St Edward's Sapphire is an octagonal, rose-cut
sapphire that forms part of the British
Crown Jewels.
Its history is older than any other gemstone in the royal collection. The stone is thought to have been in the coronation ring of
Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor ; la, Eduardus Confessor , ; ( 1003 – 5 January 1066) was one of the last Anglo-Saxon English kings. Usually considered the last king of the House of Wessex, he ruled from 1042 to 1066.
Edward was the son of Æth ...
, known later as St Edward, who ascended the throne of England in 1042, twenty-four years before the
Norman conquest.
Edward, one of the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England, was buried with the ring at
Westminster Abbey in 1066.
It was reputedly taken from the ring when Edward's body was re-interred at Westminster Abbey in 1163.
How the gem survived the
English Civil War in the 17th century is not clear, but it was most likely re-cut into its present form for
Charles II after the
restoration
Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to:
* Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage
** Audio restoration
** Film restoration
** Image restoration
** Textile restoration
* Restoration ecology
...
of the monarchy.
added the jewel to the
Imperial State Crown, giving it a leading role in the centre of the cross at the top of the crown, where it remains today in the similar crown last worn by
Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...
.
St Edward's Sapphire is on public display with the other Crown Jewels in the
Jewel House at the
Tower of London.
The sapphire is believed to have originated from Asia, potentially either from
Afghanistan or
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
, which have been famed for their gem-producing
corundum
Corundum is a crystalline form of aluminium oxide () typically containing traces of iron, titanium, vanadium and chromium. It is a rock-forming mineral. It is a naturally transparent material, but can have different colors depending on the pres ...
deposits since ancient times.
[
]
See also
* List of individual gemstones
A number of gemstones have gained fame, either because of their size and beauty or because of the people who owned or wore them.
A list of famous gemstones follows.
Alexandrites
* Smithsonian museums' Alexandrite, the largest cut alexandrite ...
References
{{Named sapphires
Individual sapphires
Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom
Edward the Confessor