In the Name of Halloween - "Sorceress Diabolic"

All in the spirit of Halloween! I present to you...

"Sorceress Diabolic" - is a jewelry design concept by Reena Ahluwalia. 

"On a fatal night, at the witching time, the starless sky laments black and unmoving. The shadowy moon floats above. In this forbidden depths of darkness, prowls a diabolic sorceress with magic spells and dangerous enchantments. In her mask-macabre, glimmering like countess diamonds are trapped hopeless enchanted souls."

"Sorceress Diabolic" - a contemporary face-mask, designed to exaggerate and intensify the dark Sorceress’s legend. Concept drawing by Reena Ahluwalia.

Mask components are angular and pointed, recalling the sharp teeth of howling wolves and outstretched wings of ravens. Like a visual warning, a separate mouthpiece mimics teeth and fangs. Concept drawing by Reena Ahluwalia.

Reena Ahluwalia Launches “Nurture By Reena,” the World's First Lab-Grown Diamond Designer Jewelry Brand

Milestone marks the first-ever designer jewelry brand that exclusively features lab-grown diamonds and merges it with wearable technology and fashion.

Toronto, Canada (May 5, 2014) -- Multi-award winning jewelry designer and longtime diamond industry insider, Reena Ahluwalia, today announced the launch of the world's first lab-grown diamond designer jewelry brand – “Nurture By Reena.” The brand is committed to proudly feature fully disclosed, certified lab-grown diamonds that are origin-guaranteed, conflict-free and environmentally sustainable.

“The Moments Collection” is the first offering from “Nurture By Reena.” It combines diamond jewelry with wearable technology and merges style and fashion with deep personal meaning. Using QR Code technology opens the door to a unique ecosystem that allows you to attach your most precious moments to your jewel. The lab-grown diamond pieces flip to discreetly reveal a QR code that is otherwise hidden from view while the jewelry is worn.

Each cutting-edge design unites the beauty of natural shapes with the precision of modern technology and brings to life Reena’s love of discovery. And while each piece embodies the unique vision of the artist, you’re invited to give it personal meaning through the stories you attach to it. Capturing an individual's unique moment and personal messages, the jewel can be effortlessly personalized with content that can be accessed anytime and anywhere. Like the eternal nature of a diamond, your jewel becomes a modern day digital talisman, a time capsule that captures and preserves your moment for eternity.

The Moments Collection is offered in colorless, pink and yellow lab-grown diamonds, with a starting carat weight of 0.40ct. and includes rings, pendants, earrings and bracelets. To date, there are 36 SKUs available in 18k gold, including white, yellow and rose gold. According to Reena Ahluwalia, “I looked at blooming flowers for inspiration and symbolism. For me, flowers are like moments – ephemeral, yet deeply memorable.

Reena said, “Let me take you on a journey one could only imagine before. I am proud to bring to you a collection that celebrates the changing consumer values of today, embodies what real love means and helps you express your deepest personal stories. For retailers, this also offers phenomenal value and choices through layers of differentiation, which is essential to stand out in retail space today.”

The “Moments Collection” from “Nurture By Reena” will be unveiled at the upcoming JCK Las Vegas Show 2014, in the Design Center, booth no. S10519.

For more information, please visit: www.nurturebyreena.com

The “Moments Collection” from “Nurture By Reena” will be unveiled at the upcoming JCK Las Vegas Show 2014, in the Design Center, booth no. S10519.

Profile: Reena Ahluwalia - featured in Rapaport

Rapaport discusses jewelry design and relevant diamond industry topics with designer Reena Ahluwalia. The profile can be seen at the news section. 

Diamonds.net at http://www.diamonds.net/News/NewsItem.aspx?ArticleID=46253

Reena Ahluwalia recognized as Top 25 "Masters of Jewellery Design in Canada"

"It's a great privilege to be recognized as a Master Canadian Jewellery Designer. I am delighted at this recognition of my ongoing journey of creating meaningful jewelry with narratives that promote socially-conscious values."

-- Reena Ahluwalia

November, 2013. Toronto — The first-ever books about fine jewellery in Canada highlight a talented group of designers who have won every major international award, and have earned prestigious jewellery commissions from people ranging from Pope John II to Uma Thurman. The two-volume, 50-year retrospective on jewellery in Canada was written and produced by Cora Golden, who also co-authored the award-winning book, Design in Canada. Produced in collaboration with Birks, Masters of Jewellery Design in Canada (Volume 1 and 2) include over 450 photographs of rarely seen Canadian-designed jewellery. Together, they provide a fascinating glimpse into the lives of the makers of the most beautiful objects in the world.

Volume 1: Post-War Pioneers profiles 25 early designers and ateliers.

Volume 2: Contemporary Artists features 25 current designers; many of whom were trained or influenced by the previous generation. Worldly and peripatetic, John de Jong caters to upscale clients across Europe and North America; while Reena Ahluwalia, also of Toronto, often uses Canadian diamonds in her extravagant creations. 

Masters of Jewellery Design in Canada (Volume 1 and Volume 2) are now available on Apple iTunes for purchase. Don't forget to get your copy!

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/masters-jewellery-design-in/id727835668?mt=11

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/masters-jewellery-design-in/id621630295?mt=11

Author Cora Golden: http://www.goldene-books.com/

Designer Reena Ahluwalia. Excerpt from Masters of Jewellery Design in Canada. Vol. 2.

Ode to Fall

“Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree” - Emily Brontë

I love the splendor and crispness of Fall! Do you as well?

My ‘Autumn’ creation was inspired by the golden, graceful falling dry leaves of Fall. The leaves of this necklace can be detached. Once separated, the leaves can be worn individually as pendants, necklaces and multiple brooches.  

The ‘Autumn’ necklace won the National Design Award in Jewelry - ‘Swarnanjali’ by the World Gold Council and was my first design award ever.

Ode to Fall - 'Autumn' necklace by Reena Ahluwalia. 22 K yellow gold.

Canadian Jeweller Magazine's annual 'Excellence in Design Awards 2013'

Last week I had the privilege to once again judge the Canadian Jeweller Magazine's annual 'Excellence in Design Awards 2013' along with an esteemed panel of judges. Always a big supporter of Canadian talent. It was a true pleasure!

This was the first ever round of submissions and judging for the Awards of Excellence contest, launched by Canadian Jeweller Magazine this year. Winners for both competitions will be officially announced on November 16 at The Jewellers’ Ball.

From left to right: Linda Penwarden of Penwarden Fine Jewellery, Luxury Retail Executive Andrea Hopson, Paul Mcfarlane of Chanel Canada, award winning jewellery designer Reena Ahluwalia, and jewellery designer Lisanne Skeoch.

Tangents

“Today’s tangents will become tomorrow’s arcs, and unforeseen connections will tie up your loose ends in a way that will make you want to slap your head and holler at your accidental brilliance.” -- Chris Baty

Creativity. Ah, that splendid thing! Where does it happen?

I believe it happens not in the loops of circular thinking, but rather, on those magnificent tangents. That's were the real creative stuff lurks. Go off on a tangent, suspend judgement, and disrupt known patterns of thinking.

Go on! :-)

JNA Interview - Reena Ahluwalia

Jewellery News Asia features an interview with designer Reena Ahluwalia in their July 2013 Issue 347. Interview by Marie Feliciano, Editor, JNA.

About JNA Magazine: Jewellery News Asia is a leading monthly news magazine for the world's jewellery trade; diamond, pearl, gemstone and jewellery-making equipment and supplies sectors in Asia. Every month Jewellery News Asia features original reports by experienced journalists.

Cover - Jewellery News Asia, July 2013 Issue 347

LEGACY

Here's a special piece that I want to share with you, it's titled "Legacy".

LEGACY vintage-inspired platinum engagement ring by Reena Ahluwalia, takes it's inspiration from the fabled jewelry-vault of Royal Asscher from 1920s-1930s, conjuring the old Hollywood glamour and romanticism.

Marquise shape buds form the shank of the ring, center Royal Asscher Cut diamond represents a bloom with promise of new future and creation of lasting legacy together. Stylized and warmly organic!

Legacy engagement ring by Reena Ahluwalia for Royal Asscher Diamonds. Platinum. Royal Asscher cut, marquise cut and round diamonds.

Legacy engagement ring by Reena Ahluwalia for Royal Asscher Diamonds. Platinum. Royal Asscher cut, marquise cut and round diamonds.

Type IIa Diamonds

Type IIa diamonds are the most valued and the purest type of diamonds. They contain either very little or no nitrogen atoms in the crystal structure. White stones are exceptionally colorless and fancy colored diamonds are often found with a brown, purple, blue, or pink tone. They represent only 1% - 2% of all mined diamonds in the world. 

