Antique 19thC 1/3ct Emeralds Queen Cleopatra’s Favorite Start Price USD 69.99 Current Price USD 69.99 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Friday, November 14, 2008 End Time Sunday, December 14, 2008 Location Seattle, Washington See more about 'Antique 19thC 1/3ct Emeralds Queen Cleopatra’s Favorite' Description Increase Sales by 18% and double your hits - Vendio Gallery Click here to see 1200 CD's, antique gemstones and handcrafted jewelry items on our eBay store! Two Exceptionally Nice Antique Genuine Natural Siberian Fifth Carat Faceted Emerald Hearts. CLASSIFICATION: Faceted Emerald Hearts. ORIGIN: The Ural Mountains, Russia. 19th Century. SIZE: Diameter: 4mm. Depth: 3mm. All measurements approximate WEIGHT: 0.60 carat (the pair). NOTES: Upon request we can set your gemstones as a ring, pendant, or as earrings (click here for more information). DETAIL: The last ruler of the Greek Ptolemaic Dynasty in Egypt, Cleopatra VII, Queen of Egypt, was often depicted and described wearing fabulous emeralds mined from ancient Egypt's recently rediscovered emerald mines. Two simply superb, exceptionally good quality natural emerald precious gemstones from the Southern Urals of (Siberia) Russia, hand faceted into sparkling hearts in the 19th century. Emeralds are nearly 100 times rarer than diamonds, and there are few opportunities to acquire such good quality natural emeralds at reasonable prices. The best specimens can bring over $40,000 a carat, and even emerald of more modest pedigree can still be quite expensive. These gorgeous precious gemstones possess the crystal clear pale mint green color possessed by only the best quality emeralds. They are very nice quality specimens no worse than eye clean. You can see in these photo enlargements that there are very few discernible imperfections. In fact these particular gemstones are so clean, so clear, that they were exceedingly difficult to image. Most commonly emeralds are included with various bits and pieces known as "jardin", French for "garden". Most emeralds literally have a garden of inclusions, and most emeralds consequentially are not transparent as are these, rather they are merely translucent. Unfortunately most transparent “emeralds” sold even by the largest and most reputable retailers in the United States are synthetic (read the fine print; and the same is true of rubies and sapphires). However Russia has produced good quality emerald for centuries from the region of Siberia. Why would you buy synthetic emeralds at the mall when you can have the real thing? The trained eye will easily discern from the photo that the gemstones have been hand-faceted. The coarseness of the 19th century faceting is considered appealing to most gemstone collectors, and is not considered a detriment. Unlike today's computer controlled machine processes, the cut and finish of gemstones such as this is the legacy of an artisan who lived two centuries ago. Such antique hand-faceted gemstones possess much greater character and appeal than today's mass-produced machine-faceted gemstones. These gemstones have great luster and sparkle, and to the eye are essentially transparent, but they are not absolutely flawless. True, the blemishes they possess are virtually invisible to the naked eye, and the gemstones can be characterized, to use trade jargon, as "eye clean". However magnified 500%, as they are here, you can see slight imperfections (included material) within the gemstones and occasional irregularities in the faceting and finish. But these characteristics are not only expected of hand-finished gemstones, you must also consider that two centuries ago the mining techniques even theoretically possible, let alone commonly practiced, did not allow the ultra deep mining operations which are so commonplace today. Two centuries ago mankind was more or less limited to surface deposits or near surface deposits of gemstones. Higher quality gemstones which today are routinely mined from beneath hundreds of meters, even kilometers beneath the earth's surface, were simply inaccessible then. So antique gemstones must be appreciated as antiques first, gemstones second. The relatively superlative quality of contemporary gemstones routinely mined from deep beneath the earth's surface today were simply not accessible two centuries ago, or at least, only rarely so. However for most, the unique nature and character of antique gemstones such as this more than makes up for included imperfections which by and large, are only visible under high magnification. HISTORY: Emeralds have been since ancient times one of the most highly valued of all gemstones. Even today gem-quality emeralds are so rare they are considered more valuable than diamonds. The name "emerald" comes indirectly from the Greek "smaragdos", a name that was given to a number of gemstones having little in common except a green color. Emerald has been cherished since about 4,000 B.C., when they were traded at the earliest known gem market in Babylon. The ancient world's source for these precious gemstones was Egyptian emerald mines near the Red Sea, which were worked as early as 2000 B.C. There is documentation pertaining to emeralds in ancient Egypt during the life of Pharaoh Sesostris III in the 19th century B.C. To the ancient Egyptians, emerald's green color stood for fertility and rebirth, and emeralds were used to treat eye diseases. The Greeks worked these mines in the time of Alexander the Great and throughout the Ptolemaic Dynasty. The Greeks regarded the emerald as the sacred stone of the goddess Venus and of the Earth Goddess. These same mines later provided the last Ptolemaic monarch, Cleopatra VII, Queen of Egypt, wonderful emeralds she was often depicted and described as wearing. Though lost for many centuries, extensive remains of "Cleopatra's Mines" were discovered about 1817; and are located near the Red Sea coast, east of Aswan. The Roman emperor Nero reportedly watched chariot races and gladiator contests through lenses made of emeralds. To the early Christians, the emerald was a symbol for immortality and faith, and also was generally regarded as a symbol of kindness. These beliefs, though held by both Greek and Roman culture, probably originated with Egyptian and Sumerian culture. “Cleopatra’s Mines” in Upper Egypt provided Europe with emeralds all the way through the 16th century A.D. Though by today's standards the ancient Egyptian mines produced relatively small and poor quality gemstones, in the days