Kat Florence Launches Rare Collection of Muzo Emeralds to Collectors

Internationally acclaimed jewellery designer Kat Florence is certain that in these difficult times, people are looking forward to something beautiful, sparkling, shining – something that will bring light into their lives and also hold value. What could be more suitable than a glowing Emerald from the legendary Muzo Emerald Mine? Hence Kat Florence has decided to offer international collectors her collection of very rare Colombian Muzo Emeralds.

Jewellery experts agree: the most sought-after Emeralds in the world come from Colombia, more precisely from the Muzo Mine. It is one of the oldest sites of Emeralds in the world, in the Boyaca Highlands of Colombia, where the Rio Minero River winds its way between tropical hills. The Muzo Mines are also the birthplace of the Taj Mahal Emerald, Catherine the Great Emerald and the renowned Elizabeth Taylor Emerald.

All in all, we have spent two years working on this collection, from the search for these rare Emeralds, to their cutting, the design and the crafting of each piece of jewellery.

Kat Florence.

The word has got around in collector circles that Kat Florence is working on this collection. The excitement among collectors who want to secure a piece of jewellery with stones from the Muzo mine is high. “We’re seeing this with increased traffic to our website and social media”.

In recent years, interest among collectors has increased in “legacy gemstones”, i.e. gems that have a story to tell or that come from famous and historic mines. “Quality, rarity and lasting value are more in demand than ever”, says Kat Florence.

Due to the importance and rarity of these natural 2 to 55 carat fine color crystallized Colombian Emeralds, we asked world’s leading gemologist Dr. Dietmar Schwarz to personally certify each and every Emerald of this collection. Dr. Schwarz has been head of the research department of the Gubelin Swiss Lab for 23 years, certifying the world’s most famous Emeralds based on his many years of experience.

Kat Florence

The Kat Florence Muzo Colombian Emerald collection features the Kat Florence Eternal, a 55.66 unoiled Emerald which is expected to go up for auction in 2021. Initial estimates suggest that this Emerald may well break the existing world record of USD 305,000 per carat held by the famous Rockefeller Emerald.

The Kat Florence Muzo Emerald collection will be released the week of May 25 on her website. Come into the beautiful world of Kate Florance.

The Mogul Emerald

The ‘Mogul Emerald’, believed to have come from the reign of Emperor Aurangzeb, the last of the great Mogul rulers who controlled much of India, was auctioned off in 2001 by Christie’s of London for $2.2 million. Cut into a rectangular tablet and intricately carved with prayers on one side and a floral motif on the other, it weighs 217.80 carats and is nearly 4 inches high!

This enormous emerald likely originated in Columbia and reached the Mogul Empire via Spanish traders, as Spain had found the eastern empires of the Middle East and the Asian subcontinent a ready market for their valuable merchandise.

The inscription contains a Shi’a prayer blessing Muhammad and the twelve Imams; and the hijra date 1107 which transposes to 1695 -96 A.D. In full it reads:

O Merciful One, O Compassionate One
O God
God bless Muhammad and ‘Ali
and Fatima and al-Husain
and al-Hasan and ‘Ali
and Muhammad and Ja’far
and Musa
1107
and ‘Ali and Muhammad
and ‘Ali
and al-Husaini and the steadfast Mahdi

This is the only known carved and dated emerald of the classic Mughal period. The date places it to the reign of Emperor Aurangzeb (1658 – 1707), the last of the four great Mughal rulers who ruled between them for 150 years. This emerald is the benchmark for the dating of all other Indian carved emeralds.

Fine large emeralds were unknown until their discovery in Colombia by the Spanish Conquistadors of the 16th and 17th century. They were extremely popular in all three of the great Islamic empires of the time: the Ottoman Turks, the Safavid Persians and the Mughal Indians; so much so that none appear to have been retained at the time in Europe. They reached India via Spain as trade goods during the Mughal dynasty. They were highly prized by the Indians who used them mainly as beads or in gold artefacts.

A magnificent emerald carved with a Shi`ite invocation

The Mughal Emperors were Sunni and therefore the Shi’a prayer would suggest that this stone should not be associated directly with the emperor Aurangzeb himself, particularly since by this date he had become somewhat of a religious zealot. It is likely, however, that it would have belonged to one of the Emperor’s officers, many of whom were of Shi’a Deccani and Persian origin. It could also have belonged to one of the great nobles of the Deccan where Shiism was the predominant sect of Islam, possibly from either Golconda or Hyderabad.

The reverse side of the emerald is carved with a central rosette, poppy flowers and scrolling foliate detail, typical of the naturalistic decoration of the period reflecting the Mughal love of nature. Worn as a talisman with the inscription facing outward, it was mounted and secured by the drill holes to each side.

