeralds of this
period existing in various museums and private collections around the world.
One of the most outstanding of these engraved emeralds is the 217.80-
carat table-cut "Mogul Emerald" originating from the period of Emperor
Arranger (1658-1707), which is engraved with a Shia invocation, and is
presently exhibited in the museum of Islamic Art of the Independent Emirate
of Qatar.
Please click here for the separate web page on the "Mogul
Emerald."
The "Agra Emerald" as seen in the photograph appears to be a flat table-cut
emerald with a roughly square shape with two rectangular extensions on its
lateral sides, with provisions for attaching cords, and two slight
indentations on the other two opposite sides. The surface of the emerald is
engraved with a floral pattern, centered around a floral motif in the
middle. The floral motif is somewhat similar to the motif on the
reverse side of the engraved "Mogul Emerald." The photograph of
the emerald doesn't seem to reflect the exact color and tone of the green
emerald, a problem normally encountered in photographing emeralds. The
twisted cords on either side indicate that the emerald was probably used as
an arm band by the emperor or one of the members of his family.
Agra Emerald
©
Programa Royal Collections. Agrupación Europea de Interés Económico 2006
History of the Agra Emerald
Modern technique used by Gaston Giuliani et
al in tracing the source of an emerald
It would have been very interesting to find the exact country of origin of
the Agra Emerald, using the latest oxygen isotopic analysis method.
The method developed by a team of research scientists led by Gaston
Giuliani of the Petrographic and Geochemical Research Center in Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy,
France, makes use of the Oxygen isotope ratio O18/O16
in the molecules of emeralds generated from the surface of the emerald
crystal using an ion microprobe, which leaves only a microscopic hole
on the surface a few microns in diameter, not visible to he naked eye. Each
emerald deposit in the world has its own characteristic O18/O16 ratio. The
researches prepared a table of O18/O16 ratios of 62 emerald deposits from 19
countries around the world. To find the source of a given emerald the
O18/016 ratio of the emerald is determined using Gaston Giuliani's technique
and compared with the reference table of 62 emerald deposits, which
identifies the source of the emerald very accurately.
The technique reveals the
actual source of the emeralds from the treasury of the Nizam of Hyderabad
The use of the technique had served to identify the
actual source of some of the old emeralds previously thought to have
originated in the old world. Of particular interest are the four emeralds
that previously belonged to the treasury of the Nizams of Hyderabad of
India, who ruled the Southern Indian Princely State from 1724 to 1948.
According to legend and folklore these emeralds were believed to have
originated from the long-lost Indian emerald mines of unknown location. The
oxygen isotope analysis revealed that three of these emeralds actually
originated from Colombia, each from a different mine in Colombia, and
the fourth one from a mine in Afghanistan. Thus the tests reveal that
Afghanistan was also a possible source of Old World emeralds, prior to the
discovery of emeralds in Colombia.
The technique reveals that
Swat Valley in Pakistan and Afghanistan were also ancient sources of
emeralds besides Egypt and Habatchal in Austria
Giuliani and his team also studied four ancient
emeralds belonging to the National Museum of Natural History in Paris,
France. The oldest emerald examined was part of an earring from the
Gallo-Roman site of Miribel in France. Another emerald was the 51.5-carat
emerald mounted on the Holy Crown of France by the crusading Louis IX in the
13th century. The remaining two emeralds were once the property of the 18th
century French mineralogist Abbé Hauy.
Prior to 1537 when the Spanish conquistadors conquered
the Chibchan Indian territory, and subsequently discovered the first emerald
mines in Southern America, the only source of emeralds in the Old World were
thought to be the Egyptian mines, exploited by the Pharos since the 3rd
century B.C. and the mines of Habatchal, in Austria, captured by the Celts.
The four emeralds of the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, were
assumed to have originated either from the Egyptian or the Austrian mines.
