Gem Stones
Precious stones were an important part of the wealth that flowed from the New World back to Europe. Sources for many different types of stones, both precious and semi-precious, were discovered throughout the Americas by the early Spanish explorers. Deposits of diamonds were located in Venezuela, and rich pearl fisheries were discovered in the waters around Margarita Island. But the most important discovery were the emerald deposits in the Muzo mining district of Colombia.
Upon the arrival of Hernando Cortes in Central America in the early 16th century, he took from the Aztec Emperor Montezuma an enormous pyramid shaped emerald, one so big, it could supposedly be seen from 100 yards away. The Spanish conquistadors didn't yet know the origin of these emeralds, gold and countless precious wonders, but as their acquisitions increased, so did their greed.
Cortes and Pizarro were told of the mythical cities of Eldorado. Native Colombians were rumored to adorn their newfound king with sticky resin and then coat him with gold and emeralds. The to-be king would be taken to the emerald green mountain lake called Guatavita and would be bathed by priests while offerings and adornments of gems, emeralds and gold were tossed into the depths of the lake. With legends of untold wealth abounding, the quest for the origin of these New World emeralds and the legendary Eldorado began.
During their search for Eldorado and the emerald mines, Cortes and Pizarro began systematically stripping the Americas of gold and emeralds and sending them by the boatload to Spain. Here they were distributed amongst their own families, royalty and noblemen throughout Europe and Asia, awaking much interest and adoration for the radiant green gem. But, the task of securing the highly prized gems wasn't always that straight forward.
Combing the dense mountainous undergrowth the Spanish conquistadors came across local Muzo Indians and interrogated them as to the whereabouts of the treasured emerald mines. The natives fiercely resisted, but with the help of Juan Penago, the Spaniards pressed on unabated. During a bloody battle Penago's horse kicked up a shower of large gleaming green crystals from the bed of a bubbling stream, and in doing so uncovered the source of the fabled Muzo Emeralds, which still today are the world's finest emerald mines.The Muzo emerald mines were considered so important King Felipe IV's declared that the area was now to be a "Royal Mine�.
Raw uncut emeralds
Raw uncut diamonds
The highest profile emerald shipwreck found to date, is the Nuestra Senora de Atocha. On September 4th, 1622 the Spanish treasure fleet Tierra Firme left Havana for Spain. In the bowels of its 28 ships lay the wealth of an empire: silver from Peru and Mexico, gold and emeralds from Colombia, pearls from Venezuela, and gems from Brazil. The following day, the fleet met a hurricane as it entered the Florida straits and on the morning of September 6th, eight vessels sunk and were broken on the ocean floor. In them were the treasures of the New World, and with them hundreds of Spanish sailors, soldiers, statesmen and clergy.
The Atocha was loaded with an astonishing cargo: 24 tons of silver bullion in 1038 ingots, 180,000 pesos of silver coins, 582 copper ingots, 125 gold bars and discs, dozens of chests of gemstones and emeralds, including one exceptional 77.76 carat uncut hexagonal emerald experts have traced to the Muzo mine in Colombia. In all, experts have valued the cargo of the Atocha alone at nearly half a billion dollars! The loss of the whole 1622 treasure fleet was a disaster for the Spanish Royal Treasury. So valuable was the Atocha even to a large empire, that Spanish salvage teams would search for some 70 years to find her before finally giving up.
Centuries later, the silver, gold and emeralds of Hernando Cortes, Pizarro and the conquistadores of the New World continue to rise to the surface to rekindle the history books and ignite people's passions regarding emeralds. With such an incredible story to tell, the birthstone for May isn't just a beautiful fiery gem, it is an ornament of politics and power that has created legends and molded world history.