Emerald

Juan del Bosque, «Libro de Armería del Reino de Navarra», which is currently missing and whose subsequent copy, commissioned in 1572, is kept in the Royal and General Archive of Navarre, estimated year of creation 1540.

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The origin of this armorial dates back to 1527, when the Navarrese Courts requested that the Royal Council and the Chamber of Comptos ~ Chamber of Accounts and Fiscal Control, record in a book the coats of arms of the kingdom of Navarre starting with that of the king of Navarre and the houses and lineages of the so-called «ricoshombres», Almorrabides, Guebara, Aybar, Baztanes, Urroz, Lete, Subiça, Rada, Vidaurre, Qasqante, Monteagudo, and Mauleón, also including the coats of arms of other manors, houses, valleys, towns, and nobles [Valverde Ogallar, P. B.; 2001; page 326].

According to [Martinena Ruiz, J. J.; 1982; page 35] the book was compiled around the year 1540, and this is the date I use for referencing this armorial.

This first manuscript created by Juan del Bosque was taken by the royal visitor Hernán Suárez de Toledo, under the pretext of taking it to Emperor Charles V, despite being requested back by the Navarrese Courts, it was never returned and was definitively lost. The armorial that has come down to us is a recreation commissioned in 1572 [Valverde Ogallar, P. B.; 2001; page 327].

According to [Menéndez Pidal de Navascués, F.; 1974; page 19] the recreation of this armorial was carried out based on certifications, such as those from the herald Azcárraga, and notes and partial copies of the stolen book, like the copy kept in the monastery of Leyre.

Another noteworthy bibliographic reference about this armorial, in addition to those previously mentioned, is [Martinena Ruiz, J. J.; Menéndez Pidal de Navascués, F.; 2001].

The image illustrating this bibliographic reference is the coat of arms of the king of Navarre, which I recreated based on the illustration in this armorial, on its first folio according to the numbering given to it in 1613.

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Bibliographical reference of century XVI.

The author is Bosque, Juan del.

The following articles cite this bibliographic reference:

• Almorrabides of Navarre
• Aybar of Navarre
• Baztanes of Navarre
• Guebara of Navarre
• Lete of Navarre
• Martinena Ruiz, J. J.; 1982
• Martinena Ruiz, J. J.; Menéndez Pidal de Navascués, F.; 2001
• Mauleón of Navarre
• Menéndez Pidal de Navascués, F.; 1974
• Menéndez Pidal de Navascués, F.; 1985
• Menéndez Pidal de Navascués, F.; Martínez de Aguirre, J.; 2000
• Monteagudo of Navarra
• Navarra, closed carbuncle
• Navarre
• Noblemen of Navarre
• Qasqante of Navarre
• Rada of Navarre
• Subiça of Navarre
• Urroz of Navarre
• Vidaurre of Navarre

Quarterly: 1 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable [for Castile]; 2 Argent, a lion rampant Purpure, armed and langued Gules, crowned Or [for Leon]; 3 Or, four pallets Gules [for Aragon]; 4 Gules, a chain orlewise, crosswise, and saltirewise Or, charged in the fess point with an emerald Vert [for Navarre]; enté en point Argent, a pomegranate proper, seeded Gules, slipped and leaved Vert [for Granada]; an inescutcheon Azure, three fleurs de lis Or, 2 and 1, a bordure Gules [for Bourbon]; and the whole debruised by a label of three points Azure. Crest: A Crown of Prince. The shield is surrounded by the Golden Fleece.

Arms depicted by me, highlighted with lights and shadows, outlined in Sable, with a semi-circular external shape and with a iridescent finish.

This is my interpretation of the coat of arms of Her Royal Highness Doña Leonor Princess of Asturias (as heiress to the Crown of Castile), Princess of Girona (as heiress to the Crown of Aragon), and Princess of Viana (as heiress to the Kingdom of Navarre), with the Collar of the Distinguished Order of the Golden Fleece. Her coat of arms is that of her father, the King, charged with a label Azure and surmounted by the crown of a princess with four pearl diadems, three visible.

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Azure, Purpure, Vert, Or, Argent, One, Three, Four, Quarterly, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Lion, Rampant, Crowned, Pallet, Chain, Orlewise, Crosswise, Saltirewise, Charged, In the fess point, Emerald, Enté en point, Pomegranate, Proper, Slipped, Leaved, Inescutcheon, Fleur de lis, Ordered, Bordure, Cadency, Label of three points, Crown of Prince, Crown, Surrounded and Collar.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated, Semi-circular and Iridescent.

Classification: Personal, Kingdom of Spain, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Leonor Princess of Asturias.