Testing the emeralds using Giuliani's technique revealed that oldest Gallo
Roman emerald actually originated from the Swat Valley in Pakistan and not
from Egypt the most ancient source. This was a shocking revelation that
revealed another possible source for ancient emeralds. The emeralds from the
Swat Valley and Afghanistan would have reached Rome, via the ancient silk
route, that passed through the Peshawar, Swat and Kabul valleys.
Tests conducted on the emerald in the Holy Crown of
France confirmed the previous gemological work that pointed to its Austrian
origin. Likewise one of the emeralds of Abbé Hauy was also shown to be of
Austrian origin, and the other from Egypt.
The technique confirms that an
emerald recovered from the Atocha wreckage was from a mine in Colombia
The ninth emerald studied by Giuliani and his team, was
an emerald recovered from the wreckage of the Spanish Galleon Nuestra Senora
de Atocha, and belonging to the Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Society, in Key
West, Florida. The Galleon sank off the coast of Florida in 1622, when it
was caught up in a hurricane in the Caribbean, during the peak period of the
hurricane season in September. Tests done on this emerald confirmed that it
was of Colombian origin, and actually originated from the Tequendama mine in
Colombia.
The source of the Agra Emerald
The source of the "Agra Emerald" is stated to be Colombia according to he
website of the Programa Royal Collections. However it is not known whether
the modern technique of oxygen isotope analysis was performed on the Agra
Emerald to confirm its country of origin. Even if such an analysis was not
performed, from our updated knowledge of the sources of Old World emeralds,
we are now in a position to make a better prediction of the possible sources
of the "Agra Emerald." Considering the period in which the emerald first
appeared, viz. the great Mogul Period from 1526 to 1707, the possible
sources of the "Agra Emerald" would have been Colombia, Afghanistan or the
Swat Valley in Pakistan. The period roughly corresponds to the peak period
of production of emeralds in the Somondoco (Chivor) and Muzo mines of
Colombia. But, emeralds would also have reached the Mogul empire during
this period from Afghanistan and the Swat Valley in northwestern India
(presently Pakistan).
How emeralds from Colombia reached India ?
The emeralds mined from the two main mines in Colombia, the Muzo and
Somondoco (Chivor) mines, together with gold and silver also mined in
Colombia were eventually loaded on to the Spanish Galleons at the port city
of Cartagena. These galleons then called at the port city of Portobello in
Panama to load the enormous quantities of silver and some gold mined in
Peru, that arrived by mule train from Panama City on the west coast, where
it was off loaded by the Spanish Pacific fleet operating on the west
coast of Southern America. The Galleons then sailed to Havana in Cuba, where
they waited for other ships bringing cargo bound for Spain from port city of
Vera Cruz in the Gulf Coast of Mexico. This cargo included gold and silver
from Mexico, and silk and porcelain from China that was brought by the
Pacific fleet from China via the Philippines and off loaded at Acapulco on
the west coast of Mexico. The goods were then transported from Acapulco to
Veracruz by mules. The fleet of Ships then set sail from Havana through the
Straits of Florida and across the Atlantic to Spain.
From Spain after the Spanish Royal family had taken their share of emeralds,
the remainder was exported to other countries in Europe and Asia. Most of
the Colombian emeralds were exported to the three Islamic monarchies in the
Middle east and Asia. These were the Ottoman empire, the Persian empire and
the Mogul empire in India. Any consignment of emeralds for Turkey would
have been sent by ship across the Mediterranean directly to any one of the
ports on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. It was possible that emeralds
bound for Iran and India might have also taken this route, by following the
land route after off loading in Turkey. The other route by which emeralds
from Spain would have reached Iran and India was round the cape, and across
the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. A third route by which emeralds from
Spain would have reached India, was the western route across the Atlantic,
and the Gulf of Mexico to Veracruz, and then overland to Acapulco, and then
across the Pacific, via Philippines to India. The emeralds reaching India
was purchased by agents of the Mogul emperors using gold or silver bullion
as currency. It is on record that when Nadir Shah invaded Mogul India in 1739 he
carried away several chests full of loose emeralds, besides other precious
stones such as pearls, rubies, diamonds and sapphires. The Peacock Throne of
Shah Jahaan, the most splendorous throne, ever made in the history of
mankind, and also carried away by Nadir Shah, was said to be incorporated
with 116 emeralds, 108 rubies, and innumerable pearls and diamonds.
