The “Spanish Inquisition Necklace”

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This article was originally posted on Userblogs on 7/16/2008.

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The Spanish Inquisition Necklace Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems and Minerals Collection at the National Museum of Natural History of the Smithsonian Institution

Earliest Cut Gemstones?

There are a multitude of legends surrounding this necklace. The name alone boasts that its wearers were lovely ladies of Spanish and French royalty. In the early 20th century, it was purchased by the Maharajah of Indore, whose son eventually sold the necklace in to Harry Winston. Winston dubbed it the "Spanish Inquisition Necklace," for reasons known only to him, and the name stuck.

Many of the gemstones in this stunning necklace date back to the 17th century, when Spanish conquistadors shipped large quantities of emeralds from South America to Europe and Asia. Unfortunately, we know very little about the provenance of this spectacular setting. It displays a double row of diamonds and emeralds ending in the chandelier-like drape of unique "football-shaped" diamonds and emeralds.

Likely cut in India, the large diamond and emerald may date back to the 1600s! Stringing the gems was an extremely delicate procedure. It entailed drilling small holes in the large emeralds and the 16 largest diamonds. It is believed that the large diamonds and Columbian emeralds were most likely cut in India in the 17th century, making them one of the earliest examples of cut gemstones in the Smithsonian's Collection.

Characteristics of the Spanish Inquisition Necklace

Double-stranded and consisting of concentric semi-circles, first one sees the lower half of this beautiful necklace. Every semi-circle flaunts small diamonds interspersed with pairs of barrel-shaped emeralds and diamonds. Placed symmetrically on strands, these gems sing and sparkle in the caressing light. There are eight pairs of larger diamonds and four pairs larger emeralds on these strands. Shaped like a shimmering chandelier pendant, five large emeralds adorn the center of the double strand. In the middle of the lower strand, one will find the biggest emerald.

Take a peek at the necklace's gorgeous gems in closer detail.

On its upper half, only smaller diamonds sparkle upon a single strand. Sunsequently, two larger emeralds join the upper and lower halves of the piece.

Altogether, there are 15 large emeralds, 16 large diamonds, and around 120 smaller diamonds in the necklace. The largest emerald in the necklace is an old Indian-cut, 45-carat, barrel-shaped emerald placed centrally in the necklace. According to the Smithsonian, "The rich velveteen color and exceptional clarity place the large emerald among the world's very finest quality emeralds. Closely approximating the original elongated hexagonal crystal, its shape suggests a rounding of the crystal faces. This, in turn, would yield the largest possible gem.

Though not as daring as its name suggests, the Spanish Inquisition Nacklace has certainly made its way around the world!

Ownership Timeline

Designed for a Maharajah - the first known owner of the necklace was TukojiRao III of Indore

1926 - Yashvantrao II, the son of TukojiRao III, ascended the throne of Indore after the abdication of his father, and inherited the crown jewels

1947 - Yashvantrao II sold diamond and emerald necklace to Harry Winston

1947 - Katherine Hepburn wears the necklace when she attended the 19th Annual Oscars at the Shrine Civic Auditorium

1955 - Harry Winston sold the "Spanish Inquisition Necklace" to Mrs. Cora Hubbard Williams of Pittsburgh

1972 - Cora Hubbard Williams bequeathed the necklace to the National Museum of Natural History of the Smithsonian Institution

Currently - the "Spanish Inquisition Necklace" is displayed in the Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems and Minerals of the NMNH of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC

This article originally appeared on Ganoksin User Blogs in 2008. It has been lightly edited to reflect updates.

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