Famous Star Sapphires: The Star of Bombay
Currently residing in Smithsonian National Museum of National
History, The 182-carat Star of Bombay is one of the world's greatest star sapphires. The actor Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., gave it to his wife, the silent-film actress Mary Pickford. Who them
bequeathed it to the Smithsonian in 1981. The Star of Bombay is from Sri Lanka.
Light reflecting off parallel bundles of tiny needles of rutile inside the sapphire produces the star-like effect. The craftsman who cut this stone into a cabochon - a smooth, rounded shape - had to
determine exactly the correct orientation to bring out the star.
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Pictures of The Star of Bombay |
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