Emerald – Natural, Faceted, Green

The Crown of the Andes is a votive crown originally made for a larger than life-size statue of the Virgin Mary in the Cathedral of Popayán, Colombia. It contains 450 emeralds, including some that were purportedly taken from the captured Inca Emperor Atahualpa (1497-1533). Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, Acquisitions Fund and Mary Trumbull Adams Fund, 2015. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Public Domain.

Article: Seven Famous Emeralds and Their Stories

Credit: Metropolitan Museum of Art