Centuries of tradition have held certain precious stones to be imbued with powers radiated by celestial bodies. A logical inference was to augment this phenomenon by carving the stone with a suitable image of a deity, with symbols or with writing. In addition to this, the green colour of emerald holds a special significance within Islam; for this reason it is especially suited for engraving as a talisman. The other stone frequently used for Moslem religious inscriptions is jade, again with its variations of green colour.

Comparable stone:

Large inscribed emeralds rarely appear on the market. However, on May 12 1988 Christie’s sold two carved emeralds from the Mughal period, each inscribed with text from the Qur’an, one of 142.20 carats, (lot 703), the other of 76.00 carats, (lot 704), both formerly from the collection of His Royal Highness Sir Sultan Mohamed III, The Aga Khan.

The Al-Sabah collection in Kuwait includes an inscribed Royal Emerald of 59.60 carats which is polished but not carved. It is inscribed with the name of Nadir Shah and dated 1153 A.H. This transposes to 1740-1741 A.D., the year that Nader Shah of Persia sacked Delhi and plundered the Mughal treasury. Two further emeralds in the same collection are each inscribed with text from the Qur’an; one is of rectangular-cut, weighing 85.60 carats, the other hexagonal-cut, weighing 73.20 carats.

May Birthstone: Emerald

As the birthstone for May, the emerald, a symbol of rebirth, is believed to grant the owner foresight, good fortune, and youth. Emerald, derived from the word smaragdus, meaning green in Greek, was mined in Egypt as early as 330 B.C. Today, most of the world’s emeralds are mined in Colombia, Brazil, Afghanistan, and Zambia.

From the former collection of princess Salimah Aga Khan, Van Cleef & Arpels Indian-style yellow gold, melon carved emeralds, diamond necklace, 1970 (Click photo to enlarge).

Van Cleef & Arpels, 18kt yellow gold, diamond and carved emerald ring

Emerald and diamond ‘Camellia’ brooch by Van Cleef and Arpels, circa 1975 (Click photo to enlarge).

Centering a rectangular carved emerald with baguette, single, triangular and fancy-shaped diamond shoulders, completed by a plain mount; estimated total diamond weight: 2.70 carats; mounted in platinum; size 5 1/4

Antique Indian melon carved emerald necklace (Privat collection) (Click photo to enlarge).

 

The availability of high-quality emerald is limited; consequently, treatments to improve clarity are performed regularly.

by Jean Amr

Elizabeth Taylor and Bvlgari

 

Don’t miss the unique exhibition ‘A Passion for Jewels’ in Zurich from 7 to 23 April 2016. The Bvlgari store in Zurich (Bahnhofstrasse 25) showcases a selection of Bvlgari masterpieces that belonged to Elizabeth Taylor, now part of the Maison’s Heritage Collection. The impeccable craftsmanship and magnificent stones of the creations on display will tell a compelling story made of  love, glamour and beauty.

Elizabeth Taylor’s jewellery collection was renowned as one of the greatest ever assembled. In 2011, Christie’s held a sale of Taylor’s private collection, which set records as the most valuable sale of jewellery in auction history. From this sale, Bvlgari re-acquired seven pieces that best represented Taylor’s predilection for the brand and her unerring collector’s eye.

Indeed, the bold and  sumptuous style of Bvlgari perfectly  matched her decided tastes and since 1962, when the actress settled in Rome to film Cleopatra, the affinity became a lifelong, intense relationship with the brand.

The only Italian word Elizabeth knows is Bvlgari.

Richard Burten

This predilection was encouraged by Elizabeth Taylor’s love affair with Richard Burton, started on the film set and sealed with magnificent Bvlgari jewels: legend has it that after filming their first scene together they instantly fell in love, despite the fact that they were both married. Their love affair spread like wildfire throughout the international press and the Bvlgari Via Condotti store was one of the favourite hide-outs of the couple in Rome. A ‘secret door’ in the back of the shop, still visible today, allowed the couple to escape from paparazzi lining in front of the store. Recalling the memorable moments spent at the Condotti store, Taylor stated that

…..undeniably one of the biggest advantages of filming Cleopatra in Rome was Bvlgari’s shop. I used to visit Gianni Bulgari in the afternoon and we’d sit and swap stories.

The exhibition includes Taylor’s first piece of Bulgari jewelry, an emerald and diamond En Tremblant brooch, the “Cleopatra Mirror,” the Taylor Burton fianceìe ring, a diamond brooch with a 23.44 octagonal step-cut diamond, an emerald and diamond necklace; a platinum sautoir with diamonds and sapphires; a Trombino ring that Taylor bought to compliment the platinum sautoir; and, lastly, one of Taylor’s most frequently worn pieces –  a diamond and gold sautoir set with six ancient Roman coins.

