SIGN IN YOUR ACCOUNT TO HAVE ACCESS TO DIFFERENT FEATURES

FORGOT YOUR PASSWORD?

FORGOT YOUR DETAILS?

AAH, WAIT, I REMEMBER NOW!
Need Help? Call 800-421-0200
  • MY ACCOUNT
  • COMPANY
  • BLOG
  • LOGIN

Jewelry Factory - North Hollywood, CA

Build your Custom Jewelry
  • No products in cart.
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • News
  • Police & Fire Dept. Jewelry
  • Engagement & Wedding
  • Motorsports Jewelry
  • Jewelry Cleaning
  • Categories
  • Cart
  • Home
  • Uncategorized
  • Auction News: 17th Century Spectacles Feature Lenses Carved From Gemstones
 
Howard
Monday, 20 September 2021 / Published in Uncategorized

Auction News: 17th Century Spectacles Feature Lenses Carved From Gemstones

Two entirely unique pairs of 17th century spectacles — one with lenses carved from an emerald and the other with lenses carved from a diamond — made their public debuts at Sotheby's New York showroom this past Friday.

Believed to have belonged to royals of the Mughal Empire, the eyewear tells the story of royal patronage, luxury, science, faith and beauty all in one moment, according to a Sotheby's Instagram post.

"The quality and purity of the gemstones is itself extraordinary, cleaved from a single natural Indian diamond weighing over 200 carats, and a brilliant Colombian emerald weighing at least 300 carats," noted Sotheby's.

Edward Gibbs, chairman of Sotheby's Middle East and India, told CNN.com that gemstone-lens eyewear is truly unique.

"As far as we know, there are no others like them," he said, adding that the gemstones required to make them would have surely belonged to a person of high social status, such as the emperor, a member of his inner circle, or high-ranking courtier.

The emerald pair is called the "Gate of Paradise," while the diamond pair is called the "Halo of Light." The auction house is estimating that each pair will sell in the range of $2.1 to $3.5 million.

While the phrase "viewing the world through rose-color glasses" means that one is overly optimistic, the concept of viewing the world through emerald lenses may have some spiritual connections.

Gibbs told CNN that in the Islamic religion practiced by the Mughal rulers, green was closely linked to paradise, salvation and eternal life. He said that the emerald glasses may have given the wearer the experience of being led "through the gateway into paradise."

The optical properties of emeralds were also recorded by Pliny the Elder (23–79 AD), who described how Roman Emperor Nero watched gladiatorial fights through a pair of concave emeralds. There is some debate as to whether the emeralds helped to correct the Emperor's severe near-sightedness or just eliminated glare from the sun. Others believe the emeralds may have soothed his eyes from the sight of blood.

Sotheby's featured glasses will be touring New York, Hong Kong and London before hitting the auction block on October 27.

Credit: Image via Instagram.com/sothebysjewels.

What you can read next

Music Friday: Britt Nicole Tells Her Young Fans They’re Worth More Than ‘Gold’
Pink Diamond Horse Rears Up in Latest Release From The Perth Mint’s 3D ‘Jewelled’ Series
Argyle Mine’s 37-Year Odyssey Started With a Few Pink Diamonds Atop an Anthill

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

  • Bedazzled Basketball Becomes Unofficial Mascot of NBA’s Diamond Anniversary

    0 comments
  • Music Friday: Neil Diamond Sings, ‘Gold Don’t Rust, Love Don’t Lie’ in His Country Classic

    0 comments
  • Exceptional Pair of Mozambican Rubies Headlines Gemfields’ Auction

    0 comments
  • Finals MVP Steph Curry Breaks Out His Championship Jewelry for Warriors’ Parade

    0 comments
  • Journalist’s Nobel Medal Nets $103.5MM at Auction to Benefit Ukrainian Refugees

    0 comments

NEWSLETTER

Stau updated with our latest offers.

CUSTOMER

  • Shipping
  • 30 Day Return Policy
  • Blog

COMPANY

  • About Us
  • Police & Fire Dept.
  • Engagement & Wedding

FEEDBACK

We would like to hear from you with any feedback about our website or products.

SUBMIT YOUR FEEDBACK

FOLLOW US

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
© 2019 Jewelry Factory | All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Police & Fire Dept.
  • Engagement & Wedding
TOP