Publication of my interpretation of the arms of His Majesty King Felipe VI with the Order of the Garter on the blog Twelve Lineages of Soria with the following text: Magnificent interpretation of the coat of arms of H.M. the King of Spain, with the Order of the Garter, made by the prestigious heraldist and member of the International Heraldry Society, Mr. Antonio Salmerón Cabañas.

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Categories: Link, Or, Four, Pale, Gules, Azure, Sable, One, Castle, Port and windows, Masoned, Argent, Purpure, Lion, Rampant, Armed, Langued, Crowned, Chain, Orlewise, Crosswise, Saltirewise, Charged, In the fess point, Emerald, Vert, Closed royal crown, Crown, Inescutcheon, Fleur de lis, Bordure, Enté, In base, Pomegranate, Proper, Seeded (pomegranate), Slipped and Leaved.

Root: Twelve Lineages of Soria.

Publication of my interpretation of the arms of His Majesty King Felipe VI on the blog Twelve Lineages of Soria in an article entitled The heraldic artist Dr. Antonio Salmerón Cabañas receives the recognition and gratitude of H.M. Felipe VI for his interpretation of the royal arms based on the golden ratio and, later, in another article entitled The eminent heraldist Mr. Antonio Salmerón Cabañas interprets the arms of H.M. King Felipe VI.

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Categories: Link, Or, Four, Pale, Gules, Azure, Sable, One, Castle, Port and windows, Masoned, Argent, Purpure, Lion, Rampant, Armed, Langued, Crowned, Chain, Orlewise, Crosswise, Saltirewise, Charged, In the fess point, Emerald, Vert, Closed royal crown, Crown, Inescutcheon, Fleur de lis, Bordure, Enté en point, Pomegranate, Proper, Seeded (pomegranate), Slipped and Leaved.

Root: Twelve Lineages of Soria.

Quarterly: 1 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable; 2 Argent, a lion rampant Purpure, armed and langued Gules, crowned Or; 3 Or, four pallets Gules; 4 Gules, a chain orlewise, crosswise, and saltirewise Or, charged in the fess point with an emerald Vert; enté en point Argent, a pomegranate proper, seeded Gules, slipped and leaved Vert; an inescutcheon Azure, three fleurs de lis Or, 2 and 1, a bordure Gules. Crest: A closed royal crown. Supporters: two columns Argent, capital and base Or, between in base waves Azure, in chief an imperial crown the dexter and a closed royal crown the sinister. Moto environing the columns and behind the shield: «Plus Ultra» Or over a scroll Gules.

Arms of the Kingdom of Spain. This image combines three photographs of this coat of arms on the façade of the Ministry of Defence building on the Paseo de la Castellana in Madrid, just a few metres from my office, together with my own artistic interpretation of the same arms. In the version on the façade of the Ministry of Defence, the crowns above the columns do not touch the columns, which I believe is the correct way to depict them, although the central crown does appear to rest upon the shield of Spain. There are more interpretations that place the crowns resting on the columns than those that do not, and I photographed this particular version from the Ministry of Defence because it is especially relevant due to its size and institutional significance. On the arrangement of the crowns: a) Royal Decree 1511/1977, of 21 January, enacted during the so-called Transition and approving the Regulations on Flags and Standards, Guidons, Insignia and Distinctive Signs, states: «Rule No. 2. Coat of Arms of Spain… Accompanied by two columns Argent, with base and capital Or, set upon waves Azure or blue and Argent», «superado» «by an imperial crown on the dexter one and by a royal crown on the sinister one…». b) The subsequent Law 33/1981, of 5 October, regulating the current coat of arms of Spain, likewise states: «…Accompanied by two columns Argent, with base and capital Or, set upon waves Azure or blue and Argent», «superado» «by an imperial crown on the dexter one and by a royal crown on the sinister one». c) The term «superado» in the heraldic dictionaries in which it appears refers, as a synonym, to «surmontado». d) The definitions of «surmontado» include: «a charge which, at its upper part, has another above it but without touching it», «also said of superado», and «a figure that bears another above it, but without touching it». In light of a), b), c) and d), the two crowns should therefore be painted not touching the columns. However, in the illustrative drawing contained in Royal Decree 1511/1977 the crowns do touch the columns, contradicting its own wording, although in heraldry, when in doubt, the written blazon always prevails; and in most official representations the crowns do indeed touch the columns. Nevertheless, this personal interpretation of both the coat of arms of Spain and of the proper way to write its blazon, where the lateral crowns do not touch the columns, and then I decide that, following the same criterion, the central crown should not touch the shield either, so the result differs from the official version.