What makes the Type IIa diamonds even more special is that they are “super-deep” diamonds. Most Type IIa diamonds originate from extreme depths in Earth’s mantle, a depth between 360 and 750 km. To put it in context, most diamonds are formed between 150 to 230 kilometers below the Earth's crust.

In the world of mined diamonds, Type IIa are so rare that they command a 5% to 15% premium, when they can be found.

One of the most well-known examples is the “Elizabeth Taylor Diamond” (formerly known as the “Krupp Diamond”), a 33.19-carat Type IIA diamond.

Purchased for $300,000 in 1968 by Richard Burton, the ring became one Elizabeth Taylor’s most cherished white diamonds; one she wore nearly every day. Of the ring, she once said, “[It] gives me the strangest feeling for beauty. With its sparks of red and white and blue and purple, and on and on, really, it sort of hums with its own beatific life.”  The Asscher-cut diamond ring recently sold at auction for a whopping $8.8 million.

Other iconic historic Type IIa diamonds include the Cullinan, the Lesedi La Rona, the Koh-I-Noor, the Darya-I-Noor, the Archduke Joseph, the Regent, the Agra, The Star of the South, The Winston legacy and the Beau Sancy. Type IIa diamonds also have a famous historic connection with Golconda diamonds mined from the historic Kingdom of Golconda in India.

Reena Ahluwalia holds the Type II A, D-color, 910-carat ‘The Lesotho Legend’, the fifth-largest gem diamond in history. In 2018, the diamond was sold for $40 million. The diamond is from the Letseng mine in Lesotho, a country encircled by South Africa. According to Gem Diamonds, it was the largest diamond to have been recovered from the mine (untill 2018).

Cullinan Diamond is a Type IIa, super-deep diamond. Photograph showing two models (replicas) of the original stone. The Cullinan Diamond was discovered in South Africa in 1905 and presented to King Edward VII in 1907. Image: Royal Collection © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Famous Type IIa Diamonds.

Shown here: (1) The De Beers Millennium Star | 203.04 carat, (2) The Lesedi la Rona | 1109 carat, (3) The Koh-I-Noor | 105.60 carat, (4) The Pink Legacy | 18.96 carat, (5) The Idol's Eye | 70.21 carat, (6) The Cullinan I | 530.20 carat, (7) The Graff Venus | 118.78 carat, (8)The Agra | 28.15 carat. Images and information complied by Reena Ahluwalia.

The Eden Rose, a 10.20-carat Fancy Intense Pink Diamond is a Type IIA diamond. Image: Christie’s, 2024. The stone is clear of any secondary hues like gray, blue, or purple that are common in natural pink diamonds.

The Eternal Pink sold for $34.8 Million. The cushion mixed-cut Fancy Vivid Purplish Pink diamond weighing 10.57 carats. Of all the diamonds submitted to the GIA, less than 3% are classified as colored diamonds, and less than 5% of those are considered predominantly pink. The Eternal Pink is arguably the most important pink diamond ever to appear at auction. The diamond was discovered in 2020 at the Damtshaa mine in Botswana. The rough weighed 23.78 carats and was carefully cut in Diacore’s New York City facility over a period of six months. Image: Sotheby’s, 2023.

Other famous, historic pink diamonds are the Agra, the Regent, the Williamson Pink and the Darya-i-Noor.

This extraordinary 76.46-carat heart-shaped diamond is a Type IIA diamond. Came up at the Christie’s New York Magnificent Jewels sale in 2022. Image: Christies.

The Sakura Diamond is a 15.81 carat, largest Fancy Vivid Purple-Pink Internally Flawless Type IIa diamond to ever appear at auction. Sold at Chrisrie’s for $29.3 million in Hong Kong in May 2021 to become the most expensive purple-pink diamond ever to sell at auction. Image: Christie’s.

The 102.39 carat, Maiko Star Diamond is a Canadian, Type IIa, D Colour, Flawless Oval Diamond. Held here by Sotheby’s employee during a media preview at Sotheby's on Sept. 9, 2020 in New York City. PHOTO BY ANGELA WEISS /AFP via Getty Images.

Read my interview about this colossal TypeIIa diamond here: https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/diamond-auction-1.5723379

The diamond was sold to a Japanese private collector who names the gem ‘Maiko Star’ after his second daughter. The same collector bought the 88.22-carat ‘Manami Star’ at Sotheby’s in April 2019 for his first daughter.

The 102.39 carat, Maiko Star Diamond is a Canadian, Type IIa, D Colour, Flawless Oval Diamond. Image: Sotheby’s.

The Spirit of Rose diamond, is a 14.83 ct Fancy Vivid Purple-Pink, IF, Type IIa diamond. Only 1% of all pink diamonds are larger than 10-carats and only 4% of all pink are graded ‘Fancy Vivid’. Named ‘The Spirit of the Rose’ after Vaslav Nijinsky’s legendary ballet, Le Spectre de la rose, the diamond was mined, cut and polished in Russia. Its unparalleled qualities make it the largest Purple-Pink diamond to ever appear at auction. Credit: Sotheby’s, 2020

The rough diamond was unearthed by ALROSA from the Ebelyakh deposit in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) in the northeast of Russia in July 2017. The stone was cut from the largest pink crystal ever mined in Russia which is currently the world’s most important diamond producer by volume. The 27.85-carat clear pink rough diamond was itself called the “Nijinsky”, a nod to the legendary dancer and his acclaimed performance as the “Rose” in the original Ballets Russes performance. The Spirit of Rose diamond, is a 14.83 ct Fancy Vivid Purple-Pink, IF, Type IIa diamond. Credit: Sotheby’s, 2020

The 100-carat D flawless shield-shaped diamond was bought by Moussaieff for over $6 million in July 2020. Image: Moussaieff

The Pink Legacy, a Fancy Vivid Pink, Type IIA, cut-cornered rectangular-cut diamond of 18.96 carats. This incomparable pink diamond has descended from the Oppenheimer Family and was sold for $50.4 million. Image: Christie’s / 2018

Stephen Silver, gemologist and jeweler, who is known for his keen eye for gemstones sold the Pink Promise, a Type IIa, 14.93 carat Fancy Vivid Pink Diamond for $32 million at the Christies’ Hong Kong Auction, 2017.

Pear-shaped, Type IIa “Artemis Pink” and Type IIb “Apollo Blue”, Sotheby's + Reena Ahluwalia 'Portal of Dreams' diamond painting.

The Artemis Pink is a Type IIa, Fancy Intense Pink Diamond weighing 16.00 carats. Image: Sotheby's

Unique Pink, a 15.38 ct. fancy vivid pink diamond, the largest fancy vivid pink pear-shaped diamond ever offered at auction. Image: Sotheby's 2016

The largest D flawless, Type IIa, round brilliant diamond in the world. 102.34 carat. At 102.34 carats, this masterpiece of nature is the rarest white diamond ever to come to the market and the largest, round D colour flawless diamond known to man. The only stone of its kind ever graded by the GIA, the diamond has achieved the highest rankings under each of the criteria by which the quality of a stone is judged. The diamond is D colour; of exceptional clarity (it is completely flawless, both internally and externally); and has excellent cut, polish and symmetry. As with the famous Cullinan I and Koh-i-noor diamonds, which are part of the British Crown Jewels, the stone is part of the rare subgroup comprising less than 2% of all gem diamonds, known as Type IIa. Diamonds in this group are the most chemically pure type of diamond and often have exceptional optical transparency. Image: (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) / Sotheby's / 2018

The largest D flawless, Type IIa, round brilliant diamond in the world. 102.34 carat. Image: (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) / Sotheby's / 2018

Dubbed as the 'RAREST WHITE DIAMOND' - Sotheby's 102.34 ct, D Flawless, Type IIa. Was cut from a 425-carat rough mined by the De Beers Group in Botswana. 2018. Image: Nils Jorgensen/REX

Dubbed as the 'RAREST WHITE DIAMOND' - Sotheby's 102.34 ct, D Flawless, Type IIa. Was cut from a 425-carat rough mined by the De Beers Group in Botswana. 2018. Image: WENN

THE QUEEN OF KALAHARI - an ultra-rare 342-carat, Type II A, D-Flawless diamond found by Lucara Diamond Corp in 2010 at Karowe, Botswana.

