Hooker Emerald Brooch
Encyclopedia
The Hooker Emerald Brooch is an emerald
brooch
designed by Tiffany & Co.
. As of 2010, the brooch is on display in the Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals at the Smithsonian Institution
's National Museum of Natural History
in Washington D.C., United States
.
. The two ends of the band curl outwards into scrolls, and are connected by a round brilliant
cut diamond
. 108 other round brilliant cut diamonds are studded along the band. Spokes cross the band, converging to form the setting
for the Hooker Emerald at the centre of the brooch. Ten pairs of baguette-cut diamonds project between the spokes from behind the emerald towards the platinum band. The Hooker Emerald itself weighs 75.47 carats. It measures 27 mm to a side and is remarkably free of inclusions
for its size. The gem's cut gives the appearance of a series of concentric squares within the gemstone (known as a beveled square emerald cut.) In total, the brooch contains approximately 13 carats of diamonds.
s to be cut and polished, before being sold to the ruling family of the Ottoman Empire
. The emerald was made part of the crown jewels
of the Empire during the reign of Sultan
Abdul Hamid II
, the last Ottoman Sultan to rule with absolute power; he wore it mounted into a belt buckle
.
In 1908, many of the Ottoman crown jewels were smuggled on behalf of Abdul Hamid II to Paris
. Included in the collection were the Hooker Emerald and, supposedly, the Hope Diamond
. The Sultan feared a potential coup by the Young Turks
, and hoped that the proceeds from the sale of the gems would allow him to escape to a comfortable life in exile should a revolution come to pass. However, the money raised by the sale of the gems—to a dealer by the name of Salomon or Selim Habib—fell to the succeeding government following the Young Turk Revolution
. In 1911, Habib auctioned the collection received from Abdul Hamid II to cover debt repayments.
The winner of the auction was American jewellery
company Tiffany & Co.
, who initially set the emerald in a tiara
. The tiara remained unsold for several decades, so in 1950 the stone was removed and re-set into a brooch. The brooch was featured with matching earrings in that year's Christmas catalogue. It remained with the company until 1955, when it was purchased by Janet Annenberg Hooker, a philanthropic heiress and the emerald's namesake, for an undisclosed price. In 1977, Hooker donated the brooch, then valued at US$
500,000, to the Smithsonian Institution
in Washington, D.C.
. The brooch was the first gift by Hooker to the Museum, and was followed by the donation of the Hooker Starburst Diamonds, and by a cash donation of $5,000,000 towards the construction of a new gallery for the display of gems and minerals. The Hooker Emerald Brooch is, as of 2010, on display at the gallery, which has been named in Hooker's honour.
Emerald
Emerald is a variety of the mineral beryl colored green by trace amounts of chromium and sometimes vanadium. Beryl has a hardness of 7.5–8 on the 10 point Mohs scale of mineral hardness...
brooch
Brooch
A brooch ; also known in ancient times as a fibula; is a decorative jewelry item designed to be attached to garments. It is usually made of metal, often silver or gold but sometimes bronze or some other material...
designed by Tiffany & Co.
Tiffany & Co.
Tiffany & Co. is an American jewelry and silverware company. As part of its branding, the company is strongly associated with its Tiffany Blue , which is a registered trademark.- History :...
. As of 2010, the brooch is on display in the Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals at the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
's National Museum of Natural History
National Museum of Natural History
The National Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. Admission is free and the museum is open 364 days a year....
in Washington D.C., United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Description
The Hooker Emerald Brooch consists of an open-ended circular band of platinumPlatinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...
. The two ends of the band curl outwards into scrolls, and are connected by a round brilliant
Brilliant (diamond cut)
A brilliant is a diamond or other gemstone, cut in a particular form with numerous facets so as to have exceptional brilliance. The shape resembles that of a cone and provides maximized light return through the top of the diamond....
cut diamond
Diamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
. 108 other round brilliant cut diamonds are studded along the band. Spokes cross the band, converging to form the setting
Stonesetting
Stonesetting is the art of securely setting or attaching gemstones into jewelry. Stonesetting can also be used in referring to setting a stone or orb believed to have magical properties into a staff.-Cabochon and facet:...
for the Hooker Emerald at the centre of the brooch. Ten pairs of baguette-cut diamonds project between the spokes from behind the emerald towards the platinum band. The Hooker Emerald itself weighs 75.47 carats. It measures 27 mm to a side and is remarkably free of inclusions
Inclusion (mineral)
In mineralogy, an inclusion is any material that is trapped inside a mineral during its formation.In gemology, an inclusion is a characteristic enclosed within a gemstone, or reaching its surface from the interior....
for its size. The gem's cut gives the appearance of a series of concentric squares within the gemstone (known as a beveled square emerald cut.) In total, the brooch contains approximately 13 carats of diamonds.
