Guest Post: The Most Famous Emerald Jewellery

If you’re born in May like me, you most likely already know that emeralds are your birthstone. Don’t worry if you aren’t born in May; thankfully anyone is free to enjoy the stunning beauty of emeralds. Throughout time, gemstones like emeralds have attracted humans, and some of them now have a variety of famous names attached to them, names which can take an auction estimate up a considerable way. Let’s take a look at some of the most famous pieces of emerald jewellery.

Elizabeth Taylor’s Bulgari Emerald and Diamond brooch

Elizabeth Taylor is a name that instantly brings to mind ‘glamour’; a timeless fashion icon, her luxury jewellery collection is famed worldwide. Many of her pieces were gifts from her twice-husband, Richard Burton, who claimed the only word of Italian she knew was ‘Bulgari’. Their relationship was famously tumultuous, and Taylor claimed that one of her favourite things about Burton was how romantic he was, stating that he would buy her jewellery for no reason other than that he wanted to do it.

During filming for the 1963 film, Cleopatra, where the couple first became engaged, Burton purchased the emerald and diamond brooch from Bulgari’s Roman store as a wedding gift for Taylor. In 2011, the brooch was a part of a collection of Elizabeth Taylor’s finest jewels going up for auction at Christie’s. It sold for £4.5 million, setting the record for the highest price a single stone emerald piece of jewellery has achieved at auction.

The Chalk Emerald

Gifted to the Smithsonian by the Chalk family, the Chalk Emerald is now a permanent fixture at the National Museum of Natural History. Before that, however, it achieved a reputation as one of the finest emeralds to be discovered. Its 37.8 carat weight displayed a rich green colour with very few internal flaws. Originating in Baroda State, India, the gemstone was acquired by famed jewellers Harry Winston Inc at an unspecified point in the 20^th century.

Winston recut the emerald and designed a ring setting for it that featured platinum, gold, and no fewer than 60 diamonds. The Chalk family were the next ones to own the stunning ring, bringing it back into the public eye in the 1970s when they were kind enough to donate it to the Smithsonian’s gem exhibit. After some touring at different museums in different exhibits, the ring has a permanent home in Washington D.C.

Queen Elizabeth II’s Vladimir Tiara

Today, the Vladimir tiara is owned by Queen Elizabeth II, having been worn at various points by Kate Middleton, Princess Diana, and Camilla Parker Bowles. The original owner of the tiara was the Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia. During the Russian Revolution in the early 20^th century, many of the Grand Duchesses gems were smuggled out of the Royal Palace, being transported to England for safe keeping.

At the time of the Grand Duchess’ death in 1920, many of her jewellery pieces were sold. Queen Mary, grandmother to the reigning queen, purchased the Vladimir tiara. Originally, the Vladimir tiara featured an array of pearls hanging in the centre of extravagant diamond loops, but Queen Mary commissioned the tiara to be made with a mechanism that allowed the her to switch out the pearls for a selection of her own emeralds whenever she pleased. It is speculated that the Vladimir tiara may be one of Queen Elizabeth II’s favourite pieces of jewellery, given that she has worn it publicly a multitude of times throughout her life. 

The Imperial Emerald of Grand Duchess Vladimir of Russia

The Grand Duchess features again with a 75.61 carat emerald that was in the Russian Imperial jewellery collection for more than a century before it was gifted to her on her wedding day in 1874. The pear-cut gemstone has a clear, rich green colouring that is incredible, particularly given its size. When the Grand Duchess died, her son, Grand Duke Boris, received the Imperial Emerald.

Over the following century, the gemstone belonged to many well-known collectors, among their most highly valued pieces as it went from owner to owner. Pierre Cartier and Raphael Esmerian are just two among the confirmed list of owners during the 20^th century. Set into a necklace featuring a plethora of diamonds, the Imperial Emerald resurfaced publicly in 2019 when it was featured in a Christie’s auction in Geneva. Purchased by a private collector, the stone fetched a stunning £3.3 million, well over its estimated price.

The Rockefeller Emerald

Rockefeller is a name that always brings to mind affluence and power. John D. Rockefeller – patriarch of the legacy – bought a Van Cleef & Arpels-designed brooch for his wife, Abby, in 1930. At the centre of the brooch, a large emerald – totalling 18.04 carats – sat, displaying a stunning green hue and excellent clarity. The brooch was disassembled at the time of Abby Rockefeller’s death, with each of its components being inherited by her children.

David Rockefeller, the youngest son of Abby, was given the central emerald. David took the emerald to jeweller, Raymond Yard, and had it made into a ring to give to his own wife. In 2017, multiple generation later, the ring surfaced at a Christie’s auction, whereupon it was purchased by Harry Winston Inc for just over £4 million, and renamed the Rockefeller-Winston emerald as a tribute to Harry Winston Inc’s determination to have the gemstone.

I don’t know about you, but I am simply green with envy (so sorry, it had to be done). These gemstones are all stunning. Whether they’re antique emerald engagement rings, or ancient stones made new with accompanying diamonds and new settings, emeralds always catch the eye and the imagination, and it’s no wonder these stones are so famous, given their beauty and undeniable heritage.

LoveRosiee
xxx

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