Star of Bombay is a world-famous cabochon-cut star sapphire originating from Sri Lanka. The size, well-defined star, and deep blue color of this stone have made it one of the world's great star sapphires.
It is a corundum (Al2O3) stone of 182 carats (36.4 g). It was given as a gift to silent film actress Mary Pickford by her husband Douglas Fairbanks Sr (Leavey, 2011). She bequeathed it to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington sometime before her death in 1979 (Leavey, 2011). Presently, it is housed in the Smithsonian Institute's Museum of Natural History.
Sri Lanka is famous for its gemstones since ancient times. However, this stone has been given a name that does not relate to Sri Lanka, the country of origin. Its name Star of Bombay hints at the name of a major city in India.
Attribution
1) Star of Bombay corundum sapphire - Smithsonian Museum of Natural History by Tim Evanson is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
References
1) Leavey, P.D., 2011. Mary Pickford: Canada’s Silent Siren, America’s Sweetheart (Vol. 30). Dundurn. p.189.
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This page was last updated on 16 January 2021
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