LOG: Topkapi Museum
CHASING SUNSETS: p232, “The Topkapi Dagger, centerpiece of the Emerald Room in the Topkapi Palace Treasury, was stunning. The three huge emeralds in the hilt almost take attention away from the scores of diamonds that cover the rest of the hilt and scabbard, each one of which even Elizabeth Taylor would gasp over. Thrown casually under the dagger were more emeralds, one bigger than my fist. In other displays, emeralds and rubies bigger than hen’s eggs were common, and pearls were scattered with gay abandon. Want a snuff box – here, carve one out of this emerald, add a little gold trim, not much, but it will do! Baby’s cradle – well of course it is solid gold, and we had to do something with those couple of hundred pearls, emeralds and rubies that were left over after we made the Sultan’s writing set!”
Chasing Sunsets 