THE QUEEN OF KALAHARI - an ultra-rare 342-carat, Type II A, D-Flawless diamond found by Lucara Diamond Corp in 2010 at Karowe, Botswana. This magnificent stone was transformed into THE GARDEN OF KALAHARI, a collection of six jewellery creations by Caroline Scheufele, Chopard. http://www.chopard.com/diary/the-queen-of-kalahari/

THE GARDEN OF KALAHARI, a collection of six Type II A diamond jewellery creations by Caroline Scheufele, Chopard. http://www.chopard.com/diary/the-queen-of-kalahari/

THE GARDEN OF KALAHARI, a collection of six Type II A diamond jewellery creations by Caroline Scheufele, Chopard. http://www.chopard.com/diary/the-queen-of-kalahari/

Lucara Diamond sold giant Type IIa, 813-ct. Constellation diamond for $63M US in May 2016. Just to put all this in perspective, it is the the highest price ever achieved for the sale of a rough diamond. Image: Lucara Diamond Corporation

At 1109-carat, the "Lesedi La Rona" is the largest gem-quality rough diamond to be discovered in over a century and the largest Type IIa rough diamond in existence today. Image: Lucara Diamond Corporation

At 118.78 carats, the “The Graff Venus” is the world’s largest D-color, Type IIA, flawless heart-shaped diamond. The Graff Venus was cut from a 357-carat rough diamond discovered in 2015 at the Letšeng Mine in Lesotho. Image: Graff Diamonds

At 118.78 carats, the “The Graff Venus” is the world’s largest D-color, Type IIA, flawless heart-shaped diamond. The Graff Venus was cut from a 357-carat rough diamond discovered in 2015 at the Letšeng Mine in Lesotho. Image: Graff Diamonds

100.20-Carat, Type IIa, Internally Flawless 'Perfect Diamond' could fetch $25 Million in auction in New York in 2015. Photo courtesy: Sotheby's

100.20-Carat, Type IIa, Internally Flawless 'Perfect Diamond' could fetch $25 Million in auction in New York in 2015. Photo courtesy: AP

100.20-Carat, Type IIa, Internally Flawless 'Perfect Diamond' could fetch $25 Million in auction in New York in 2015. Photo courtesy: Reuters

The 100.20-carat "Perfect" diamond during the cutting and polishing process. The original rough weighed more than 200 carats and was mined by De Beers in southern Africa. It took more than a year to study, cut and polish the rough into the 100-carat diamond. Photo courtesy: Sotheby's

The 100.20-carat "Perfect" diamond during the cutting and polishing process. The original rough weighed more than 200 carats and was mined by De Beers in southern Africa. It took more than a year to study, cut and polish the rough into the 100-carat diamond. Photo courtesy: Sotheby's

The 'Winston Legacy' is the largest white diamond ever to come to auction. The 101.73ct, Type IIa, pear-shaped, D colour, flawless diamond was sold to Harry Winston at Christie's auction of jewels in Geneva on 15 May 2013. Its the "largest of its type" ever offered for public sale. Christies Images Ltd 2013.

World’s largest "flawless" D-color, colorless diamond at 101.73 carat. The stone was recently cut from a rough diamond, weighing 236 carats, that had been found at the Jwaneng mine in Botswana. It took 21 months to polish. The diamond is a Type IIa, less than 1% of the world's diamonds are Type IIa.

D-colour, internally flawless, Type IIa diamond of 56.15 cts. In 2011, sold at auction, and becoming a world auction record for any heart-shaped diamond. Image: Christie's

The “Elizabeth Taylor Diamond” (formerly known as the “Krupp Diamond”), a 33.19-carat Type IIA diamond. I had the honor of trying out this legendary beauty at Christie's New York. Memorable moment!

The “Elizabeth Taylor Diamond” (formerly known as the “Krupp Diamond”), a 33.19-carat Type IIA diamond. Purchased for $300,000 in 1968 by Richard Burton, the ring became one Elizabeth Taylor’s most cherished white diamonds; one she wore nearly every day. Of the ring, she once said, “[It] gives me the strangest feeling for beauty. With its sparks of red and white and blue and purple, and on and on, really, it sort of hums with its own beatific life.” The Asscher-cut diamond ring recently sold at auction for a whopping $8.8 million.

The Archduke Joseph Diamond. 76.02cts., D color, Internally Flawless, Type IIA. Image: APF

Type IIa and connection with Golconda Diamonds.  

A Golconda diamond is a diamond from a specific geographic area within the historic Kingdom of Golconda in India. Diamonds with proven Golconda provenance are of a specific type of rare, pure carbon diamond known as Type IIa. Less than 1-2% of the world's diamonds are Type IIa.

The kingdom of Golconda is situated in India's Deccan plateau. Golconda was a region located between the lower reaches of the Godavari, Wainganga, Wardha and Krishna-Venva rivers, in the present-day states of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, central India.

Koh-i-noor is one of the most celebrated Indian diamonds and perhaps the best-known. A modified oval brilliant cut, the 105.60 ct diamond is set in Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother’s Crown. This is the name of the platinum crown that was designed for Queen Elizabeth, consort (or wife) of George VI, to wear at the Coronation of her husband in 1937. The Koh-i-noor is now on display in the Tower of London. Photo: Kenneth Scarratt. Courtesy: The Gemmologists, the Crown Jewels. Via GIA

The Idol’s Eye is Type IIb diamond, a 70.20 ct Very Light blue diamond that has been described as being between and round and a pear shaped brilliant cut It is believed to have originated from the Golconda region. This famous diamond is an early 17th century stone, an antique triangular modified brilliant cut light blue diamond. Named because of the legend that it once formed the eye of a temple statue, the diamond traveled through a number of international collections. Image Via GIA

Famous Golconda Type IIa Diamonds.

Top Row: Hope (Golconda, but a Type IIb diamond) | Koh-I-Noor | Darya-I-Noor. Middle Row: Archduke Joseph | Regent | Sancy. Bottom Row: Wittelsbach-Graff | Beau Sancy | Dresden Green | Idol’s Eye.

Images and information complied by Reena Ahluwalia.

Golconda Diamonds: Rahul Kadakia, Department Head, Jewelry, Christie's Americas, describes these very special and rare diamonds. (2005) (RT 3:13)

The Star of South Diamond. 128.48-carat, Type IIa, fancy light pinkish-brown diamond. It was discovered in 1853 and became the first Brazilian diamond to receive international acclaim.

From The Treasury of Baroda - a magnificent three-tired diamond necklace, shown here worn by the Maharani of Baroda, Sita Devi in 1948. Khande Roe, Gaekwar of Baroda, had this necklace made to display two important diamonds - The 128.48-carat, Type IIa, Star of the South (fancy light pinkish-brown) and the 78.5-carat English Dresden below it. Necklace photo: circa 1880.

The Beau Sancy Diamond. Type IIa, 34.98 ct., modified pear, double rose cut diamond. The stone has passed through four European Royal families. Image: Sotheby's

Esperanza Diamond is a Type IIa, internally flawless, D-color, 4.65-Carat ‘Triolette’, cut by master cutter Mike Botha.

118.28-carat, D-color, flawless, Type IIa, magnificent oval diamond. Image: Sotheby's

A model holds a 118.28-carat, flawless diamond dubbed the 'Magnificent Oval Diamond' during a media preview at Sotheby's Hong Kong auction house on September 19, 2013. The stone broke a world record on October 7, 2013 when it fetched more than 30 million USD on auction. Photo: Laurent FIEVET

In the past I have authored posts on, Bejeweled Maharaja & Maharani of Mysore, Koh-i-Noor Diamond, Diamonds on World Postage Stamps, Top Ten - Largest Diamonds Discovered In The World, Splendors of Mughal India, The Magnificent Maharajas Of India, Mystery & History Of Marquise Diamond Cut, Ór - Ireland's Gold, The Legendary Cullinan Diamond, Bejeweled Persia - Historic Jewelry From The Qajar Dynasty, Famous Heart-Shaped Diamonds, Type II Diamonds, Green Diamonds, Red Diamonds and more. Over years, I have spent countless hours in self-driven studies on diamond, jewelry history and research. I wrote these blogs for a simple reason - to share my collected knowledge with all who are interested, so that more can benefit from it. Take a look and enjoy! -- Reena

Ór - Ireland's Gold

May the rocks in your field turn to gold. -- Irish blessing

Glorious gold! It dazzled me on my recent visit to Dublin, Ireland. I was awestruck! The gold-work history is fascinating and so are the forms and textures. Hope you enjoy this blog post as much as I enjoyed learning about the history of gold in Ireland!

The National Museum of Ireland's collection of prehistoric gold-work, ranging in date between 2200 BC and 500 BC, is one of the largest and most important in western Europe. Most are pieces of jewellery but the precise function of some is unknown.

During the Early Bronze Age the principal products were made from sheet gold, and include sundiscs and the crescentic gold collars called lunulae. Around 1200 BC new gold working techniques were developed. During this time a great variety of torcs were made by twisting bars or strips of gold.

Styles changed again around 900 BC and the goldwork of this period can be divided into two main types. Solid objects such as bracelets and dress-fasteners contrast dramatically with large sheet gold collars and delicate ear-spools.

