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GEMS
The treasure and Gems consisted of gold bars and gold doubloons, cobs other wise known as silver pieces of eight or silver reals, silver bars and ingots, gems like emeralds, amethyst, diamonds and lots of jewelry. The most popular of the Gems was the dark green emerald Gem that was mined in Columbia South America. The Spanish discovered that the native Indians wore many Gems especially emeralds in the 1500s. And set about discovering, mining and exporting the beautiful green Gems to the rest of the world.
The Mel Fisher group of treasure salvers searched for and found many millions of dollars of Gems and emeralds lost during the sinking of the treasure galleons on the high seas during hurricanes or other misadventures as the Spanish crossed the Atlantic for Spain. Gems such as Emeralds have also been found along the famous treasure coast near Sebastian Florida. In one terrible July night during the year 1715 eleven of the kings treasure galleons were lost along the east coast of Florida because of a hurricane and many Gems, emeralds, pieces of eight, rings etc. have been found there as well. The first salver to research and search the area was Kip Wagner of the Real Eight company. The Spanish mined for gold, silver and Gems in Mexico, South America and Central America. They then transported the treasure and Gems to sea ports near by were the treasure and Gems was loaded on board treasure galleon and sent to Havana Cuba were the tresasure and Gems were stored until it was time to transport the treasure and Gems home to Spain by the kings flotilla that was organized for that purpose. To get the treasure and Gems home to Spain they had to sail past the east coast of Florida were many a hurricane sank the galleons near the shore or beach
emeralds are beryl and the green color comes from traces of chromium found in the beryl crystals. Beryl has a hardness of 7.5 to 8.0. The most expensive and best emeralds Gems are found in the South American country of Columbia near Muzo and Chivor the same places the Spanish mined the precious gems. Emeralds have been found in other countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Austria, Egypt, Brazil, Zambia, and Russia
The lust for gold, emeralds and Gems created many opportunities for people especially the artisans and metal workers of this new land, who developed and made many fine pieces of jewelry out of the Gems. When you combine gold with emeralds the two complement one another exquisitely. The Spanish had an appetite for fine things and Gems, they would go to the ends of the world to obtain them. Many of the native Indians gave there lives so that the Spanish nobles could wear such fine treasurers and Gems. The royal Mints were opened near where the silver was mined in Santa Fe de Bogotá, Mexico City, and Potosí Lima Peru. Pieces of eight or cobs were stamped out to be transported back to Spain. They were the half real the one real the two real the four real and the eight real. Many fine gold and emerald rings and other pieces of jewelry and Gems have been found by treasure salvers especially Bob “Frog Foot” Weller at a ship wreck site near Fort Pierce inlet Florida this was one of the eleven ships sunk in 1715 and is part of the treasure coast collection of ships suck by a hurricane. The ship was called the “ Nieves” or our mother of the snows. Many of the rings and Gems are at the Mel fisher museum or the state owned museum near Sebastian inlet Many people especially after a hurricane have found treasures and Gems on the beach along the treasure coast with metal detectors and with out metal detectors. Some of the very best finds have been made on the beach especially early on in the 1950s and 1960s. Some of the finds have been valued into the hundred thousand dollars or more. Many treasures are still turning up.
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EMERALD