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Azure, Purpure, Vert, Or, Argent, One, Two, Three, Four, Quarterly, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Lion, Rampant, Crowned, Pallet, Chain, Orlewise, Crosswise, Saltirewise, Charged, In the fess point, Emerald, Enté en point, Pomegranate, Proper, Slipped, Leaved, Inescutcheon, Fleur de lis, Ordered, Bordure, Closed royal crown, Crown, Supporter (thing), Supporter, Column, Shafted, Between, In base, Wave, In chief, Imperial crown, Dexter, Sinister, Motto, Environed, Behind the shield and Scroll.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated and Semi-circular.

Classification: Civic, Kingdom of Spain, Interpreted, Boa, Photographic and Collage.

Bearer: Spain, Kingdom of.

Quarterly: 1 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable [for Castile]; 2 Argent, a lion rampant Purpure, armed and langued Gules, crowned Or [for Leon]; 3 Or, four pallets Gules [for Aragon]; 4 Gules, a chain orlewise, crosswise, and saltirewise Or, charged in the fess point with an emerald Vert [for Navarre]; enté en point Argent, a pomegranate proper, seeded Gules, slipped and leaved Vert [for Granada]; an inescutcheon Azure, three fleurs de lis Or, 2 and 1, a bordure Gules [for Bourbon]; the whole debruised by a label of three points Azure.

Escudo cuartelado: 1^o de gules, un castillo de oro, aclarado de azur, mazonado de sable [de Castilla]; 2^o de plata, un león rampante de púrpura, lampasado y armado de gules, coronado de oro [de León]; 3^o de oro, con cuatro palos de gules [de Aragón]; 4^o de gules, una cadena puesta en orla, en cruz y en sotuer de oro, cargada en el centro de una esmeralda de sinople [de Navarra]; entado en punta de plata, una granada al natural, tajada de gules, tallada y hojada de sinople [de Granada]; un escusón de azur, tres flores de lis de oro, 2 y 1, una bordura de gules [de Borbón]; brisado de un lambel de tres pendientes de azur.

Arms emblazoned by me, illuminated with lights and shadows, contoured in Sable, with a semi-circular outer contour and with a freehand finishing.

This is the coat of arms of Her Royal Highness Doña Leonor Princess of Asturias, Princess of Girona, and Princess of Viana, heiress of the throne of Spain as the elder daughter of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia. This version of her coat of arms has been emblazoned by me. The coat of arms of the Princess of Asturias is the same as her father's, the King, but with a mark of cadency which, in heraldic terms, is also know as brisure. In this case, the cadency mark is a label Azure with three points, which will be removed in due course. The label of three points is the main and most classic of the brisures, usually assigned to the eldest heir. It is said to originate from a piece of cloth the son would tie at the top of his shield to distinguish it from his father's. Other common brisures include the crescent, the mullet of five point, the marlet, the annulet, or the fleur de lis. In addition to these simple brisures, there are also combined brisures, which are brisures charged with another or others. For example, a crescent charged with a fleur de lis. Labels may also have their points charged with other marks. Many cadency systems become more complicated as generations progress and branches open up, so they tend to be rarely used except in very clear cases like this one.

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Azure, Purpure, Vert, Or, Argent, One, Three, Four, Quarterly, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Lion, Rampant, Crowned, Pallet, Chain, Orlewise, Crosswise, Saltirewise, Charged, In the fess point, Emerald, Enté en point, Pomegranate, Proper, Slipped, Leaved, Inescutcheon, Fleur de lis, Ordered, Bordure, Cadency and Label of three points.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated, Semi-circular and Freehand.

Classification: Personal, Kingdom of Spain, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Leonor Princess of Asturias.

Gules, a chain orlewise, crosswise, and saltirewise Or, charged in the fess point with an emerald Vert.

Escudo gules, una cadena puesta en orla, en cruz y en sotuer de oro, cargada en el centro de una esmeralda de sinople.

Current coat of arms of Navarre interpreted with: the point of the shield in the shape of a semicircular (round) arch; its field enamelled in flat Gules; the chains, formed by round and elongated links, illuminated in Or and shaded by the light emitted by the emerald; the emerald illuminated in Vert; and the whole outlined in Sable and finished with a hammered-metal effect.

Unlike other ways of blazoning it, I like the emerald to be overall. I truly believe it is better that the emerald of Vert colour lies over the Or metal, whether of the chain or of the carbuncle, and not over the Gules field, since it avoids placing colour upon colour or metal upon metal.

It can be consulted in [Vega, P. J. de; 1702; folio XV of the manuscript].