Although gold has been found in Ireland at a number of locations, particularly in Co. Wicklow and Co. Tyrone, it has not yet been possible to identify the ancient sources where gold was found. The sites most likely to have been recognized and exploited by prehistoric people are alluvial deposits from rivers and streams. This ‘placer’ gold is weathered out from parent rock and can be recovered using simple techniques such as panning.

In Europe, the earliest evidence for gold-working dates to the fifth millennium BC. By the end of the third millennium gold-working had become well established in Ireland and Britain together with a highly productive copper and bronze working industry. While we do not know precisely how the late Neolithic people of Ireland became familiar with metalworking, it is clear that it was introduced as a fully developed technique. Essential metalworking skills must have been introduced by people already experienced at all levels of production, from ore identification and recovery through all stages of the manufacturing process.

Source: National Museum of Ireland - Archaeology

Photographs shown below are taken by Reena Ahluwalia at the National Museum of Ireland, Archaeology, unless otherwise stated.

Reena Ahluwalia at the National Museum of Ireland - Archaeology. Dublin

Gold Ribbon Torc. Near Belfast. 3rd century BC. National Museum of Ireland

The Broighter Gold Collar. Concentric arches drawn by compass highlight raised decoration of S-shaped scrolls, trumpet shapes and lentoids. From the hoard of gold objects. Broighter, county Derry. 1st century BC.

The Broighter Gold Collar. From the hoard of gold objects. Broighter, county Derry. 1st century BC. Concentric arches drawn by compass highlight raised decoration of S-shaped scrolls, trumpet shapes and lentoids. Collars are especially associated with Celtic kings and gods. The sea god Manannán mac Lir was associated with Lough Foyle and may have had special significance for a local king, perhaps as a protective deity or divine ancestor.

The Tara brooch. 8th century. This brooch was found not in Tara but near the seashore at Bettystown, Co. Meath, in 1850. Its provenance was attributed to Tara by a dealer in order to increase its value. It is made of cast and gilt silver and is elaborately decorated on both faces. The front is ornamented with a series of exceptionally fine gold filigree panels depicting animal and abstract motifs that are separated by studs of glass, enamel and amber. The back is flatter than the front, and the decoration is cast. The motifs consist of scrolls and triple spirals and recall La Tène decoration of the Iron Age.

A silver chain made of plaited wire is attached to the brooch by means of a swivel attachment. This feature is formed of animal heads framing two tiny cast glass human heads. Along with such treasures as the Ardagh Chalice and the Derrynaflan Paten, the Tara Brooch can be considered to represent the pinnacle of early medieval Irish metalworkers’ achievement. Each individual element of decoration is executed perfectly and the range of technique represented on such a small object is astounding. National Museum of Ireland.

Silver Chalice, (The Ardagh Chalice). Reerasta, Ardagh, county Limerick. Ireland. 8th Century BC.

The Ardagh Chalice is one of the greatest treasures of the early Irish Church. It is part of a hoard of objects found in the 19th century by a young man digging for potatoes near Ardagh, Co. Limerick. It was used for dispensing Eucharistic wine during the celebration of Mass. The form of the chalice recalls late Roman tableware, but the method of construction is Irish. The bowl and foot of the chalice are made of spun silver. The outer side of the bowl is decorated with applied gold, silver, glass, amber and enamel ornament. The underside of the foot is also highly decorated and contains a polished rock crystal at the centre.

Detail. Silver Chalice, (The Ardagh Chalice). Reerasta, Ardagh, county Limerick. Ireland. 8th Century BC.

Detail. Silver Chalice, (The Ardagh Chalice). Reerasta, Ardagh, county Limerick. Ireland. 8th Century BC.

The Bell of St. Patrick and its Shrine. Armagh, Ireland. 8th-9th century AD. This bell is reputed to have belonged to St. Patrick. It is made of two sheets of iron which are riveted together and coated with bronze. This bell is frequently mentioned in written sources as one of the principal relics of Ireland.

An inscription on its surface indicates that the shrine for the bell was made around AD 1100. It is trapezoidal in shape, echoing the shape of the bell it was made to cover. Formed of a series of bronze plates joined at the edges by tubular bindings, the shrine is topped by a curved crest which covers the handle of the bell. The front of the shrine is covered with a silver-gilt frame that originally held thirty gold filigree panels. These are arranged in the shape of a ringed cross. The sides of the shrine are adorned with openwork panels depicting elongated beasts intertwined with ribbon-bodied snakes. The back of the shrine is plainer and flatter, and is decorated with an openwork silver plate featuring interlocking crosses. The inscription along the edge of the backplate records the name of the craftsman and his sons who made the shrine, and Domhnall Ua Lochlainn, King of Ireland between AD 1094 and 1121, who commissioned the shrine; Cathalan Ua Maelchallain, the keeper of the bell, is also mentioned. Remarkably, the shrine remained in the possession of this family until the end of the 19th century.

Side View. The Bell of St. Patrick and its Shrine. Armagh, Ireland. 8th-9th century AD.

Detail. The Bell of St. Patrick and its Shrine. Armagh, Ireland. 8th-9th century AD. This bell is reputed to have belonged to St. Patrick. It is made of two sheets of iron which are riveted together and coated with bronze.

The Cross of Cong. County, Mayo. Ireland. Early 12th century AD. The Cross of Cong represents the conclusion of a long tradition of distinctively Irish church metalwork.

It was made to enshrine a relic of the True Cross, known from written sources to have been acquired in AD 1122 by Toirrdelbach Ua Conchobair (Turlough O’Conor), High King of Ireland. The cross was designed for processional use, although it may have been mostly used as an altar cross. It has an oak core which is covered by plates of cast bronze. A large polished rock crystal on the front of the cross at the junction of the arms and shaft was intended to protect the relic, which does not survive. The rock crystal is set in a conical mount surrounded by a flange decorated with gold filigree, niello and blue and white glass bosses. The bronze plates on the surfaces of the cross are cast openwork and are decorated with ribbon-shaped intertwined animals in the Scandinavian-derived Urnes style.

The inscription on the sides of the cross identifies Toirrdelbach Ua Conchobair as the patron and Máel Ísú mac Bratáin Uí Echach as the craftsman. Two prominent churchmen are also mentioned. The inscription, which is in Irish, is framed by two identical lines in Latin that translate as ‘by this cross is covered the cross on which the creator of the world suffered’.

Detail. The Cross of Cong. County, Mayo. Ireland. Early 12th century AD. The Cross of Cong represents the conclusion of a long tradition of distinctively Irish church metalwork.

Example of a borrowed woodcarving technique known as kerbschnitt (German) or chip-carving. Surface of object is cut away in oblique cuts to give it a faceted look and added brilliance when gilded. National Museum of Ireland.

Example of a borrowed woodcarving technique known as kerbschnitt (German) or chip-carving. Surface of object is cut away in oblique cuts to give it a faceted look and added brilliance when gilded. National Museum of Ireland.

Gold Dress Fastener. Clones. County, Monaghan. Ireland. 800-700 BC.

Gold Dress Fastener. Clones. County, Monaghan. Ireland. 800-700 BC.

Miniature Gold Boat, as an offering to sea god. From the hoard of gold objects. Broighter, county Derry. 1st century BC.

Museum of Ireland. Irish man, late Bronze Age.

Gold Collars. 800-700 BC. National Museum of Ireland.

Gold Collar. 800-700 BC. National Museum of Ireland.

Gold Collar. 800-700 BC. National Museum of Ireland.

Gold Collar. 800-700 BC. National Museum of Ireland.

Gold disc, perhaps a terminal from a collar or ear spool. 800-700 BC. National Museum of Ireland.

Hollow gold balls. Late Bronze Age, Ireland. Graduated sizes and with holes suggest that these balls could have been strung together to form a necklace.

An Amber necklace and a gold dress fastener. 800-700 BC. Ireland.

2300 yr old mummified Bog body of Old Croghan Man, with leather and Celtic metal binding.National Museum of Ireland.

2300 yr old mummified Bog body of Old Croghan Man, with leather and Celtic metal binding.National Museum of Ireland.

Amazing to see these rings! Oldest known Claddagh rings in Ireland at Thomas Dillon Jewellers. Galway, Ireland.

Designer Reena Ahluwalia at Aran Island. Ireland. 2013

In the past I have authored posts on, Bejeweled Maharaja & Maharani of Mysore, Koh-i-Noor Diamond, Diamonds on World Postage Stamps, Top Ten - Largest Diamonds Discovered In The World, Splendors of Mughal India, The Magnificent Maharajas Of India, Mystery & History Of Marquise Diamond Cut, Ór - Ireland's Gold, The Legendary Cullinan Diamond, Bejeweled Persia - Historic Jewelry From The Qajar Dynasty, Famous Heart-Shaped Diamonds, Type II Diamonds, Green Diamonds, Red Diamonds and more. Over years, I have spent countless hours in self-driven studies on diamond, jewelry history and research. I wrote these blogs for a simple reason - to share my collected knowledge with all who are interested, so that more can benefit from it. Take a look and enjoy! -- Reena

Splendors of Mughal India

I love world cultures! My curiosity over years has made me spend a lot of my time conducting self-studies on various cultures, their rituals, customs, and of course, jewelry.  I hope you enjoy my curated list of Mughal jewelry and artifacts in this blog post!

