The markets that supplied the Mughal emperors with luxury goods offered products from both Europe and Asia. The New World, too, became a source of precious materials in the 16th century, when emeralds likely mined in Colombia or Ecuador arrived in India on Portuguese ships. The green stones were particular favorites, valued for their hardness and the uniform structure that made them particularly well suited for carving. The front face of the large central emerald here was probably carved in the 17th century, while the back face seems to reflect a later phase of work, possibly in the 18th century. A channel at the top allowed it to be strung on a necklace, perhaps in combination with rubies and pearls. In the late 1920s, the emerald was reworked into this bold Art Deco jewel that was a prized possession of the heiress and art collector Marjorie Merriweather Post.