Processing of emeralds in Mogul India
The emeralds purchased by the Mogul emperors entered the treasury of the
Mogul empire in Delhi, and were processed by the craftsmen of the Mogul
court. Around that time the common cutting styles adopted for emeralds were
the cabochon-cut and the table-cut, simple cutting styles that suited the
normally included, somewhat brittle emeralds. Most of the emeralds in the
Iranian crown jewels, which originated during this period, both loose and
set emeralds, are all cabochon-cut emeralds. The emerald-cut usually
employed for emeralds nowadays was not developed during that period.
Heavily included emeralds that were opaque but nevertheless of perfect vivid
green colors were cut as lasque or table-cut stones and used for engraving
with floral patterns and Arabic calligraphy as seen in the Agra and
Mogul Emeralds. A 64.99-carat kite-shaped emerald engraved with a floral pattern and
undoubtedly belonging to this period is given in the photograph below, but
information concerning this emerald and its present owner are not available.
Readers who may have more information on this emerald are kindly requested
to provide the same as comments to this web page.
Photograph (below) of an unknown 64.99-carat kite shaped engraved emerald. Please
provide any information available as comments.
Corazon Emerald
Characteristics of the Corazon Emerald
The 456.50-carat "Corazon Emerald" is the largest faceted emerald in the
emerald collection of the Programa Royal Collections. This emerald is a gem-
quality stone with good clarity and transparency and perfect grass-green
color characteristic of the Muzo emerald mines of Colombia. The perfect
heart-shaped cut of the emerald, though unconventional enhances the
beauty of the stone.
Corazon Emerald
©
Programa Royal Collections. Agrupación Europea de Interés Económico 2006
What prompted the unconventional heart-shaped
cut for the Corazon Emerald ?
Conventionally emeralds are cut as "emerald-cut" stones, a shape and cut
developed particularly for emeralds, because of its decreased toughness due
to the presence of inclusions, even though the hardness of emeralds is
quite high, being 7.5 to 8.0 on the Mohs scale. The emerald-cut is a
rectangular or square shaped step-cut, with beveled corners that not only
brings out the intrinsic beauty of the stone but also protects it from
mechanical strain, during and after the cutting process. It is not known why
a heart-shaped cut was imparted to the "Corazon Emerald." Emerald cutters
normally would not take a risk in trying to cut an emerald in a shape other
than the conventional "emerald-cut." This is because of the brittleness of
the material and the enormous cost of the gemstones. However if the emerald
has less inclusions which necessarily means enhanced toughness of the
material, shapes and cuts other than the conventional emerald-cut may be
tried out. This is exactly what the cutters of Zambian emeralds have
resorted to, because Zambian emeralds are normally free of inclusions and
has a greater toughness than emeralds from other sources, enabling the
cutters to try out all possible cuts and shapes other than the "emerald
cut." Likewise, the heart-shaped cut employed for the "Corazon Emerald" was
probably prompted because of its relatively inclusion-free status.
History of the Corazon Emerald
The "Corazon Emerald" is of Colombian origin according to the website of the
Programa Royal Collections. But, information about its mine of origin, the
date of discovery of the rough emerald, the weight of the rough emerald, the
original owners of the emerald, the purchase price of the emerald, the name
of the cutter or cutters involved in cutting and polishing the emerald etc.
are not provided. Readers who may have more information about the
"Corazon Emerald" are kindly requested to provide such information as
comments to this web page.