of the Russian Czars, emeralds were the most prized of the Russian Crown Jewels. In the 18th century, Columbian emeralds started arriving as a result of the Spanish plunder of South American Indians. Emeralds are a variety of the mineral beryl. The blue variety of beryl is aquamarine. Although beautiful in color, emeralds tend to be very "dirty" in that it typically contains a lot of inclusions known as "jardin," French for "garden". Seen under magnification, an Emerald reveals inclusions that resemble the foliage in a garden, or moss. The Emerald was among the dearest treasures of the gem markets of Babylon, and today - nearly six thousand years later - this lovely stone remains one of the most valuable objects in the world. Flawless specimens of good color and size are exceedingly rare and command higher prices than diamonds of equal weight. Most of the world’s emeralds are produced in Colombia, India, and in the Siberian Region of Russia. You might guess I travel extensively for a living. My profession is a purchasing agent for antique gemstones, which generally come from Russia, India, Ceylon, and Siam. I grew up in the Southern Urals of Russia, just miles away from some of the greatest gemstone producing regions in the world’s history. Alexandrite, diamond, emerald, sapphire, chrysoberyl, topaz, demantoid garnet, and many other rare and precious gemstones are produced from the mountains within mere minutes or a few hours from the city I once called home. My interest in the fabulous history of Russian gemstones and the fabulous jewelry of the Czar’s led to further education and contacts in India, Ceylon, and Siam, other ancient centers of gemstone production and finishing. Though perhaps difficult to find in the USA, antique gemstones are commonly unmounted from old, broken settings – the gold reused – the gemstones recut and reset. Before this happens, before these gorgeous antique gemstones are recut, I try to acquire the best of them in their original, antique, hand-finished state – most of them centuries old. I believe that the work created by these long-gone master artisans is worth protecting and preserving rather than destroying this heritage of antique gemstones by recutting the original work out of existence. That by preserving their work, in a sense, we are preserving their lives and the legacy they left for modern times. Far better to appreciate their craft than to destroy it with modern cutting. Not everyone agrees – fully 95% or more of the antique gemstones which come into these marketplaces are recut, and the heritage of the past lost. But if you agree with me that the past is worth protecting, and that past lives and the produce of those lives still matters today, consider buying an antique, hand cut, natural gemstone rather than one of the mass-produced machine cut (often synthetic or “lab produced”) gemstones which dominate the market today. In my travels back and forth between the USA, Asia, and Eastern Europe I also tend to accumulate a lot of books, CD’s, and audio recordings. So I oftentimes have lightly used CD’s, once-read books, audio recordings, and even some antique books I buy in Europe for sale as well. And occasionally I will find such a good buy on contemporary jewelry for my clients that I will purchase a few extra pieces to offer on eBay. These are always offered clearly labeled as contemporary, and not antiques – just to avoid confusion. I also end up with boatloads of jewelry and gemstone samples which were not fully distributed to the retailers I purchase on behalf of. Some really great pieces, including antiques, pearls, as well as some pieces of antique Russian jewelry. I have always been fascinated with jewelry and gemstones. Bangkok, Taipei, Hong Kong, Moscow, and Bombay are great places to find incredible deals on both gemstones and jewelry, and over the years I have made many friends within the trade in these five cities. So you can look for a steady flow of little treasures I discover in my travels, and I will be happy to share with you the best deals I can find through my industry acquaintances in these far-off Asian lands. Though I spend a good part of each year in Europe and Asia, most of the year I am here in the United States, and that's where all of my little treasures are. So you can count on quick shipping and careful packaging. And if I am not home - I have someone who does it for me! Domestic shipping is $3.99 for first class mail or $6.99 for Priority Mail. Domestic rates include USPS Delivery Confirmation (you might be able to update the status of your shipment on-line at the USPS Web Site). Canadian shipments are $3.99 for Air Mail; International shipments are $4.99 for Air Mail (and generally are NOT tracked; trackable shipments are EXTRA). I can add most other items I sell to the shipment for only $0.99 each. Your purchase will ordinarily be shipped within 48 hours of payment. We package as well as anyone in the business, with lots of protective padding and containers. Insurance is available for both domestic and international shipments ($4 for domestic shipments; $6 for international shipments; ONLY required when PayPal is used – you may deduct this amount if you prefer an uninsured shipment AND you pay by check or money order). We do NOT recommend uninsured shipments, and expressly disclaim any responsibility for the loss of an uninsured shipment. Unfortunately the contents of parcels are easily “lost” or misdelivered by postal employees – even in the USA. If you intend to pay via PayPal, please be aware that PayPal Protection Policies REQUIRE insured, trackable shipments. If you do NOT want an insured shipment, send us a check or money order and deduct the invoiced insurance premium. We do offer U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail, Registered Mail, and Express Mail for both international and domestic shipments, as well United Parcel Service (UPS) and Federal Express (Fed-Ex). Please ask for a rate quotation. I prefer your personal check or money order over any other form of payment – and I will ship immediately upon receipt of your check (no “holds”). If upon receipt of the item you are disappointed for any reason whatever, I offer a no questions asked return policy. Send it back, I will give you a complete refund of the purchase price. We do offer a certificate of authenticity (COA) upon request for all of our items. There is a $2 fee for mailing under separate cover. Please see our "ADDITIONAL TERMS OF SALE." Place a Bid!