North Italian, Milan, or Bohemian, Prague, 16th Century

North Italian, Milan, or Bohemian, Prague, 16th Century
Important Cameo with a Renaissance Nobleman, believed to be Archduke Ernest of Austria (1553-1595)

Colombian emerald
18.95 by 15.85 by 5.70mm.
9.069 ct

Condition Report:
Overall the condition of the emerald is excellent considering its age, with minor surface wear consistent with use and time. There is a small chip to the end of the nose. The emerald is lightly included, with a few internal inclusions visible from the catalogue photographs, including the two inclusions to the top of the cameo (above the head on the left and in the hair to the right); surface reaching fracture in front of the forehead; and a smaller surface-reaching inclusion. There are smaller minute inclusions as is typical for an emerald. There are a few very minor surface abrasions consistent with age. The cameo was, until recently, set in a 19th-century diamond-set mount for a necklace or choker; this has been removed.

Provenance:
Christie's Hong Kong, 17 September 1996, lot 263