The Jaipur Emerald
The "Jaipur Emerald" is listed under the Special Exhibitions Category, which
constitutes 20 gemstones of extraordinary size and gemological quality,
together with the "Agra Emerald" and the "Corazon Emerald." Some of these
gemstones are the world's largest in their category. eg. The 31,000-carat
emerald-cut El-Dorado Topaz is the largest faceted topaz in the world. The
weight of the "Jaipur Emerald" is given as 220 carats, which is a
significant size for a cut and polished emerald. The cut of the Jaipur
Emerald is given as old Indian cut. This necessarily means that the emerald
had originated somewhere between the 16th and 18th centuries. Apart from the
cut and weight of the "Jaipur Emerald" other relevant information concerning
the emerald are not available.
Jaipur is the capital city of Rajasthan State in Northwestern India, and was
the former capital of the princely state of Jaipur. The city can boast of a
gem and jewelry trade that dates back to several centuries. Jaipur is also
one of the world's largest centers for gemstone cutting and polishing, and
today around 80-85 % of the emeralds worldwide are cut in Jaipur.
Other smaller emeralds
Apart from the three large emeralds dealt with above that are included under
the Special Exhibitions, the Programa Royal Collections also has over a
thousand smaller emeralds weighing over 2,600 carats. These emeralds
are of various shapes and sizes and originating from different emerald
producing areas in the world. The six emeralds shown in the photograph are
all cabochon cut emeralds belonging to this group. These emeralds have
excellent color, clarity and transparency, and are undoubtedly of the
highest quality.
©
Programa Royal Collections. Agrupación Europea de Interés Económico 2006
Emeralds are included in all categories of
exhibitions of the PRC
The Programa Royal Collections containing over 500,000 carats of gemstones
are organized into three categories of Exhibitions.
1) Treasures of the Earth - This is the main collection consisting of 15,000
gems weighing 250,000 carats. This collection is divided into two
exhibitions -Gemological Exhibition 1 and Gemological Exhibition 2.
Gemological Exhibition 1 - Consists of 250,000 carats of gemstones derived
from both the Treasures of the Earth Collection and the Special Exhibition
Gems representing all varieties and categories of gemstones. Under the
Emerald category the exhibition includes the Agra Emerald (350 carats) and
Corazon Emerald (456 carats) from the Special Exhibition Gems and about 1000
smaller emeralds weighing more than 2,600 carats.
Gemological Exhibition 2 - Consists of 150,000 carats of faceted gemstones
derived from both Treasures of the Earth and the Special Exhibition Gems and
including all varieties of gems. The gemstones under the emerald category
are the Corazon Emerald weighing 456 carats and about 226 emeralds weighing
more than 1,400 carats.
2) Special Exhibition Gems - This collection brings together 20 outstanding
gems selected mainly for their outstanding sizes and quality. The total
weight of the collection is 117,000 carats and includes the 31,000-carat
El-Dorado Imperial Topaz and several other enormous gemstones. The Agra
Emerald, the Corazon Emerald and the Jaipur Emerald belong to this
collection.
3) Single Theme Exhibitions - Single theme collections specialize on a
single class or variety of gems, and the PRC has created over 50 such
single-theme collections. Some of these collections are "Imperial and Noble"
consisting of 58,000 carats of topaz gemstones; "Brilliant Rainbow"
consisting of 300 carats of colored diamonds that includes all colors of the
rainbow as well as brown, black and grey diamonds; "Water Flames" a
collection of opals; "Organic Gems" a collection of gems of organic origin
such as pearls, corals, nacre, ivory, amber etc.
Emeralds are included under the heading "Her Highness the Beryl" which
includes a collection of beryls such as emeralds, aquamarine, morganite and
goshenite.
All the above exhibitions are given out on hire under various terms and
conditions set by the PRC, and can be tailor-made to suit the requirement of
the hosting organizations, such as available exhibition space, theme
requirements, exhibition style, target audience etc.
Related :-
1) Moghul Emerald
2) El-Dorado Topaz
External Links :-
Programa Royal
Collections
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References
1.Website of the Programa Royal Collections.
2.Science
Daily - January 31, 2000.
3.Where the gems are - emeralds -
Brief Article, Science News, March 11, 2000.