I have tried my best to attribute images to their creators and original sources. Please contact me if you know the source of images that are not attributed.

Mughal emperors were lovers of precious stones, numerous references show the strong cultural belief in gemstone properties. The Timurids, ancestors of the Mughals, had begun the tradition of engraving titles and names on stones of outstanding quality and, along with diamonds and emeralds, large spinel beads were their favorite. As much as these gems were a symbol of the opulence and dignity of the empire, they were also treasured as protective talismans.

Emeralds were enormously popular with the Mughal Court, whose emperors referred to them as “Tears of the Moon” because of their opaque transparency.

One of the most treasured jewel in Indian history: The Taj Mahal Emerald. Circa 1630-1650. A hexagonal-cut emerald, weighing approximately 141.13 carats, it is carved with stylized chrysanthemum, lotus and Mughal poppy flowers, within asymmetrical foliage, to the plain reverse and beveled border. This intricately carved stone is one of a small group of exquisite emeralds commissioned by the Mughal Court, possibly during the reign of Emperor Shah Jahan. The name of the emerald is derived from its intricately carved surface of lotus, poppy flowers, and other foliage that mirrors the decoration of the Taj Mahal. At the Paris Exhibition of 1925, 'The Taj Mahal Emerald' was one of three large Mughal emeralds that featured prominently in Cartier’s Collier Bérénice, a spectacular shoulder ornament that also boasted pearls, diamonds, and black enamel.

The Taj Mahal Emerald, Cartier. Hexagonal-shaped carved tablet emerald of 141.13 carats, circular-cut diamonds, platinum and 18k white gold. Mount by Cartier. Image: Christie’s

The rulers of Mughal India often ordered their names and titles to be inscribed on rubies, emeralds and diamonds, a practice which originated in Iran under the Timurids (1370-1507). Some of these gems ended up in the collection of the Mughal emperors who continued the tradition. In some cases, as the gems were passed down further names were added below those of the previous owners. Many were repolished, recut and re-set as they were handed down. The inscriptions were executed using the traditional cutting wheel or diamond-tipped stylus.

The rectangular-cut emerald known as 'The Mogul Mughal' weighing 217.80 carats. It's a magnificent emerald with a great back story! Carved emerald with a Shi`ite invocation; Mughal or Deccani, 1695-1696. The reverse carved all over with foliate decoration, the central rosette flanked by single large poppy flowers, with a line of three smaller poppy flowers either side, the bevelled edges carved with cross pattern incisions and herringbone decoration, each of the four sides drilled for attachments, 2 1/16 x 1 9/16 x 7/16 in. (5.2 x 4x 1.2 cm.) Originally mined in Colombia, it was sold in India, where emeralds were much desired by the rulers of the Mughal Empire.

This magnificent, rectangular-cut emerald bears the inscription “Jahangir Shah-i Akbar Shah” and the year 1018 AH (1609-1610 CE) in its centre, and is the only known inscribed and dated Mughal emerald from the reign of the Emperor Jahangir (r. 1014-1037 AH/1605-1627 CE). Usually adorned with Qur'anic verses, mystical sayings, or pious formulas, emeralds – unlike spinels, which were often inscribed with royal titles – were rarely engraved with the names of their sovereigns. The tradition of inscribing stones with royal titles was inherited by the Mughals from their ancestors, the Timurids, and dates back to the 14th century. Believed to possess various healing powers, emeralds were often worn to repel illnesses and evil spirits. Image copyright: The Museum of Islamic Art, Qatar.

Turban Ornament Ca. 1733 to 1767 CE Gold, Enamel, Emerald, Diamond. Image copyright: The Museum of Islamic Art, Qatar.

The 17th century jewel-encrusted spectacles, which feature lenses made from diamond and emerald rather than glass, are believed to have originally belonged to royals in the Mughal Empire, which once ruled over the Indian subcontinent. The green lenses spectacles dubbed the "Gate of Paradise," are believed to have been cut from a Colombian emerald weighing over 300 carats. Any gemstone of this size, magnitude or value would have been brought straight to the Mughal court. Image: Sotheby’s, 2021 / Source: CNN

According to Sotheby's, a story surrounds Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, who is said to have used emeralds to soothe his tired eyes after weeping for days following the death of his wife Mumtaz Mahal (for whom he built the Taj Mahal as a tomb).

The 17th century jewel-encrusted spectacles, which feature lenses made from diamond and emerald rather than glass, are believed to have originally belonged to royals in the Mughal Empire. The lenses in one pair, known as the "Halo of Light" spectacles, are believed to have been cleaved from a single 200-carat diamond found in Golconda, a region in the present-day Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The green lenses spectacles dubbed the "Gate of Paradise," are believed to have been cut from a Colombian emerald weighing over 300 carats. Any gemstone of this size, magnitude or value would have been brought straight to the Mughal court. Image: Sotheby’s, 2021 / Source: CNN

The 17th century lenses in this pair, known as the "Halo of Light" spectacles, are believed to have been cleaved from a single 200-carat diamond found in Golconda. Any gemstone of this size, magnitude or value would have been brought straight to the Mughal court. Image: Sotheby’s, 2021 / Source: CNN

The Halqeh-e Nur or the "Halo of Light" spectacles, are believed to have been cleaved from a single 200-carat diamond found in Golconda in the 17th century. The frame was made in the 19th century. Any gemstone of this size, magnitude or value would have been brought straight to the Mughal court. Image: William Dalrymple Twitter.

The Shah Jahan Emerald.

North India or Deccan, dated AH 1031 (1621–22)
Inscribed in Persian: Shihab al-din Muhammad Shah Jahan Padshah Ghazi 1031 (“Shihab al-din Muhammad Shah Jahan Ghazi Emperor 1031”). Usually adorned with pious formulas, Koranic verses or mystical sayings, emeralds – unlike spinels or balas rubies often inscribed with royal titles – were rarely engraved with the names of the sovereigns who owned them, hence the singularity of this cabochon-cut emerald bearing the name of Shah Jahan. Image courtesy: Al Thani Collection

A colossal sole emerald carved into a ring! With a sleeve of gold (later addition). 16th century, India. Verdant Colombian emeralds were revered by the Mughal Emperors and symbolized the force of life.  Image: Al Thani Collection / Christie's. Today, it will be very difficult to find an enormous size and quality of emerald (such as this) to be carved into one sole ring. This is an epic piece of gemological and Mughal history.

Ring. India, sixteenth century. Emerald, with gold sleeve. Image courtesy: Al Thani Collection

An emerald, diamond and seed pearl necklace, Colombian emeralds, mid- to late-19th century. Image: Christie’s

Brooch, carved emerald from Mughal India is set in a jeweled platinum mount produced in the early twentieth century by Cartier in New York. Image: The Metropolitan Museu

Detail. Brooch, carved emerald from Mughal India is set in a jeweled platinum mount produced in the early twentieth century by Cartier in New York. Image: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Inlaid emeralds necklace with rubies, diamonds. Mughal Indian work of the 18th-19th century, mounted by Cartier in the 1930s. Image credit: British Museum

Details. Inlaid emeralds necklace with rubies, diamonds. Mughal Indian work of the 18th-19th century, mounted by Cartier in the 1930s. Image credit: British Museum

The legendary Koh-i-Noor Diamond - a gemstone that witnessed Mughal history

The Koh-i-Noor was set in the Peacock Throne, the world’s most expensive gem-set throne. Set atop the Peacock Throne, the Koh-i-Noor witnessed reigns of many Mughal emperors - Shah Jahan (commissioned the Peacock Throne in 1628), Aurangzeb, Bahadur Shah I, Jahandar Shah, Farrukhsiyar, Rafi Ul-Darjat, Rafi Ud-Daulat, Nikusiyar, Muhammad Ibrahim and Muhammad Shah ‘Rangila’, who eventually lost the Peacock Throne and the Koh-i-Noor diamond in an invasion-loot by Nader Shah of Persia in 1739.

