Atocha Silver Ornate Cross - Hand cast in Key West

Cross Metal: Made from Atocha Silver Bar #393 in it's purest form.

Gemstone: Emerald

Weight: 42 gm  -  Height: 2"  -  Width: 1"

Details: This Atocha Silver Bishop's Cross with a Emerald is consistent with the styles of religious jewelry worn by high nobility and clergymen of the 16th and 17th Century.  It is a re-creation of an original religious artifact recovered from The Atocha shipwreck site which yielded hand-crafted treasures from the New World.  Many of the original artifacts were delicately created by Amerindians using Incan gold or Mexican silver.  Engraved with scenes and depictions from life in early Mesoamerica and South America, these delicate markings suggested adaptability of the Catholic Church and how it operated in the New World colonies.  The artistry also offered a glimpse into the merging of two civilizations.

Intended for the Spanish Crown, wealthy investors, and The Vatican itself, these high-end treasures of The Atocha were some of the most inspiring stories of the salvage operation.  The original Bishop's Cross is solid gold, adorned with 70 carats of extraordinary Colombian Muzo emeralds, and was discovered with a matching 10-carat emerald and gold ring inside a pewter lidded box.  The set was believed to be a gift from the Spanish Crown to Pope Gregory XV, Alessandro Ludovisi. 

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