The Pope’s Jewels

I recently bumped into an old friend in the gemstone vault of the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Having worked with a handful of pieces that would be more fitting for a museum than someone’s jewelry box, it was nice to see this friend prominently displayed in a museum so close to home. The papal cross and ring of Pope Paul VI were two pieces that had earned quite a reputation during their time at Rau, where they lived in the display cases for several years. 

I had heard rumors that these treasures had found their way to Houston. We had partnered with another dealer on these two jewels, as it made sense to share the costs and divide our marketing and distribution efforts (papal crosses aren’t an easy sell). Our partner made the sale, and given the level of discretion required when dealing with these kinds of clients, we never learned who the buyer was (trust me I did ask). Fortunately, I was eager to visit the HMNS to check out their mineralogical specimens, gemstones, and Faberge collection. 

As I entered the gem vault, home to the finished jewelry and cut gemstones, a group of people were congregated around one case with their noses to the glass. As I approached, the sight of the massive shining cross set with twelve impressive round brilliant diamonds, and the ring featuring an almost 13-carat diamond, came into view. It brought me back to the days when I stood behind the jewelry case at Rau, telling more often than I wanted, the story of how we acquired such a historically and religiously significant piece, delivered in the mail via USPS.

THE STORY BEHIND POPE PAUL VI’S JEWELS

Rare diamond jewelry worn by Pope Paul VI arrives at Houston Museum of Natural Science

We received considerable feedback (and sometimes backlash) when the piece was for sale with an asking price well into the millions, with many questioning why it hadn’t already found its way into a museum. I’m happy to see it now in an institution where it is available to wow the public.