The Peacock Throne (Hindustani: Mayūrāsana, Sanskrit: मयूरासन, Urdu: تخت طاؤس, Persian: تخت طاووس, Takht-i Tāvūs) 

Portrait of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan on the bejewelled Peacock Throne. 19th century. Image credit: The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Image of Koh-i-Noor added by Reena Ahluwalia for this educational blog). In 1628, Mughal ruler Shah Jahan commissioned this magnificent, gemstone-encrusted throne. Among the many precious stones that adorned the throne were two particularly enormous gems that would, in time, become the most valued of all: the Timur Ruby—more highly valued by the Mughals because they preferred colored stones—and the Koh-i-Noor diamond. According to eyewitness account of Persian historian, Muhammad Kazim Marvi, of the 1739 invasion of Northern India by Nader Shah, Marvi notes: “On top of this was placed a peacock made of emeralds and rubies; on to its head was attached a diamond the size of a hen’s egg, known as the Koh-i-Noor – the Mountain of Light.”

The Koh-i-Noor Diamond, meaning "Mountain of Light" in Persian, is a legendary diamond of Indian origin. The diamond has been a subject of desire, intrigue and conquests for centuries. A widely traveled gem, it has passed through the hands of the Mughals emperors, Persian Shahs, Emirs of Afghanistan and Maharajas of Punjab. The stone later ended up in the British Crown Jewels in 1849, when a ten-year-old Maharaja Duleep Singh was persuaded to hand over the Koh-i-Noor to Queen Victoria when the Punjab Region of India was annexed. Since then, Koh-i-Noor has remained in the British Crown Jewels, becoming a symbol that many attach to the humiliation and pain of colonial past, conquests and the British Raj. 

The world’s most famous, Koh-i-Noor is a diamond of monumental stature. Image: Compliled by Reena Ahluwalia, with Reena’s painting of the Koh-i-Noor diamond at it’s center.

The Arcot II Diamond. Pear brilliant-cut diamond of 17.21 carats. The Arcot Diamond, a D-colour stone was one of two such diamond ear drops sent as gifts to Queen Charlotte (1744-1818), the wife of King George III, from the Nawab of Arcot. The diamonds were later acquired at auction by the Marquess of Westminster and subsequently mounted in the Westminster Tiara, which was worn at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Image: Christie’s

The Nizam of Hyderabad Necklace. Diamond, emerald and enamel necklace. The eight modified triangular-shaped table-cut golconda diamonds, variously-shaped faceted and rose-cut diamonds, carved emerald bead, green enamel, foil, gold, engraved on the reverse with foliate motif, 16 in, late 19th century. The modified brilliant-cut of these diamonds reflect the advancement of gem faceting in India. Additionally, the openwork setting and symmetrical nature of the necklace's design is the direct result of Western influence. Image: Christie’s

Wine cup made for the Emperor Shah Jahan, 1657, India, white nephrite jade. Museum no. IS.12-1962, © Victoria and Albert Museum, London. This unique wine cup of white nephrite jade is an outstanding example of jade craftsmanship and is one of the most exquisite surviving objects from the court of the Mughal dynasty that ruled the Indian subcontinent from about 1526 to 1857. The cup was made in 1657 for Shah Jahan who ruled the Mughal Empire from 1628 to 1658.

The wine cup of Shah Jahan

The cup consists of a gourd shape with a handle shaped like the head of a ram. The base features acanthus leaves radiating out from a lotus flower which is raised to form a pedestal for the cup. The different features of the cup reflect the variety of cultural and artistic influences that were welcomed at the Mughal court. Persian in their cultural background and Indian by adoption, the Mughals were also open to new ideas from the West. Jesuits at the Mughal court, entertaining futile ideas of converting an Empire, were welcomed for their learning; ambassadors and merchants for their exotic gifts and promises of trade. Craftsmen-adventurers were especially welcomed for their skills and knowledge of unfamiliar technologies.

Wine cup made for the Emperor Shah Jahan, 1657, India, white nephrite jade. Museum no. IS.12-1962, © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

The use of a gourd form for the body of the cup is Chinese in inspiration, while the lotus petals and sensitivity of animal portraiture are characteristic features of Hindu art. The ideas of the pedestal support and the use of acanthus leaves are also European in origin and parallel similar elements in the decoration of Mughal architecture during Shah Jahan's reign.

An enamelled and gem set model of a parrot, Hyderabad, Deccan, circa 1775-1825. Set with diamonds, rubies and emeralds and with a pendant emerald hanging from its beak, on a stand similarly decorated, base decorated with two central flowers in green and white enamel and four leaves in each corner. Image: Christie’s

A Mughal cut-cornered rectangular portrait-cut Golconda diamond of 20.22 carats, Type IIa. The present diamond also exhibits a feature common in gems shaped for Mughal use, a pair of drilled holes by which a stone could be sewn to a turban or garment to impart both pomp and courtly fashion. Image: Christie’s.

Portrait diamonds, also called lasques, are among the earliest cut diamonds preserved to this day. Extremely shallow, they consist of virtually nothing but two tables separated by a tiny row of girdle facets. They were sometimes used to cover miniature paintings and therefore came to be known as portrait diamonds. Due to their extreme flatness, they were unsuited for later recutting and their original shape was preserved, making them historically significant.

Large portrait diamonds are extremely rare and among few famous examples is one seen on a portrait of Shah Jahan from 1616, where he holds a turban ornament set with an emerald and a portrait diamond or the ‘Russian Portrait Diamond’, dating around 1820, covering a miniature portrait of Czar Alexander I in a bracelet.

This carved flat emerald is set in a platinum, gold, and diamond pendant necklace. The emerald was discovered in Colombia, possibly by Spanish conquistadors, and found its way to India for cutting. Smithsonian, photography by Ken Larsen.

Historic and remarkable Mughal Emerald necklace. Small drill holes in the sides of the emerald, possibly used to attach the stone to a cloak or turban, also are consistent with a Mogul origin. The emerald is surrounded by round diamonds and is suspended from a double row diamond necklace; the diamonds total approximately 50 carats. A hallmark indicates that the Mogul emerald was set into the pendant and necklace in France around the turn of the 20th century. Smithsonian, photography by Ken Larsen.

A Mughal carved emerald pendant set with enamelled parrot-shaped mounts, India, 19th century, with later pearl necklace. Previously in the family collection of Shaikh Gholam Muhyi ad-Din, Governor of Kashmir (1832-45). Image: Sotheby’s.

Marjorie Merriweather Post’s platinum brooch from the 1920s, featuring a spectacular 60-ct. carved Mughal emerald surrounded by diamonds.

An inscribed Mughal emerald personal seal set in a diamond encrusted gold bangle and bearing the name of Major Alexander Hannay, an East India Company officer. Photo Bonhams

Mughal emerald and diamond sarpech. Mid-18th century. 78 emeralds are of Colombian origin. Photo: Christie's

Spinels (balas rubies) were highly prized in the Mughal court and were usually drilled as beads and used as pendant gemstones on necklaces, turban ornaments or earrings. Abu'l Fazl treasury historic records indicate a hierarchy of gems where spinels were listed in advance of diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds. They were admired for their colour which followed the Persian literary tradition of representing wine and the sun, evoking the light of dusk.

Tavernier reported that he counted 108 large balas rubies (spinels, it is believed) mounted on the famous Peacock Throne, all cabochon cut, the smallest weighing about 100 carats and some 200 carats or more.

A 128.10 carat inscribed Mughal Spinel Bead. Engraved 'Jahangir Shah Akbar Shah', dated 'AH 1018/1609-10 AD', and 'Shah Jahan, Jahangir Shah', dated 'AH 1049/1639-40 AD', to the fabric torsade necklace. Jahangir was a great connoisseur of gems. He was described by a contemporary English visitor, the Rev. Edward Terry, as ‘the greatest and richest master of precious stones that inhabits the whole Earth’. His passion for gems was continued by his son, Shah Jahan. The origin of the spinel is Tajikistan, with no indications of heating. Together with the historical context of such spinels, this jewel can be considered a true treasure of nature. Image: Christie's (2016)

An Imperial Mughal spinel necklace with eleven polished baroque spinels for a total weight of 1,131.59 carats. Three of the spinels are engraved. Two with the name of Emperor Jahangir (1569-1627), one with the three names of Emperor Jahangir, Emperor Shah Jahan and Emperor Alamgir, also known as Aurangzeb.

Inscribed royal spinel (balas ruby) weighing 249.3 carats. This majestic stone is inscribed with the names of its six imperial owners and has the distinction of having the second-most number of such inscriptions. It was a gift from the Safavid Shah Abbas the Great of Iran to the Mughal emperor Jahangir in 1621. Image courtesy of © The Al-Sabah Collection.

