Queen Elizabeth II just recently celebrated her 94th birthday, 66 years of which have been spent atop the throne of England. As the Queen of England, she has both inherited and helped build one of the worlds’ most significant collections of jewelry – the Crown Jewels of England. Within this collection are some of the most prized sapphires in history. However, these are not the only famous sapphires in the world.
The Sapphires of the Crown Jewels of England
Containing 142 ceremonial objects and a whopping 23,578 gemstones, the Crown Jewels of England are one of the most famous in the world. While they are not in use, most of the collection is on display in the Tower of London, where they draw an estimated 2.5 million visitors per year. Within this vast collection lies some of history’s most famous sapphires, including the 104-carat Stuart Sapphire. This oval-shaped sapphire is set on the Imperial State Crown and traces its origins to King Charles II in the 17th century.
Another newer addition to the Crown Jewels is the Victorian Suite of Sapphire and Diamond Set, a sapphire and diamond set of earrings and necklaces that were given to Queen Elizabeth by her father King George VI for her wedding in 1963. A favorite of the Queen, she has worn the sapphire set several times since then, more recently in 2017 during the celebrations of her 65th Jubilee.
Star of India
The Star of India is a 563.35-carat star sapphire, and one of the largest sapphires in the world. It is incredibly unique especially due to the star shaped pattern that appears naturally on both sides of the sapphire. The discovery of the Star of India was financed by J.P. Morgan, who tasked George Kunz of Tiffany & Co to acquire a vast gem collection for a display at the 1900 Paris Exposition.
The Star of India was mined in Sri Lanka and was later donated by Morgan to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City where it is still located today. In 1964, the Star of India went missing after thieves broke into the museum at night. Fortunately, it was located months later in Miami, where it was promptly returned to the Museum.