If you've ever visited the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC, chances are you've admired the dazzling Hope Diamond. But just a short distance away sits another legendary gemstone that has captivated visitors for decades — the 138.72-carat Rosser Reeves Star Ruby, widely regarded as the largest and finest star ruby ever discovered.
Its rich crimson color, remarkably sharp six-rayed star and fascinating backstory have made it one of the museum's most treasured attractions.
The gem owes its name to Rosser Reeves, the legendary advertising executive behind iconic slogans such as M&M's "Melts in your mouth, not in your hand" and Wonder Bread's "Helps build strong bodies 12 ways." Reeves believed the ruby was his good-luck charm and affectionately called it "my baby," carrying the unmounted gem in a small velvet pouch wherever he traveled.
That habit nearly proved disastrous.
For years, one popular story claimed Reeves accidentally left the ruby in a New York City taxicab while rushing to catch a flight to London. Fortunately, the honest driver turned in the pouch, and the treasured gem was safely returned.
But according to former Smithsonian gem curator Jeffrey Post in his book Unearthed, another equally harrowing incident also became part of the ruby's colorful history. Reeves once left the gem on the bar at Manhattan's famed 21 Club before departing on an overseas trip. Only after landing was he able to telephone the restaurant and learn that "his baby" had been safely set aside until his return.
Post also revealed another long-standing misconception. Although Reeves often claimed he purchased the ruby at an auction in Istanbul during the 1950s, the stone had actually been acquired years earlier by London gem dealer Robert Fisher. After being recut from 140 carats to 138.72 carats to better center its star and remove surface abrasions, it was eventually sold by Fisher's son, Paul, to Reeves in 1965.
Reeves had intended to leave the gem to his granddaughter, but Smithsonian gem curator George Switzer persuaded him that millions of museum visitors would enjoy it for generations if it became part of the National Gem Collection.
"I am a salesman," Reeves later joked, "but he is a better salesman."
The ruby has been on public display ever since.
Originally mined in Sri Lanka, the Rosser Reeves Star Ruby is a spectacular example of a star ruby, a variety prized for the optical phenomenon known as asterism. Ruby itself is the red variety of the mineral corundum. During crystal formation, tiny needle-like inclusions of the mineral rutile align in three directions. When the gem is cut into a smooth, rounded cabochon, light reflecting from those microscopic needles creates the illusion of a brilliant six-rayed star gliding gracefully across the surface.
As July's official birthstone, ruby has long symbolized passion, vitality and courage. Few examples embody those qualities more dramatically than the Rosser Reeves Star Ruby — a gemstone whose remarkable beauty is rivaled only by the extraordinary stories it has inspired.
Credit: Photo by Dane A. Penland / Smithsonian and digitally enhanced by SquareMoose.