Characteristics of the Agra Emerald
The 350-carat “Agra Emerald” is a masterpiece in the tradition of the engraved Mogul emeralds, a skill that had reached a high stage of perfection and refinement during the period of the great Mogul emperors of India (1526-1707) , as reflected by some of the engraved emeralds of this period existing in various museums and private collections around the world. One of the most outstanding of these engraved emeralds is the 217.80- carat table-cut “Mogul Emerald” originating from the period of Emperor Arranger (1658-1707), which is engraved with a Shia invocation, and is presently exhibited in the museum of Islamic Art of the Independent Emirate of Qatar. Please click here for the separate web page on the “Mogul Emerald.”

The “Agra Emerald” as seen in the photograph appears to be a flat table-cut emerald with a roughly square shape with two rectangular extensions on its lateral sides, with provisions for attaching cords, and two slight indentations on the other two opposite sides. The surface of the emerald is engraved with a floral pattern, centered around a floral motif in the middle. The floral motif is somewhat similar to the motif on the reverse side of the engraved “Mogul Emerald.” The photograph of the emerald doesn’t seem to reflect the exact color and tone of the green emerald, a problem normally encountered in photographing emeralds. The twisted cords on either side indicate that the emerald was probably used as an arm band by the emperor or one of the members of his family.

Agra Emerald
© Programa Royal Collections. Agrupación Europea de Interés Económico 2006

Modern technique used by Gaston Giuliani et al in tracing the source of an emerald
It would have been very interesting to find the exact country of origin of the Agra Emerald, using the latest oxygen isotopic analysis method. The method developed by a team of research scientists led by Gaston Giuliani of the Petrographic and Geochemical Research Center in Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy, France, makes use of the Oxygen isotope ratio O18/O16 in the molecules of emeralds generated from the surface of the emerald crystal using an ion microprobe, which leaves only a microscopic hole on the surface a few microns in diameter, not visible to he naked eye. Each emerald deposit in the world has its own characteristic O18/O16 ratio. The researches prepared a table of O18/O16 ratios of 62 emerald deposits from 19 countries around the world. To find the source of a given emerald the O18/016 ratio of the emerald is determined using Gaston Giuliani’s technique and compared with the reference table of 62 emerald deposits, which identifies the source of the emerald very accurately.

The technique reveals the actual source of the emeralds from the treasury of the Nizam of Hyderabad

The use of the technique had served to identify the actual source of some of the old emeralds previously thought to have originated in the old world. Of particular interest are the four emeralds that previously belonged to the treasury of the Nizams of Hyderabad of India, who ruled the Southern Indian Princely State from 1724 to 1948. According to legend and folklore these emeralds were believed to have originated from the long-lost Indian emerald mines of unknown location. The oxygen isotope analysis revealed that three of these emeralds actually originated from Colombia, each from a different mine in Colombia, and the fourth one from a mine in Afghanistan. Thus the tests reveal that Afghanistan was also a possible source of Old World emeralds, prior to the discovery of emeralds in Colombia.

The technique reveals that Swat Valley in Pakistan and Afghanistan were also ancient sources of emeralds besides Egypt and Habatchal in Austria

Giuliani and his team also studied four ancient emeralds belonging to the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, France. The oldest emerald examined was part of an earring from the Gallo-Roman site of Miribel in France. Another emerald was the 51.5-carat emerald mounted on the Holy Crown of France by the crusading Louis IX in the 13th century. The remaining two emeralds were once the property of the 18th century French mineralogist Abbé Hauy.

Prior to 1537 when the Spanish conquistadors conquered the Chibchan Indian territory, and subsequently discovered the first emerald mines in Southern America, the only source of emeralds in the Old World were thought to be the Egyptian mines, exploited by the Pharos since the 3rd century B.C. and the mines of Habatchal, in Austria, captured by the Celts. The four emeralds of the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, were assumed to have originated either from the Egyptian or the Austrian mines. Testing the emeralds using Giuliani’s technique revealed that oldest Gallo Roman emerald actually originated from the Swat Valley in Pakistan and not from Egypt the most ancient source. This was a shocking revelation that revealed another possible source for ancient emeralds. The emeralds from the Swat Valley and Afghanistan would have reached Rome, via the ancient silk route, that passed through the Peshawar, Swat and Kabul valleys.
Tests conducted on the emerald in the Holy Crown of France confirmed the previous gemological work that pointed to its Austrian origin. Likewise one of the emeralds of Abbé Hauy was also shown to be of Austrian origin, and the other from Egypt.