Rulers mentioned in inscriptions:
1. Timurid, Ulugh Beg (before 1449)
2. Safavid, Shah Abbas I (1617)
3. Mughal, Jahangir (1621)
4. Mughal, Shah Jahan (undated)
5. Mughal, Alamgir (Aurangzeb) (1659 – 1660)
6. Durrani, Ahmad Shah (1754 – 1755)

Detail: Inscription on an Imperial Mughal spinel necklace. These spinels mainly originated from the Badakhshan mine, in the 'Pamir' region (on the frontier between Afghanistan and Tajikistan). This province gave its derived name to spinels, described as 'Balas rubies' for decades.

Ring with Shah Jahan’s Spinel

North India, the spinel dated AH 1053 (AD 1643– 44); the ring, c. 1900Gold with enamel, the spinel inscribed in Persian: Sahib qiran-i thani (“Second Lord of the Auspicious Conjunction”)

Dating from 1643, this spinel is engraved on the reverse “Sahib qiran-I thani” which translates as “Second Lord of the Auspicious Conjunction”, the title of Emperor Shah Jahan who ruled 1628 - 1658. The title was chosen by Shah Jahan himself in reference to Timur (Tamerlane), the Mughals’ dynastic ancestor, who bore the title “Lord of the Auspicious Conjunction”. It is most likely that the engraving on the spinel was also the sovereign’s personal seal. Image courtesy: © The Al Thani Collection

The Taj Mahal Diamond [circa 1621] - a diamond with extraordinary provenance! Owned by Jahangir, ruler of Mughal India and father of Shah Jahan who built the Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal diamond was gifted by Richard Burton to Elizabeth Taylor for her 40th birthday. Diamond is inscribed in Arabic on either side.

Legendary Taj Mahal Diamond. I was fortunate to privately view and hold this diamond in the palm of my hand at Christie's New York in December 2011. It's an incredibly piece of diamond history.

This massive Mughal baroque pearl must have been prized for its size and perfectly imperfect shape. It was drilled for suspension as a pendant, perhaps from a necklace, and given a decorative gold setting in the form of petals that were originally enamelled. Marks in the gold cap of the pearl have been read as the number 982, and interpreted as representing a year, corresponding to 1574-75 CE, which falls during the reign of the Mughal emperor Akbar (r. 1556-1605 CE). Image, copyright: The Museum of Islamic Art, Qatar.

Rare image of Mughal Coins. Mughal emperors. Photo: The David Collection

Gold coin of Emperor Jahangir. Ajmer. Ninth year of reign. 20.5 mm. On deposit from Christ Church, Oxford. Credit: Ashmolean Museum

The Emperor Jahangir (r. 1605–27) showed exceptional engagement with his coinage, which represents the height of Mughal Indian numismatic art in calligraphy and design. The front of this example features a portrait of Jahangir sitting cross-legged, reclining against a bolster on a hexagonal throne and holding a goblet-like ornament in his hand. It has been described as a wine goblet, showing the Emperor's attachment to his favourite pastime. The Farsi inscription around the portrait reads, ‘Destiny has made the picture of a likeness of venerable king Jahangir on this gold coin’. Jahangir issued coins bearing his portrait, by his own admission, to be given to his followers as a special gift which they could ‘wear on their turbans or sashes’ to show that they had been graced by imperial favour.

Reverse. Gold coin of Emperor Jahangir. Ajmer. Ninth year of reign. 20.5 mm. On deposit from Christ Church, Oxford. Credit: Ashmolean Museum.

On the reverse is a central sun burst with compartments on either side. The one on the left mentions Ajmer as the place where the coin was made (Jahangir had moved his court there in 1615–19 and 1023, the Islamic (Hijri) year of its issue. On the right are the words ‘O Assister’, followed by ‘Year 9’, the year of the reign. The Farsi inscription reads ‘The words “Jahangir” and “Allahu Akbar” are equal in value till the Day of Judgement’. Based on the so-called Abjad system, which applied numerical value to each letter of the alphabet, the words ‘Jahangir’ and ‘Allahu Akbar’ (‘Allah is greater’) were considered to add up to the same total.

Gold coin. (whole) Lion surmounted by sun. (reverse) Portrait of Jahangir. (obverse). AD 1611. Credit: The British Museum.

Mughal gold coin, issued by Jahangir. Constellation of Tora (Taurus)/Vrishabha. AD 1605-1627. Image credit: Classical Numismatic Group.

Jahangir (1605-1628), Emperor Akbar’s son and immediate successor, used the Ilahi Era to great artistic effect by issuing two series of mohurs that incorporated Ilahi Era elements. The earliest series, known as the portrait series, since the coins show the emperor on the obverse, all show the constellation Leo superimposed over the sun – a reference to Jahangir’s birth in August. This series was struck within a three-year span early in Jahangir’s reign and are quite rare. The second series, known as the zodiac series, since each of the twelve constellations of the Zodiac is represented on the reverse, was a much larger series. Struck both in gold and silver, the zodiac series was issued from several mints (with Agra being the primary), and like the previous series, minted over three or four years. Since the Ilahi months were solar months and corresponded with the solar ecliptic (an imaginary line in the sky that marks the annual path of the sun), each month was represented by an appropriate sign of the Zodiac, recording its particular month of issue. Because many of these coins had been recalled and melted by Jahangir’s successor, Shah Jahan, original strikes are very rare.

“Previously to this, the rule of the coinage was that on the face of the metal they stamped my name, and on the reverse the name of the place and the year of the reign. At this time it entered my mind that in place of the month they should substitute the figure of the constellation which belonged to that month...in each month that was struck, the figure of the constellation was to be on one face, as if the sun was emerging from it.” ~ The Memoirs of Jahangir [Tuzk-e Jahangiri] (Entry for 20 March 1619)

Gold Zodiac coins / Gold dinars of Jahangir. Credit: Ashmolean Museum

The powder flask was an essential firearm accessory and held the fine powder needed to make the gun fire. Gunmakers in India during the Mughal era (1526-1858) specialized in carving ivory powder flasks with animal figures. Often, as this example, the decoration consists of intertwined and composite creatures that seem to grow out of or attack one another. 18th century. Note: International trade in ivory is banned (The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

An unusual ivory Archer's Ring in the form of a Falcon probably Mughal, 18th Century formed by a three dimensional bird with ruby-set eyes and folded wings. Photo: Bonhams.

A rare Mughal archers thumb-ring of hippo ivory, India, 17th/18th Century. Sotheby's

Jade archer's thumb-ring. Mughal dynasty, 17th century AD. India. British Museum

1650. Thumb rings of this type were originally used in archery as a way of releasing the bow-string accurately without injuring the hand. Thumb rings made with precious materials became objects of royal status in the Mughal courts of India. Photo: V&A

Dress archery ring of Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan. Second quarter of the 17th century. Gold set with carved and polished uncut diamonds, rubies and emeralds. Photo: State Hermitage Museum.

A Mughal carved emerald flask with stopper, India, circa 18th century. The body of faceted hexagonal form, cut and carved on each face with a floral stem, the stopper carved with eight stylised leaves and a star design to the top. Sotheby's

Engraved Emerald Gem Set box. 16 century Mughal India. Image copyright: The Museum of Islamic art. Qatar.

Emerald-ser box, Mughal India. 1635. Gold sheet, set with carved Colombian emeralds and a faceted diamond in gold kundan, with an enamelled base. The sides and lid of this spectacular gold box are set with 103 emeralds, perfectly matched and fitted. They are carved in shallow relief to depict cypress trees within borders of repeated stylized leaves. Similar boxes made of various precious materials appear in Indian miniatures from the early 17th century on. They could have been for medicines (including opium, a Mughal panacea) or to hold even more precious objects, such as uncut diamonds. The decoration suggests European influence, which presumably came into Mughal court art during the first half of the 17th century with the European craftsmen in the service of Jahangir and Shah Jahan. It is possible that the designs were influenced by engravings from the studio of Bernard Salomon who worked at Lyons in the mid-16th century. Image: The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art

Mango-shaped scent bottle Mid-17th century Rock crystal with rubies and emeralds set in gold. Mughal India. Image: Asia Society

Mango-Shaped Flask, mid-17th century India Rock crystal, gold and gemstone inlay. Photo: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Mango-shaped container, rock crystal, inlaid with gold and rubies. India, Mughal; 17th century. The princes of the Mughal dynasty had a special love for semi-precious stones like jade and rock crystal, and their artists achieved a very high degree of perfection in carving objects such as dagger hilts, bowls, and rings from these materials. Grooves cut into the materials could then be inlaid with gemstones and gold. Photo: The David Collection

Holding ‪Mughal‬ history in my hand at the Natural History Museum, London! A rare private viewing from the vaults of NHM of a 31-ct., faceted 'rose cut' ‪#‎sapphire‬ in a Quartz 'rock crystal' button inlaid with gold, rubies, emeralds. Purchased by Sir Hans Sloane for £43 (!), late 17th century. Image credit: Taken by Reena Ahluwalia at the Natural History Museum, London. 2016