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Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Gules, One, Chain, Orlewise, Crosswise, Saltirewise, Or, Charged, In the fess point, Emerald and Vert.

Style keywords: Metal beaten, Illuminated, Outlined in sable and Shaded.

Classification: Interpreted, Civic and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Navarre.

Gules, a chain orlewise, crosswise, and saltirewise Or, charged in the fess point with an emerald Vert.

Coat of arms interpreted by me, illuminated with lights and shadows, outlined in Sable, with a semi-circular outer contour and with a leather finish.

Arms of the Kingdom of Navarre emblazoned by me. This version of this coat of arms features a vert roundel at the fess point following the official specification of the coat of arms of Spain, instead of an emerald as I usually depict it and as is, for example, suggested in the blazon on page 142, although listed as 151 in its index, of the armorial [Urfé; Century XV; page 142], Bibliothèque nationale de France ms. fr. 32753: «Le Roy de Navarre... de gueles à l'escarboucle d'or pommelée alumée de sinoble en la moyenne en guise d'esmeraude», which may be translated as: «The King of Navarre... Gules, a carbuncle Or pommelly, lit Vert at the centre, in the manner of an emerald». This emerald is incompatible with the official blazon of the coat of arms of Spain; however, in my humble opinion, it would give this coat of arms a charge, the emerald, of greater heraldic substance than the roundel. Although I have painted it in a way that it is not known whether it is a large point or an uncutt circular emerald, in the blazon I have described it as an emerald both in Spanish and in English, since the point does not have a clear heraldic existence in Spanish and even less so in English.

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Vert, Or, One, Chain, Orlewise, Crosswise, Saltirewise, Charged, In the fess point and Emerald.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated, Semi-circular and Leather.

Classification: Civic, Kingdom of Navarre, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Navarre.

Quarterly: 1 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable [for Castile]; 2 Argent, a lion rampant Purpure, armed and langued Gules, crowned Or [for Leon]; 3 Or, four pallets Gules [for Aragon]; 4 Gules, a chain orlewise, crosswise, and saltirewise Or, charged in the fess point with an emerald Vert [for Navarre]; enté en point Argent, a pomegranate proper, seeded Gules, slipped and leaved Vert [for Granada]; an inescutcheon Azure, three fleurs de lis Or, 2 and 1, a bordure Gules [for Bourbon].

Escudo cuartelado: 1^o de gules, un castillo de oro, aclarado de azur, mazonado de sable [de Castilla]; 2^o de plata, un león rampante de púrpura, lampasado y armado de gules, coronado de oro [de León]; 3^o de oro, con cuatro palos de gules [de Aragón]; 4^o de gules, una cadena puesta en orla, en cruz y en sotuer de oro, cargada en el centro de una esmeralda de sinople [de Navarra]; entado en punta de plata, una granada al natural, tajada de gules, tallada y hojada de sinople [de Granada]; un escusón de azur, tres flores de lis de oro, 2 y 1, una bordura de gules [de Borbón].

Coat of arms painted by me, illuminated with lights and shadows, contoured in Sable, with a semi-circular external shape and with a freehand finishing.

Arms of the Kingdom of Spain emblazoned by me. Although in the official blazon text it is blazoned as a point vert, and as a point what is painted in a way that it is not known whether it is a large point or an uncutt circular emerald, in the blazon I have described it as an emerald both in Spanish and in English, since the point does not have a clear heraldic existence in Spanish and even less so in English.

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Azure, Purpure, Vert, Or, Argent, One, Three, Four, Quarterly, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Lion, Rampant, Crowned, Pallet, Chain, Orlewise, Crosswise, Saltirewise, Charged, In the fess point, Emerald, Enté en point, Pomegranate, Proper, Slipped, Leaved, Inescutcheon, Fleur de lis, Ordered and Bordure.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated, Semi-circular and Freehand.

Classification: Civic, Kingdom of Spain, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Spain, Kingdom of.

Quarterly: 1 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable; 2 Argent, a lion rampant Purpure, armed and langued Gules, crowned Or; 3 Or, four pallets Gules; 4 Gules, a chain orlewise, crosswise, and saltirewise Or, charged in the fess point with an emerald Vert; enté en point Argent, a pomegranate proper, seeded Gules, slipped and leaved Vert; an inescutcheon Azure, three fleurs de lis Or, 2 and 1, a bordure Gules.

