Famous Star Sapphires: The Star of India
The Star of India is a Ceylonese blue stone weighing 563.35
carats (112.67 gms) and is considered to be the largest of its kind in the world. It's comparatively flawless and is available for viewing at the American Museum of Natural History in New
York. The Star of India is one of the few rare star stones that has stars on both the sides.
In 1900, wealthy financier J.P. Morgan donated the Star of India to the American Museum of Natural History on Central Park West in Manhattan. In 1964, it was stolen, along with several other stones,
including the Eagle Diamond and the Delong Star Ruby. The thieves unlocked a bathroom window during museum open hours, climbed in that night, and found that the sapphire was the only gem in the
collection protected by an alarm — and the battery for that was dead. So they raked up the stones and fled the same way they came in. The stones were valued at more than $400,000. Within two days,
the notorious cat burglar, smuggler, and one-time surfing champion, Jack Murphy (also known as Murph the Surf), was arrested along with two accomplices, later receiving a three-year sentence. Some
months later, the uninsured Star of India was recovered in a locker in a Miami bus station. While most of the other gems were also found, the Eagle Diamond was never seen again.
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Pictures of The Star of India (viewed under different lighting conditions) |
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