The Rockefeller Emerald: An emerald and diamond ring by Raymond C. Yard
An 18.04-carat emerald of mesmerising colour and impeccable clarity once owned by the Rockefeller family
Raymond Yard with this stunning gemstone, Rockefeller asked Yard to mount the emerald on a ring. Executed with an elegantly understated diamond and platinum setting, the ring was one of Raymond Yard’s most important private commissions.
The intense colour and distinct saturation that typifies a Colombian emerald is illustrated perfectly in this remarkable stone. Described by the American Gemological Laboratories as ‘Exceptional’, it possesses what AGL calls an ‘unusual combination of size, provenance, absence of treatment and quality factors [that contribute] favourably to its rarity and desirability’.
Due to its rarity, an emerald of this quality and significant weight is not readily found in the market, and it is ranked at the top of its class.
Notable Colombian emeralds appear in the some of the most famous collections, and throughout the years many have appeared at auction. Perhaps the most famous collection was that of Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, sold in May 1887, which contained several magnificent emeralds. More recently, in December 2011, Elizabeth Taylor’s 23.46 carat emerald Bulgari brooch commanded much attention.
Though it has passed on to other hands, this superb Colombian emerald still embodies the grandeur of the Rockefeller family name. Now the Rockefeller Emerald is to be sold — fittingly in the heart of Rockefeller Center, where John D, Rockefeller, Jr.’s dream of a ‘city within a city’ first came to life nearly a century ago.
