Stroll the halls of the National Gem Collection of the Smithsonian Museum of National History in Washington, D.C. and among its exhibits you’ll find a glittering blue nugget of exceptional beauty. It is known as the Logan Sapphire and it is one of the world’s most famous sapphires. Read on to discover the story behind this gorgeous gem.
Facts About The Logan Sapphire
Weighing in at a stunning 422.98 carats, the size of Logan Sapphire is approximately the same as a large chicken egg, to give you some perspective. It measures 1.9in x 1.5in x .8in and ranks as one of the largest faceted sapphires in the world. It is a cushion cut with rounded edges, set as a gold/silver brooch surrounded with 16 carats of brilliant-cut clear diamonds. The cut brings out the stone’s brilliance and enhances it natural beauty and color. It is a “Ceylon” sapphire, the most sought after blue sapphire. It is both the size and the very few inclusions it has that make the Logan Sapphire so remarkable. In addition, it was discovered in 1997 by the GIA after in depth analysis, that the color of the stone is natural. No efforts at color enhancement by heat had been undertaken making it even more unusual.
The Origins of the Logan Sapphire
Mined in Sri Lanka, the sapphire was supposedly acquired from a maharajah in India by the family of the 3rd Baronet of Bombay. From Sir Victor Sassoon, M Robert Guggenheim purchased the gem as a gift for his wife, Rebecca. By the time Rebecca donated the piece to the Smithsonian Institution in 1960, she had remarried and her name was now Logan. Hence, the “Logan” Sapphire. Her hope was that it would be kept in reserve to be worn only by First Ladies at state occasions, however, this never transpired. Instead, its permanent home has been on display for the public at the National Gem Collection of the National Museum of Natural History where it is the largest mounted gem in the museum’s collection.
Photo Credits: Chip Clark, Smithsonian staff, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Andrew Bossi from Laurel, MD, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
