Colombian relics with emeralds
Being in Colombia, the land of the best emeralds in the world, has privileges. For example, being the producer of the famous green stones that adorn some of the most popular national relics.
From religious pieces, to ancient homeland emblems, these objects have been decorated with the highest quality emeralds in the country.
It should be clarified that although many Colombian emeralds have been used in pieces of art found in the country, most of these works rest in museums or collections in other parts of the world.
Therefore, then we will take a recount of some of these Colombian relics with emeralds that are still in our country.
Emeralds of Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá
There is no relic in Colombia with as much value in emeralds as this virgin, which currently rests in the Basilica of the same name in Chiquinquirá, Boyacá.
Here are some of the emeralds that accompany this relic:
- Crowns
The Virgin received a crown and a halo with 78 diamonds of different sizes, a couple of them more than five carats each. The design was completed by 140 emeralds, including one of two carats of weight.
On the other hand, the crown and aureola of the Child Jesus were made with 29 brilliant and 16 emeralds. Of which some were bought and others donated by devotees.
- Cemeter
The Dominicans of the Order of Preachers, custodians of the image since 1636, wanted to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the coronation with the placement of a scepter. This was the case on July 9, 1944, when Our Lady of the Rosary received in her hands a scepter of pearls, gold and emeralds, 205 grams, adorned with 22 emeralds and 18 diamonds, a work directed by Manuel Madero.
- Median moon
To celebrate the Golden Weddings (1969), the Virgin was decorated with a beautiful half-moon of gold, diamonds, emeralds, pearls, rubies and sapphires, placed at her feet. It was a gift from the Dominican parents and the inhabitants of the municipality of Chiquinquirá.
2. The "lucky."
One of Colombia's emblems is lettuce. It is a relic with 1,486 emeralds of very high quality. The relic was manufactured by the Spaniard Joseph Galaz along with two other native goldsmiths between the years 1,700 and 1,707 on behalf of the company of Jesús de la Hidalga Villa de Sante Fe de Bogotá.
According to its owners, it is considered one of the richest and most beautiful religious jewels of the continent. It also shows the different styles and dimensions that can be created in a territory rich in gold and emeralds.
3. The crown of the Andes
The Crown of the Andes, or Crown of Our Lady of the Assumption of Popayán, is a votive crown originally made for an image of Our Lady of the Assumption of Popayán, Colombia.
It is 34.5 cm high, 52 cm of circumference, weighs 2.18 kilos in total and was made in gold of 18 to 24 carats. It has a total of 443 emeralds, which are distributed between the band and the diadem. The largest emerald is the emerald of Atahualpa, a rectangular stone of 15.80 by 16.15 millimeters, allegedly obtained during the capture of the Inca emperor Atahualpa.
Paula A. Bonilla
Social communicator and journalist from Sergio Arboleda University in Colombia. She is also a jeweler and is passionate about constantly learning about precious gems and national high jewelry.
Currently, she is working for one of Bogotá's most important jewelry stores, Emerald by Love. This jewelry store has over 40 years of experience and has 2 physical branches in the capital city of Colombia, located in the city center.