Richard Burton’s emerald engagement ring (above): the actress cherished this piece and when she decided to auction it to raise funds for the fight against AIDS, she wrote a letter to the new owners instructing them to “Wear it with love!”.

The spectacular necklace (above) of emeralds and diamonds Burton presented her with on the occasion of their marriage in 1964. The very starting point of this platinum jewel was a brooch, featuring an 18.61 carat emerald surrounded by diamonds, one of the first gifts from Richard Burton and subsequently re-worked as pendant, and ‘completed’ as a necklece, that the actress loved so much that it was the only jewel she wore the day they married.

The Bvlgari emerald suite bracelet (above) was a gift from Richard Burton for her 35th birthday on February 27, 1967,

Beside the fabulous stones, Taylor also admired the craftsmanship behind her jewels; a perfect example is her Tremblant brooch (above) with emeralds and diamonds, whose flowers quiver following the movements of the wearer’s body thanks to a spring attached to the petals.

The Trombino ring (above) on display featuring a cabochon sapphire, was purchased by Taylor herself as an ideal complement to the sautoir.

Another magnificent Bvlgari creation, the sautoir featuring an octagonal pendant with a 65 carat sapphire (above), was chosen by Richard Burton in 1972 to mark Elizabeth Taylor’s fortieth birthday, as the intense blue of the stone reminded him of the colour of her eyes.

At this moment the Bvlgari Serpenti Tubogas watches are realy High-Fashion. This precious Bvlgari Serpenti gold, diamonds and emerald tubogas watch-bracelet dates 1962!

Another piece she chose and wore frequently is the necklace of 1975 with ancient coins, one of the most celebrated Bulgari motifs ever.

 

 

Van Cleef & Arpels Art of Clip

For our Russian viewers, or those who are visiting Moscow this month, Van Cleef & Arpels invites you to the “Art of Clip” exhibition at the GUM boutique in Moscow from September 3 to 30. A unique selection of brooches from the 1910s to the 1970s gives an overview of the evolution of Art, Decorative Art and Fashion through the 20th century

Van Cleef & Arpels ‘Peony’ platinum, diamond and ‘mystery set’ rubies brooch, 1937

(Click photo to enlarge)

Van Cleef & Arpels ‘Passe Partout’ ruby, blue and yellow sapphire flower brooch, circa 1939

(Click photo to enlarge)

Van Cleef & Arpels ‘Camargo’ diamond, ruby and emerald brooch, 1945

(Clink photo to enlarge)

Van Cleef & Arpels ‘Camellia’ emerald and diamond brooch, circa 1975

(Click photo to enlarge)

Find out more at: http://www.vancleefarpels.com/ru/en/store-locator.html

by Jean Amr

Bvlgari Introduces the Limited Edition Lucea High Jewelry

One of three: Bvlgari Lucea Diamond Emerald High Jewelry watch (Click photo to enlarge).

Bvlgari has added a massive dose of sparkle to its flagship ladies wristwatch, the Lucea, with various stone settings, including diamonds, rubies and emeralds.

Unveiled just last year, the Lucea is Bvlgari’s new signature women’s watch, distinguished by a prominent crown and a bracelet inspired by its trademark Serpenti bracelet watch. The Lucea High Jewellery adds lavish precious stone setting to the mix, with each of the three versions set with over 400 baguette-cut gemstones.

One of three: Bvlgari Lucea Diamond Emerald High Jewelry watch (Click photo to enlarge).

Setting each Lucea High Jewellery takes over 192 hours of work, with the dial requiring 84 diamonds in five different sizes to create a radial pattern. Even each link of the bracelet, which is meant to resemble a snake, is set with 15 stones.
Three versions are available: entirely diamond set, or set with a combination of diamonds and emeralds, or diamonds and rubies. The ruby and diamond model features the most stones by weight, it is set with 448 stones totalling some 19 carats. Please click the photo’s to enlarge, to see the amazing quality of the precious stones and their settings.

One of Five: Bulgari Lucea Diamond High Jewelry watch (Click photo to enlarge).

All three are in rhodium white gold, with a 23mm cases that containing quartz moments. They are vèry limited, the all-diamond model is limited to five pieces, while the emerald and ruby versions are limited to three pieces each. So, if you like one, you have to hurry, to your nearest Bvlgari boutique to oder one….. if the price is no problem.

One of three: Bvlgari Lucea Diamond and Ruby High Jewelry watch (Click photo to enlarge).

I may cost something, but then you’ve got something! Prices for the Lucea High Jewellery starts at US$457,000.

by Jean Amr