Aga Khan's 37-Carat Emerald Achieves Record $9 Million Sale

An extraordinary emerald weighing 37 carats and previously owned by the Aga Khan has reached an unprecedented auction price of nearly $9 million in Geneva, setting a new record for the most expensive green gemstone in the world.

This impressive emerald, set within a Cartier brooch that doubles as a pendant, has surpassed the previous record set by a Bulgari piece. This previous record-holder was an emerald given by Richard Burton to Elizabeth Taylor as a symbol of their marriage.

In the year 1960, the emerald was mounted by Cartier into a brooch adorned with 20 marquise-cut diamonds. This piece was crafted for the British socialite Nina Dyer, during her short-lived marriage to the Aga Khan.

Nina Dyer later auctioned the emerald in 1969 to support animal welfare causes. Coincidentally, this event marked Christie's inaugural high-profile sale in Switzerland by Lake Geneva.

Shortly after, Van Cleef & Arpels acquired the emerald, which eventually came into the possession of a collector famously dubbed 'The King of Diamonds.'

Max Fawcett, the Head of Jewellery at Christie's covering Europe, Middle East, and Africa, commented, "Emeralds are truly in demand currently, and this particular specimen is exceptional. Emeralds of such quality appear at auction roughly every five or six years."

The previous top emerald was part of Elizabeth Taylor's celebrated jewelry collection, fetching $6.5 million at a New York auction.