This is a beautiful crown of the Andes. Its name is Corona de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Popayán. This is a historical artifact. Its total weight is 2.4killo grams. This is set with 443 fine Colombian emeralds totaling 846.15 carats, including the Atahualpa emerald (24 carats).
It was made in 1660 to adorn the image of the Our Lady of Assumption of the Cathedral (Basilica) of Popayán in the then called Nueva Granada (in today’s Colombia). In 1770, four gold imperial arches, the orb, and the top cross were added to the crown, following the evolution of heraldry.
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This might be of can be called the earlier segment that has included Muzo emeralds and also emeralds from Chivor. Chivor was the first emerald deposit explored by the Spanish conquistadores in 1538 and closed in 1672 (rediscovered in 1896). The crown is placed in Gallery 357 of the "The Metropolitan Museum of Art" in New York City.
The crown is decorated with 450 emeralds. The largest emerald is "Atahualpa Emerald". It is said this belonged to Incan Emperor Atahualpa (1497 - 1533).
There are various stories about the design of the Crown of the Andes. The conventional story is that it was designed in the 1590s in gratitude for the city of Popayán. When there was an outbreak of smallpox which ruined the region.
The crown is indeed the best jewelry piece of art
