Emeralds are gleaming green gemstones that were once said -- by no less than the Hindu Vedas -- to give good luck, as well as having healing qualities. They were coveted during India's Gupta Empire, and are still coveted today by people all over the world. Today, the main producer of emerald quartz and gemstones is South America. Countries such as Colombia and Brazil are producing more of the gemstone than ever before (Norman, 1995, internet).
Initially constructed in 1599, The Crown of the Andes is one of the most striking -- and recognizable -- pieces of regalia containing emerald gemstones in the world. The Crown of the Andes was originally wrought in 1599, and is theorized to have been re-crafted with additional gemstones added to the gold crown superstructure throughout the early 17th century. The legend of The Crown of the Andes is that residents of the small Spanish frontier town called Popayan, Colombia, fashioned the Crown to coronate a larger-than-life size Virgin Mary statue (Norman, internet). The coronation was made out of gratitude to the Virgin's protection of the townspeople during a smallpox epidemic that had wiped out nearby Colombian coastal towns and villages. Miraculously, the epidemic missed Popayan. The residents of Popayan explained the blessing as a result of their fervent prayer to the Virgin for assistance. A small group of local noblemen is supposed to have commissioned The Crown of the Andes.
However, its history does not stop in Colombia. The largest gemstone of The Crown, known as the Atahualpa Emerald and weighing 45 carats, was most likely stolen by the Spanish from the Incan ruler, King Atahualpa. The Crown is also ornamented by several other complementary emerald gemstones in the form of little clusters (Norman, internet).
The Crown of the Andes is extremely unique not only for its amount of emeralds used, but also for the fact that it survived into the 20th century. Due to the efforts of a small group of local noblemen called the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception (Norman, internet). It was seen annually during the processions of Holy Week. In the early 20th century, the cathedral at Popayan decided to sell The Crown of the Andes, and use the monetary proceeds to build an orphanage, a hospital, as well as a home for the aged. In 1914, Pope Pius X granted permission for the sale, but it took until 1936 for the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception to attract a buyer, an American syndicate of gem dealers (Norman, internet).
The leader of the American syndicate was Chicagoan, Warren J. Piper. After showing The Crown at Waldorf-Astoria in New York City during 1936, The Crown was then borrowed by General Motors and exhibited in Detroit, attracting 225,000 visitors in a week (Norman, internet). After wending its way around North America at various stops -- including the New York's world Fair in 1939 and the Royal Ontario Museum in 1959 -- it was consigned by the syndicate at Sotheby's in London for sale, in 1963. It fetched only 55,000 pounds. However, an associate of the syndicate, Asscher of Amsterdam, bought the crown back, and stashed it away in a bank vault (Norman, internet).
As of 1995, it is thought that Sotheby's knows the identity of the present owner of The Crown. A descendent of one of the first members of the American syndicate that purchased the crown, some researchers speculate that the "royal artifact" is owned by Alice Heyman, who is an heiress of New York's Oscar Heyman, a leading jewelry maker (Norman, internet). As of 1995, Ms. Heyman, who -- in the 1960s -- founded the First Woman's Bank in New York City, was in her fifties. Currently, the exact whereabouts of the historic Crown of the Andes are unknown, as is the latest owner.
The Crown of the Andes
Works Cited
Norman, Geraldine. (18 June, 1995). "Crowning Glory of the Andes." The Independent (04 Nov, 2014). Retrieved on Nov 03 2014 from http://www.independent.co.uk/arts- entertainment/crowning-glory-of-the-andes-1587131.html
The Crown of the Andes. Retrieved on Nov 03 2014 from http://www.percymarks.com.au/the- crown-of-andes/
