The Gemstone that fooled Kings for Centuries; A tale of the Black Prince's Ruby - Part 1

Rarely is the story of a magnificent gem so intriguing than that of the vibrant crimson Black Prince's Ruby left in the rough and set into the Cross Pattée on the British Imperial State Crown.  Why did this gemstone fool Kings for centuries? In Part 1, this is the gems’ story that goes back further than written records and pictorial evidence of Rulers.  Lore & mystery swirls around this gem right up to the1362 when it comes in to focus. This talisman was jealously coveted and held those who claimed ownership captivated. 

A Tale of discovery, avarice and desire.

Instead of the usual offering of history, geology etc, I thought I could take you on a journey through time, to re-image the life of this beautiful crimson gem and create a story that conjures up discovery, avarice and desire.  Our tale begins with its extraction from the mountainous domains in Badakhshan, Tajikistan, one of the states of Afghanistan today.  Mined around 1100-1340, labourers would have suffer greatly, toiling away to bring the Earths hidden treasures to the surface.  Finds were most likely the ownership of the Seljuk Empire at that time, and may have been held in the Empires treasury.  Our gem is huge and a beautiful sparkling crimson colour.   Having such a talisman would have set you apart, and given you such pride and happiness knowing you were protected by its mythical powers.

A royal presentation in ancient courts. Respectfully created with AI.

 Silk roads lead to Spain:- Taken from Grenada to Castile.

Years pass by and our gem may have languished in the bottom of the treasury, been sold along the meandering Silk Road, or gifted at an advantageous wedding to seal a diplomatic agreement. Our gem may have been taken by the Mongols in war or by another invading force. The historical record falls silent for many years, leaving only possibilities and speculation.

Our crimson red gem is in the possessions of a Spanish Moor Sultan, Nasrid Sultan Abu Said of Granada.   It pops sharply into historical view in 1362 when it was recorded as being wrestled from the prominent Sultans’ attire.  He chose to wear the gem close to his heart in the folds of his cloaks. He will go onto to lose his life and the gem, at the murderous hands of King Pedro I of Castile. Jewels of this stature moved through time as trophies of war.

Our tale shifts to alliances made and payment exacted for military assistance. King Pedro I will go on to “gift” our gem to the English heir apparent, Edward of Woodstock, (the Black Prince) in 1367 for his loyalties during the Castilian Civil War. Our red gem will come to be known as the Black Prince’s Ruby.  Edward is said to have worn the gem upon his battle helmet, believing it would bring protection and favour in combat.

A Black Prince’s Ruby; a talisman to protect all English monarchs.

Medieval knight with gem set helmet and steed. Respectfully created with AI.

Life in medieval England is one of impoverishment and great riches, of civil war and destruction.  Our Black Prince kept the gem until his death in 1376.  Now in the treasury of Henry V, our gem was mounted into a golden battle crown, known as a royal coronet, worn on top of his visored great bascinet helmet. Henry had a hole drilled through the gem so it could hold a feather plume.  As a talisman, the gem will bring him good luck.

 This beautiful headpiece saw the evils of war in France and supposedly survived an axe blow to the head at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. It is believed that our blood-spattered gem wasn’t smashed or lost on the French battlefield but went back to England and put to one side, where it will go on to shine brightly on another day. 

Our gem rests until 1521, whilst Henry VIII pimped up his image, he goes onto commission an inventory to amplify his authority and to project his magnificence.  This document includes several large “Balas Rubies”, and the Black Prince’s Ruby.

New regalia to celebrate a new King

England continues falling into great unrest. 1649 sees Charles I executed, and the English regalia broken down melted and sold.  Its not known who purchased our “Ruby” but strangely it is back in court with King Charles II in 1660. The gem is set into the front Cross Pattée (the Maltese Cross) prominently above the brow in his State Crown, looking magnificent on his newly reinstated throne.

Setting a "Ruby" in the royal Coronet. Respectfully created with AI.

The royal Goldsmith and crown Jeweller Robert Vyner must have been filled with trepidation with designing and making the new regalia for Charles II.

The Black Prince’s Ruby was to be included in the design; however, it is not a neat, modern, faceted gem.

It is irregular, rounded, and pierced through to create a hole, its physical imperfections, overall shape and size will create difficulties that need to be overcome.

He will have held his breath when setting such beautiful gemstones, pregnant with importance, mystery and value.

Not all red gemstones are Ruby

Whilst we travel through time in the 18^th century, the theory of crystals and minerals was being explored. A Mineralogist/Crystallographer, Monsieur Jean-Baptiste Louis Rome de I’Isle contributed to modern crystallography. He confirmed the work of others and noted the differing crystal properties of gems.  It became widely accepted by the 19^th and 20^th centuries that not all red gemstones were Rubies.  Eventually this led to the discovery that Black Prince’s Ruby is actually a delectable 170 carat crimson red Spinel, however it has never been publicly acknowledged, it instead is officially appraised, correctly.

The Imperial State Crown; A tangible representation of dominion

Enter Queen Victoria, she commissions Rundell and Bridge to make a new piece of regalia to suit her Victorian mindset in 1838.  She desired a tangible representation of her Dominion by commissioning the Imperial State Crown. The Spinel at this time had the small Ruby set into the hole of the gem pendant to create a pleasing finish to the gem. This elevates the Spinel back into the limelight and it is once again set in a Cross Pattee as Charles II had done in 1660.

In 1937 King George VI had the crown remade for his coronation. Elizabeth II chose to have the crown altered for her coronation in 1953, King Charles III worn it after his coronation in 2023.

Even so the crimson red Spinel is resplendent and continues to occupy a position of immediate visual authority: high, central, and unmistakably red. It is still “affectionately” known as the Black Prince’s Ruby. 

The Imperial State Crowns' silent allure. Repectfully created with AI.

A gem for the British crown jewels

As a historic gem it certainly has an interesting journey through time. It has acquired meaning through error as much as fact, through violence as much as ceremony, and through survival as much as beauty.

The stone may have fooled kings and queens for centuries, but perhaps the greater truth is that people wanted to be fooled too.

A Ruby sounded like power.

A Ruby sounded like blood, courage, conquest, and crown.

The Spinel simply played the part so well that history never quite let

the Black Prince’s Ruby name go.

Pink Spinel. Courtesy of Precious Gems Imports Ltd

If you found my journal on Spinel (part 1) interesting, we'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. Additionally, if you are looking for a quality Spinel, pop over and learn more with Spinel: A Modern Alternative (part 2). We can also source them from PGI, our NZ based gemstone supplier to design a bespoke jewel especially for you.