"Among the eight pieces stolen from the Apollo Gallery, two imperial jewels contain precious gems extracted from the Muzo mines in the Colombian department of Boyaca: a necklace and earrings that belonged to Marie Louise of Austria, the second wife of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte after his separation from Josephine de Beauharnais, whom he divorced in January 1810 due to her inability to produce an heir. The gems are a clean, intense green known as Muzo green, a hue that has captivated European fine jewelry."
"I've seen them [the jewels with the Boyaca gems] and I know them, she says. In conversation with EL PAIS, Trigo confirms that the emeralds in Marie Louise's necklace and earrings are Colombian, from Muzo, and that their value is incalculable. They have very few inclusions, are clean, brilliant, with a dramatic color. They are highly prized in Europe, she explains."
Last Sunday eight pieces were stolen from the Apollo Gallery at the Louvre, including two imperial jewels set with emeralds from the Muzo mines in Boyaca, Colombia: a necklace and matching earrings that belonged to Marie Louise of Austria, Napoleon's second wife. The stones display a clean, intense Muzo green highly prized in European fine jewelry. Fedesmeraldas confirmed the emeralds are Colombian and characterized the theft as an attack on art and human history. Historian Ana Trigo, familiar with the room and the pieces, confirmed their Muzo origin, described them as exceptionally clean, brilliant and dramatically colored, and offered a personal estimate of about $13.9 million for the necklace and up to $17.4 million for the set while stressing their immeasurable historical value.
Read at english.elpais.com
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