History
The Hooker Emerald was extracted from an unidentified mine in Colombia in the 16th or 17th century. The rough emerald was sent to Europe by Spanish conquistadorConquistador
Conquistadors were Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under the control of Spain in the 15th to 16th centuries, following Europe's discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492...
s to be cut and polished, before being sold to the ruling family of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
. The emerald was made part of the crown jewels
Crown jewels
Crown jewels are jewels or artifacts of the reigning royal family of their respective country. They belong to monarchs and are passed to the next sovereign to symbolize the right to rule. They may include crowns, sceptres, orbs, swords, rings, and other objects...
of the Empire during the reign of Sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
Abdul Hamid II
Abdul Hamid II
His Imperial Majesty, The Sultan Abdülhamid II, Emperor of the Ottomans, Caliph of the Faithful was the 34th sultan of the Ottoman Empire...
, the last Ottoman Sultan to rule with absolute power; he wore it mounted into a belt buckle
Belt buckle
A belt buckle is a buckle, a clasp for fastening two ends, as of straps or a belt, in which a device attached to one of the ends is fitted or coupled to the other. The word enters Middle English via Old French and the Latin buccula or "cheek-strap," as for a helmet...
.
In 1908, many of the Ottoman crown jewels were smuggled on behalf of Abdul Hamid II to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Included in the collection were the Hooker Emerald and, supposedly, the Hope Diamond
Hope Diamond
The Hope Diamond, also known as "Le bleu de France" or "Le Bijou du Roi", is a large, , deep-blue diamond, now housed in the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington, D.C. It is blue to the naked eye because of trace amounts of boron within its crystal structure, but exhibits red...
. The Sultan feared a potential coup by the Young Turks
Young Turks
The Young Turks , from French: Les Jeunes Turcs) were a coalition of various groups favouring reformation of the administration of the Ottoman Empire. The movement was against the absolute monarchy of the Ottoman Sultan and favoured a re-installation of the short-lived Kanûn-ı Esâsî constitution...
, and hoped that the proceeds from the sale of the gems would allow him to escape to a comfortable life in exile should a revolution come to pass. However, the money raised by the sale of the gems—to a dealer by the name of Salomon or Selim Habib—fell to the succeeding government following the Young Turk Revolution
Young Turk Revolution
The Young Turk Revolution of 1908 reversed the suspension of the Ottoman parliament by Sultan Abdul Hamid II, marking the onset of the Second Constitutional Era...
. In 1911, Habib auctioned the collection received from Abdul Hamid II to cover debt repayments.
The winner of the auction was American jewellery
Jewellery
Jewellery or jewelry is a form of personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets.With some exceptions, such as medical alert bracelets or military dog tags, jewellery normally differs from other items of personal adornment in that it has no other purpose than to...
company Tiffany & Co.
Tiffany & Co.
Tiffany & Co. is an American jewelry and silverware company. As part of its branding, the company is strongly associated with its Tiffany Blue , which is a registered trademark.- History :...
, who initially set the emerald in a tiara
Tiara
A tiara is a form of crown. There are two possible types of crown that this word can refer to.Traditionally, the word "tiara" refers to a high crown, often with the shape of a cylinder narrowed at its top, made of fabric or leather, and richly ornamented. It was used by the kings and emperors of...
. The tiara remained unsold for several decades, so in 1950 the stone was removed and re-set into a brooch. The brooch was featured with matching earrings in that year's Christmas catalogue. It remained with the company until 1955, when it was purchased by Janet Annenberg Hooker, a philanthropic heiress and the emerald's namesake, for an undisclosed price. In 1977, Hooker donated the brooch, then valued at US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
500,000, to the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. The brooch was the first gift by Hooker to the Museum, and was followed by the donation of the Hooker Starburst Diamonds, and by a cash donation of $5,000,000 towards the construction of a new gallery for the display of gems and minerals. The Hooker Emerald Brooch is, as of 2010, on display at the gallery, which has been named in Hooker's honour.