Claude Martin's Mughal Dagger. The hilt of this magnificent Mughal dagger is fashioned from rock crystal inlaid with gold and set with rubies, emeralds and diamonds. The dagger was formerly owned by Claude Martin, one of the most prominent East India Company officials. It was under his patronage that great Lucknavi artists, such as Bahadur Singh and Mihr Chand, combined their Mughal training with European conventions and materials to produce innovative works of art. Image credit: The Wallace Collection

Details. Claude Martin's Mughal Dagger. Image credit: The Wallace Collection

Details. Claude Martin's Mughal Dagger. Image credit: The Wallace Collection

Details. Claude Martin's Mughal Dagger. Image credit: The Wallace Collection

Details. Claude Martin's Mughal Dagger. Image credit: The Wallace Collection

Crown of the Emperor Bahadur Shah II (the last Mughal emperor). 1850. Gold, turquoises, rubies, diamonds, pearls, emeralds, feathers and velvet. The Royal Collection©

A Mughal gem-set silver and gold rosewater sprinkler. North India, , 17th/18th century. Photo: Christie's

An Indian gem-set gilt-metal casket with bird-head finial. Mughal, India. Photo: Sotheby's

A Mughal-style gemstone-encrusted white jade scent bottle. 18th/19th century. Of flattened circular shape on a short oval foot, the cylindrical neck fitted with a screw-top cover with a knop finial, the body inlaid in gold and inset with gem stones including diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds, depicting two panels on the front and back enclosing birds and blossoming branches, the sides with further blossoms.

Highly detailed plate. 17th century, Mughal India. Gold, kundan setting technique, uncut diamonds, rubies, emeralds and enamel. Presented by the ambassadorial mission of Iranian ruler Nadir-Shah to the Russian Imperial Court, 1741. Photo: State Hermitage Museum.

A diamond-inset and enamelled bowl and stand. Deccan or Mughal India, late 18th century. Photo: Christie's

Dish, colorless glass, decorated with enamel and gilded. India, Mughal; c. 1700. The flowers on the dish were contoured on the inside with gold and filled in with red and yellow enamel, while the outside was painted solely in yellow. This produces a kind of three-dimensional effect that is characteristic of Mughal glass art with painted decoration. Photo: The David Collection

Turban ornament. 1700-1750. Wearing plumes in a turban indicated royal status in Mughal India. Nephrite jade, gold inset with rubies, emeralds, probably topaz, with gold foil, rock crystal and pearl. Photo: V&A

Kundan set eagle pendant. Mughal, India. Rubies, diamonds, pearls, enamel. Photo: The Al-Sabah collection.

Mughal parrot finger ring (c.1600–1625) with a three-dimensional bird that can rotate and bob (possibly providing hours of entertainment for its owner) is set with rubies, emeralds, diamonds and a single sapphire. Photo: The Al-Sabah collection.

Bird Finger Ring (1st quarter of the 17th century), Indian, Mughal or Deccan - Gold, rubies, emeralds, turquoises; carving, kundan technique. Photo: The Al-Sabah collection.

Pendant in the form of an eagle, Mughal India, 18th century. Gold, cast and chased, set with foiled diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires in gold kundan. Photo: © Nour Foundation

This extraordinary figurine comes from the Mughal dynasty of India. Gold, pearl, ruby, diamond and enamel squatting duck on a stand. Photo: British Museum

Gold and enamel figurine of an elephant with large natural baroque pearl forming its back and diamonds on its head. Mughal, India. Image credit: British Museum

Golden spoon, quite literally!
A rare Mughal gem-set gold spoon, India, 17th-18th century. The back is delicately inlaid on the reverse with a lotus rosette comprised of radiating foil-backed diamond petals and rubies, the faceted tapering shaft inlaid with emeralds and bands of ruby quatrefoils within an engraved and chiseled gold framework. Photo: Sotheby's.

A Mughal masterpiece. The necklace features five pendant diamonds (Origin: Golconda mines, India) with emerald drops. The central stone weighs 28 cts. and is the largest table-cut diamond known. The five surrounding stones—weighing 96 cts. collectively—comprise the largest known Matching set of table-cut diamonds from the 17th century. It is believed that the jewel once belonged to a Mughal emperor.

Mughal ruler Shah Jahan's Wine Cup. Jade. 1657. Jade cup carved in the form of a shell or gourd with carved handle terminating in the head of an Ibex & large floret shaped foot, left side underside view. This large cup is the finest known example of Mughal jade-carving. The Emperor's titles are carved on its side along with the date. Source: V&A Museum

Huqqa (water pipe) of emerald-green glass decorated with gold and yellow enamel
Northern India; 1st half of 18th century.

The motif was painted “in reserve,” which means that the gold was largely used as the background for the motifs – poppies and cypresses along with various leaf borders. A few details, such as the ribs or little leaves, were executed in gold or yellow enamel. A special refinement is the use of enamel inside, behind the flower heads. Photo: The David Collection

Portrait of Mumtaz Mahal (Arjumand Banu Begum). She was the favourite wife of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. She died shortly after giving birth to her fourteenth child in 1631. The following year the emperor began work on the mausoleum that would house her body. The result was the world-famous Taj Mahal. Photo: V&A

Miniature portrait pendant. Watercolor on ivory, gold, glass. 1830-1850, India. In this instance, an artist from Delhi has portrayed a courtesan dressed as a princess wearing elaborate Mughal gold and gem-set jewelry. Photo: The Walters Art Museum

A Bejeweled Maiden with a Parakeet. Illustrated single work. ca. 1670–1700, Mughal. India, Golconda, Deccan. The bird sits on the maiden’s henna-reddened fingers, each one of which is separately adorned by a diamond ring. She also wears strands of pearls, with emeralds and rubies.

This sensitive portrait jewel was probably painted shortly after Shah Jahan came to the throne of the powerful Mughal Empire in 1628 after the death of his father, Jahangir. Hashim (Indian, active 1598-c.1650). Credit: Cleveland Art

Oval portrait of a woman in a Chaghtai hat c. 1740-50 India, Mughal, 18th century Opaque watercolor and gold on paper. This woman’s hat has been studded with jewels and strings of pearls. The portrait jewel format that was once reserved for the emperor has now been expanded to include ladies of the court. The woman holds a jade wine cup and wears a draped upper garment with a woven or embroidered border similar to the fragment on display at the left. Credit: Cleveland Art

Pomander. 17th-18th Century Indian, Mughal Spherical rock crystal cover with enameled silver mounts. This tiny pear-shaped vial worn tied to a sash would have held scented water or oil. The lid opens to reveal a perforated sprinkler decorated with fine filigree and colorful enamel. A popular scent was attar of roses, made from the essential oil of rose petals. Credit: Cleveland Art

This tiny pear-shaped vial worn tied to a sash would have held scented water or oil. The lid opens to reveal a perforated sprinkler decorated with fine filigree and colorful enamel. A popular scent was attar of roses, made from the essential oil of rose petals. Credit: Cleveland Art

Pendant 1700s. Gold, emerald, diamonds, enamel, and pearl. India, Mughal, Rajasthan, Jaipur, 18th century. Credit: Cleveland Art

A rare Mughal pale green jadeite snuff bottle. 1800-1900. The flattened, rounded bottle is well carved on either side with a large flower reserved on a dense ground of overlapping leaves. Either shoulder is carved with a smaller flower head as is the top of the mouth rim. The translucent stone is of pale icy green tone. 2 in. (5 cm.) high, pink tourmaline stopper and bone spoon.

Mughal gold and enamel belt buckle in two pieces with inlaid diamonds. Enamel decoration on reverse of tiger attacking a boar. b. Rectangular element with small round ring through which oblong ring fits. Hook is attached to this. Enamel tiger attacking a deer in foliage on reverse of rectangular element. British Museum

Gold and enamel figurine of bird on a stand, set with diamonds, with a fish in its beak. Mughal. British Museum

In the past I have authored posts on, Bejeweled Maharaja & Maharani of Mysore, Koh-i-Noor Diamond, Diamonds on World Postage Stamps, Top Ten - Largest Diamonds Discovered In The World, Splendors of Mughal India, The Magnificent Maharajas Of India, Mystery & History Of Marquise Diamond Cut, Ór - Ireland's Gold, The Legendary Cullinan Diamond, Bejeweled Persia - Historic Jewelry From The Qajar Dynasty, Famous Heart-Shaped Diamonds, Type II Diamonds, Green Diamonds, Red Diamonds and more. Over years, I have spent countless hours in self-driven studies on diamond, jewelry history and research. I wrote these blogs for a simple reason - to share my collected knowledge with all who are interested, so that more can benefit from it. Take a look and enjoy! -- Reena