The Hooker Emerald brooch is named after Janet Annenberg Hooker, a famous philanthropist who donated the stunning brooch to the Smithsonian in 1977. The Hooker Emerald is a mesmerizing 75.47 carats emerald that legend has it, once belonged to the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. The historic emerald is considered especially rare for its intense color and lack of inclusions at its magnificent size.
The journey of the Hooker Emerald began in the 16th or 17th century in Columbia. We do not know its exact mine of origin, but it was likely mined in the famous Muzo region. The rough emerald is believed to have been shipped to Europe by conquistadors to be cut and polished. From there, it was exported to the Ottoman Empire where it joined the crown jewels. As the story goes, Sultan Abdul Hamid II famously wore the Hooker Emerald in his belt buckle.
Sultan Abdul Hamid II was the last Sultan of the Ottomon Empire to rule with absolute control. In the early 20th century, the Young Turks Movement emerged seeking to replace the Ottomon Empire’s authoritarian regime with a constitutional government. The Sultan recognized that his days were numbered and feared for his future. On his orders, several of the crown jewels including the Hooker Emerald (and possibly even the Hope Diamond) were secretly smuggled to Paris in 1908. If the Sultan lost his throne, he hoped to get away, sell the jewels and live comfortably off the proceeds. However, things did not go as planned. The jewels were purchased by a gemstone dealer named Salomon Habib in Paris, but the money from the sale never reached the Sultan. Whether he was deceived by a trusted agent or the money was seized, it ended up in the hands of the new government in 1909.
Salomon Habib decided to auction the jewels in 1911 to cover his rising debts. The Hooker Emerald was sold to Tiffany & Co, who set it in a tiara. Although the tiara was beautiful, no buyers were found for it and decades went by with it remaining unsold. Finally in 1950, Tiffany & Co designed the current platinum brooch setting for the Hooker Emerald. It features the 75.47cts emerald as the centrepiece, surrounded by 109 brilliant cut diamonds and 20 baguette cut diamonds with a combined weight of 13cts.
In 1955, philanthropist Janet Annenberg Hooker came along and purchased the brooch from Tiffany & Co. When she donated it to the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. in 1977, it was valued at $500,000. The Hooker Emerald Brooch was only her first gift to the museum. She also donated many more jewels as well as $5 million which allowed the Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems and Minerals to be built. It is where the remarkable Hooker Emerald Brooch continues to reside today, in good company with the HOPE DIAMOND. As one of the world’s most magnificent emeralds, it is well worth a visit!
