Chalk Emerald
Encyclopedia
The Chalk Emerald is a 37.82 carats (7.6 g) Colombia
n emerald
.
The royal rulers of Baroda State
, a princely state
in India, once owned the emerald. It was the centerpiece of an emerald and diamond necklace worn by the Maharani Saheba, who passed it down to her son, the Maharajah Cooch Behar
.
In the 20th century, the emerald was recut from its original weight of 38.4 carats (7.7 g) and set in a ring designed by Harry Winston, Inc.
, where it is surrounded by sixty pear-shaped diamonds, totalling approximately 15 carats (3 g). The ring was donated by Mr. and Mrs. O. Roy Chalk
to the Smithsonian
Natural History Museum
in 1972 and is part of the Smithsonian's National Gem and Mineral Collection.
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n emerald
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...
.
The royal rulers of Baroda State
Baroda State
Baroda State was an Indian princely state in present-day Gujarat, ruled by the Gaekwad dynasty from its formation in 1721 until 1947 when it succeed to newly formed, India. With the city of Baroda as its capital, during the British Raj it was part of the Baroda Residency...
, a princely state
Princely state
A Princely State was a nominally sovereign entitity of British rule in India that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule such as suzerainty or paramountcy.-British relationship with the Princely States:India under the British Raj ...
in India, once owned the emerald. It was the centerpiece of an emerald and diamond necklace worn by the Maharani Saheba, who passed it down to her son, the Maharajah Cooch Behar
Cooch Behar
Cooch Behar is the district headquarters and the largest city of Cooch Behar District in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is situated in the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas and located at . Cooch Behar is the only planned town in North Bengal region with remnants of royal heritage...
.
In the 20th century, the emerald was recut from its original weight of 38.4 carats (7.7 g) and set in a ring designed by Harry Winston, Inc.
Harry Winston, Inc.
Harry Winston, Inc. is an American luxury jeweler and producer of Swiss timepieces. Named after its famous founder, the jeweler Harry Winston, the company is headquartered in New York....
, where it is surrounded by sixty pear-shaped diamonds, totalling approximately 15 carats (3 g). The ring was donated by Mr. and Mrs. O. Roy Chalk
O. Roy Chalk
Oscar Roy Chalk was a New York entrepreneur who owned real estate, airlines, bus companies, newspapers and a rail line that hauled bananas in Central America...
to the Smithsonian
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...
Natural History Museum
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 1972 and is part of the Smithsonian's National Gem and Mineral Collection.
External links
- http://www.internetstones.com/claire-roy-chalk-emerald-ring.html
- http://famousdiamonds.tripod.com/chalkemeraldring.html
- Chalk Diamond at Smithsonian Museum of Natural History - 20 Feb 2006