The technique confirms that an emerald recovered from the Atocha wreckage was from a mine in Colombia

The ninth emerald studied by Giuliani and his team, was an emerald recovered from the wreckage of the Spanish Galleon Nuestra Senora de Atocha, and belonging to the Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Society, in Key West, Florida. The Galleon sank off the coast of Florida in 1622, when it was caught up in a hurricane in the Caribbean, during the peak period of the hurricane season in September. Tests done on this emerald confirmed that it was of Colombian origin, and actually originated from the Tequendama mine in Colombia.

The source of the Agra Emerald

The source of the “Agra Emerald” is stated to be Colombia according to he website of the Programa Royal Collections. However it is not known whether the modern technique of oxygen isotope analysis was performed on the Agra Emerald to confirm its country of origin. Even if such an analysis was not performed, from our updated knowledge of the sources of Old World emeralds, we are now in a position to make a better prediction of the possible sources of the “Agra Emerald.” Considering the period in which the emerald first appeared, viz. the great Mogul Period from 1526 to 1707, the possible sources of the “Agra Emerald” would have been Colombia, Afghanistan or the Swat Valley in Pakistan. The period roughly corresponds to the peak period of production of emeralds in the Somondoco (Chivor) and Muzo mines of Colombia. But, emeralds would also have reached the Mogul empire during this period from Afghanistan and the Swat Valley in northwestern India (presently Pakistan).

How emeralds from Colombia reached India ?

The emeralds mined from the two main mines in Colombia, the Muzo and Somondoco (Chivor) mines, together with gold and silver also mined in Colombia were eventually loaded on to the Spanish Galleons at the port city of Cartagena. These galleons then called at the port city of Portobello in Panama to load the enormous quantities of silver and some gold mined in Peru, that arrived by mule train from Panama City on the west coast, where it was off loaded by the Spanish Pacific fleet operating on the west coast of Southern America. The Galleons then sailed to Havana in Cuba, where they waited for other ships bringing cargo bound for Spain from port city of Vera Cruz in the Gulf Coast of Mexico. This cargo included gold and silver from Mexico, and silk and porcelain from China that was brought by the Pacific fleet from China via the Philippines and off loaded at Acapulco on the west coast of Mexico. The goods were then transported from Acapulco to Veracruz by mules. The fleet of Ships then set sail from Havana through the Straits of Florida and across the Atlantic to Spain.

From Spain after the Spanish Royal family had taken their share of emeralds, the remainder was exported to other countries in Europe and Asia. Most of the Colombian emeralds were exported to the three Islamic monarchies in the Middle east and Asia. These were the Ottoman empire, the Persian empire and the Mogul empire in India. Any consignment of emeralds for Turkey would have been sent by ship across the Mediterranean directly to any one of the ports on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. It was possible that emeralds bound for Iran and India might have also taken this route, by following the land route after off loading in Turkey. The other route by which emeralds from Spain would have reached Iran and India was round the cape, and across the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. A third route by which emeralds from Spain would have reached India, was the western route across the Atlantic, and the Gulf of Mexico to Veracruz, and then overland to Acapulco, and then across the Pacific, via Philippines to India. The emeralds reaching India was purchased by agents of the Mogul emperors using gold or silver bullion as currency. It is on record that when Nadir Shah invaded Mogul India in 1739 he carried away several chests full of loose emeralds, besides other precious stones such as pearls, rubies, diamonds and sapphires. The Peacock Throne of Shah Jahaan, the most splendorous throne, ever made in the history of mankind, and also carried away by Nadir Shah, was said to be incorporated with 116 emeralds, 108 rubies, and innumerable pearls and diamonds.