EMERALD Until now, no gemologist has ever accurately described the colour of emerald – green with a touch of yellow and seemingly a bluish tint, making emerald an arresting sight to behold. The gemstone captured the heart of legendary actress Elizabeth Taylor, who recalled the scene she visited the Bulgari boutique in Rome, “a green glitter emerged and all we could do is to hold our breaths. Oh my God! I’ve got to have the emerald!” First unearthed by the ancient Egyptians in a desert back in 3500 BC, emerald is the mystic green gem that captivated Cleopatra, the queen of ancient Egypt, who named the emerald mine after her. The mine went depleted short after the discovery. In 1600 AD, the Spanish immigrants discovered that the colour and quality of the emeralds kept by the Indians of South America were unrivaled to the stones mined in Egypt. They stunned the entire Europe when they took these coveted gemstones back to their home country. Since then, mining activities became uninterrupted in major deposits in Colombia. After centuries, the lushest emeralds are still the alluring treasures that many jewellery collectors scramble for. The Muzo mining region in Colombia yields emeralds of the finest quality, so beautiful that collectors find it hard to resist them. Muzo mine produces the most saturated pure green emeralds which are called “oil drops” by the locals. After World War II, Muzo emeralds became highly sought-after among Asian collectors, especially those from Japan. Along with the increasing demand for emeralds coupled with markedly curtailed outputs from the Colombian mines over the years, Muzo emeralds are close to depletion. Colombian Muzo emeralds above five carats are rare, those in excess of ten carats are exceptionally rare. To be offered in the auction is a 22.22-carat natural Colombian Muzo emerald by David Morris. As reported by the jeweller, this emerald has been kept for a century and was mounted in an antique jewellery which they acquired some years ago. This exquisite stone of desirable green colour is one of the finest of its kind. The outstanding clarity makes it unsurpassed and charm under any kind of light. Of classic, rectangular shape with impressive proportions, this is an irresistible beauty for all discerning emerald connoisseurs.