J.P. Morgan's Collection March 14 2016
John Pierpont Morgan is most famous as the greatest financier known to the history of the United States. Operating economic powerhouses and possessing influential positions in the development of modern America, J.P. Morgan was indeed a titan of the ages that impressed many by his financial and business acumen. Interestingly, he was also one of the world’s greatest gemstone collectors and the beauties he amassed were second to none.
Born in 1837, J.P. Morgan continued the work of his father as a
n international banker and went on to dominate the realm of finance and economics. In addition to creating the JP Morgan company, he was also instrumental to the birth of the General Electric Company and the United States Steel Corporation. His economic power enabled him to integrate a vast network of railroads in America to promote interstate trade and was even called upon by the U.S. President to oversee America’s gold reserves at a time of financial crisis.
His relevance to the gem industry came swiftly as he exhibited a collection of over 1000 pieces of precious gemstones at the 1889 World’s Fair in Paris. Exquisitely orchestrated with the help of George F. Kunz, a gemologist at the Tiffany & Co., this collection managed to win two golden awards and gained attention from dealers and scholars from all corners of the globe. With a passion to collect the world’s finest and rarest gemstones, J.P. Morgan paired up with another industrial behemoth, Clarence S. Bement, to set up another exhibition with over 12,000 specimens.
Much of these exotic and precious gemstones are now housed in the American Museum of Natural History in New York and are indeed a sight to see. The allure of these gemstones have attracted the admiration of many rich and powerful as they continue to learn and understand all its intricacies bound to last a lifetime.