Black Prince's Ruby

The Black Prince's Ruby is actually a bead-shaped spinel weighing roughly 170 carats (34 g) that is the size of a chicken egg. It is currently set in the cross pattée above the 317.40 carat (63.48 g) Cullinan II in front of the Imperial State Crown. The Black Prince's Ruby is one of the oldest of the Crown Jewels of England, with a known history dating back to the middle of the 14th century and having been in the possession of the British kings since it was given in 1367 to its namesake, Edward of Woodstock, otherwise known as The Black Prince of Bordeaux.

Spinel

Until fairly modern times, all red gemstones were referred to as "rubies". It was only relatively recently that the rarer spinel has been differentiated from the more common ruby. The two gemstones can be distinguished on the basis of hardness and density, namely that a ruby is slightly harder and denser than a spinel. The two stones can also be told apart by their optical properties: a true ruby is dichroic while a spinel is singly refractive.

History

Don Pedro of Seville

The Black Prince's Ruby enters into history in middle of the 14th century as the possession of Abu Said, the Moorish Prince of Granada. At that time, the rule Castillian Spain was being centralized to Seville and the Moorish Kingdom of Granada was being systematically attacked and reverted to Spanish rule as a part of the Christian Reconquest of Spain. Abu Said in particular was facing off against Castile under the rule of Peter I of Castile, also known to history as Don Pedro the Cruel. According to the historical accounts, Abu Said desired to surrender to Don Pedro under unclear circumstances. What is clear is that Don Pedro welcomed his coming to Seville in what is recorded as a desire for Abu Said's wealth. When Said came to visit Don Pedro, the Don had Said's servants killed and is said to have personally stabbed Said to death himself. Upon searching Said's corpse, the spinel was found and added to Don Pedro's possessions.

In 1366, Don Pedro's illegitimate brother led a revolt against Don Pedro. Lacking the power to put down the revolt unaided, Don Pedro made an alliance with the Black Prince of Bordeaux. The revolt was successfully put down and the Black Prince demanded Abu Said's ruby in exchange for the services he had rendered. While historians speculate that this was contrary to Don Pedro's desires, he had just suffered a costly civil war and was in no position to decline. It is at the point where The Black Prince acquired the Ruby that it exits the historical records until resurfaces in 1415.

A Wartime Adornment

During Henry V of England's campaign in France, he wore a gem-encrusted helmet that included the Black Prince's Ruby. On 25 October, 1415, in the Battle of Agincourt, Henry was struck a blow to the head by the French duke of Alencon's battleax and is recorded to have nearly lost the helmet, along with his life. However, the Battle of Agincourt was won by Henry's forces, Henry did not die, and the helmet was preserved along with the Black Prince's Ruby. Richard III is reported to have also worn the Black Prince's Ruby in his helmet at the Battle of Bosworth Field where he died.

Crown Jewel

James I had the Black Prince's Ruby set into the state crown near the turn of the 15th century, where it remained until the time of Oliver Cromwell. With the exception of The Coronation Chair, Cromwell had all of the Crown Jewels disassembled and sold, having the metal melted down and made into coin. A British jeweler bought the Black Prince's Ruby in the days of the Commonwealth and sold it back to the Charles II when the monarchy was restored in 1660.

References

• International Art Treasures Web Magazine : October 2003. "England's Crown Jewels" (http://www.iatwm.com/200310/CrownJewels/). Retrieved April 17, 2005.
• Ryan Thompson's Famous Diamonds Page. "The Cullinan Diamonds" (http://famousdiamonds.tripod.com/cullinandiamonds.html). Retrieved April 17, 2005.
• Gemcal: Gems from the Far East. "Spinel Story" (http://www.gemcal.com/spinel.htm). Retrieved April 17, 2005.