The British heraldic artist Baz Manning, responsible for painting the coats of arms of the Order of the Garter in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, produced in polychromed wood the armorial bearings of His Majesty King Felipe VI of Spain following his admission into the Order. During this process, I had the honour of assisting him by providing official documentation, explaining the heraldic differences between the arms of Juan Carlos I and Felipe VI, clarifying various points, and reviewing the final details of the work prior to its installation in Windsor. The illustration accompanying this post is a collage made from a photograph of the completed shield, crafted by him in painted wood, sent to me by Baz Manning while it was drying, with explicit instructions not to publish it until its formal placement in the chapel. I used that image together with my own artistic interpretation of the King’s arms to carry out a detailed, side-by-side verification of every element. Although my contribution was modest, I am deeply proud to have taken part in a work destined to occupy a permanent place within one of the United Kingdom’s most emblematic heraldic settings.

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Azure, Purpure, Vert, Or, Argent, One, Three, Four, Quarterly, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Lion, Rampant, Crowned, Pallet, Chain, Orlewise, Crosswise, Saltirewise, Charged, In the fess point, Emerald, Enté en point, Pomegranate, Proper, Slipped, Leaved, Inescutcheon, Fleur de lis, Ordered and Bordure.

Classification: Personal, Interpreted, Painted wood, Boa, Collage and Photographic.

Bearer: Felipe VI of Spain.

I am author of the article «Coat of arms of His Majesty King Felipe VI, heraldic interpretation based on the golden ratio» published in La Mesa de los Notables, Principality of Asturias. This article can be accessed and read at the following link: lamesadelosnotables.blogspot.com/2018/03/escudo-de-armas-de-su-majestad-el-rey.html. It is an honour for me to have published in this prestigious blog, and I would like to express my gratitude to you for this opportunity.

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Azure, Purpure, Vert, Or, Argent, One, Three, Four, Quarterly, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Lion, Rampant, Crowned, Pallet, Chain, Orlewise, Crosswise, Saltirewise, Charged, In the fess point, Emerald, Enté en point, Pomegranate, Proper, Slipped, Leaved, Inescutcheon, Fleur de lis, Ordered, Bordure, Closed royal crown, Crown, Surrounded and Collar.

Style keywords: Ratio, Outlined, Outlined in sable, Illuminated and Semi-circular.

Classification: Personal, Kingdom of Spain, Article, In color, Castilian language, Interpreted, Schema, Boa, Collage and Photographic.

Bearer: Felipe VI of Spain.

Emblem Azure, Saint Michael Argent, vested and nimbed Or, grasping in his dexter hand a spear Or, point downward, and in his sinister hand bearing [ Gules, a chain orlewise, crosswise, and saltirewise Or, charged in the fess point with an emerald Vert, of Navarre ], upon a dragon Vert, armed, langued, fanged, and the eyes Gules.

Emblema de azur, un San Miguel de plata, vestido y nimbado de oro, teniendo en su diestra una lanza de oro, con la punta hacia abajo y en su siniestra trae [ escudo gules, una cadena puesta en orla, en cruz y en sotuer de oro, cargada en el centro de una esmeralda de sinople, de Navarra ], sostenido por un dragón de sinople, armado, lampasado, fierezado y encendido de gules.

Emblem interpreted by me as follows: an oval shape with proportions 5x6, wider than the original; the field illuminated in Azure; its charges outlined in Sable and illuminated in the colours Gules and Vert and the metals Argent and Or; the Archangel Saint Michael vested in Or, unlike others who appear in Argent; his emerald simplified into an area enameled Vert; and the whole emblem has a lightly beaten metal finish.

Due to its special characteristics, the difficulty in complying with the first rule of heraldry concerning metals and colours, and out of prudence, I categorize it as an emblem rather than a shield.

In a relief of the Church of Saint Michael the Archangel in Estella, Saint Michael can be seen fighting a dragon that represents the devil, in a similar but mirrored arrangement to that of this emblem. In that relief, the Archangel Saint Michael bears a pre-heraldic shield with its umbo. According to [Menéndez Pidal de Navascués, F.; 1963], the umbo of the shield is a reinforcing element that is the predecessor of what would later become the pommelly carbuncle of the shield of the Kingdom of Navarre.

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Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Azure, Male figure, Angel, Archangel, Argent, Vested, Nimbed, Or, Grasping, Dexter, Spear, Point downwards, Sinister, Gules, One, Chain, Orlewise, Crosswise, Saltirewise, Charged, In the fess point, Emerald, Vert, Upon, Dragon, Armed, Langued, The fangs and The eyes.

Style keywords: Oval, Illuminated, Outlined in sable and Soft metal.

Classification: Interpreted, Socioeconomic, Education, Emblem and Kingdom of Navarre.

Bearer: University of Navarra.