One doesn’t usually associate beautiful jewelry with the time of the Spanish Inquisition. But in the Smithsonian Institution’s collection of jewelry, there is an exquisite necklace holder stand of diamonds and emeralds.

It is a spectacular double row of diamonds and emeralds ending in a chandelier of emeralds. There is unfortunately very little information about the history of this necklace holder. The large diamonds and Columbian emeralds were most likely cut in India in the 17th century. This would make them one of the earliest examples of cut gemstones in the Smithsonian’s Collection. They are really only stories surrounding this necklace and what kind of necklace display stand were used in this era. They indicate that it was worn at times by Spanish and French royalty. In the early 20th century, it was purchased by the Maharajah of Indore, whose son sold the necklace in 1947 to Harry Winston. Winston subsequently sold the necklace to Mrs. Cora Hubbard Williams of Pittsburgh. She donated it to the Smithsonian in 1972.

Emeralds are a type of crystal known as beryls. Beryls are normally clear crystals, but when infused with chromium or vanadium, they attain various gradations of green. The purest green are the rarest emeralds and many people actually like an emerald that has a blue-green tint.

Prior to the 16th century, the only known emerald deposits were in Cleopatra’s Egyptian mines. But after emeralds were found in Columbia, those later became the “gold standard” in emeralds. Columbian emeralds have been discovered by archaeologists among artifacts of such tribes as the Inca, Maya, Aztec, Toltec and the almost unknown Chibcha Indians.