Star of Asia
Encyclopedia
The Star of Asia is a large, 330 carat cabochon
-cut star sapphire
currently located at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
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The stone originates from the Mogok mines of Burma. The gem is noted for its significant size and is considered to be one of the largest of its type. It is also noted for its rich colour and clear star. It is said to once have belonged to the Maharajah of Jodhpur. It was acquired by the Museum in 1961.
Cabochon
A cabochon , from the Middle French caboche , is a gemstone which has been shaped and polished as opposed to faceted. The resulting form is usually a convex top with a flat bottom. Cutting en cabochon is usually applied to opaque gems, while faceting is usually applied to transparent stones...
-cut star sapphire
Sapphire
Sapphire is a gemstone variety of the mineral corundum, an aluminium oxide , when it is a color other than red or dark pink; in which case the gem would instead be called a ruby, considered to be a different gemstone. Trace amounts of other elements such as iron, titanium, or chromium can give...
currently located at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
National Museum of Natural History
The National Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. Admission is free and the museum is open 364 days a year....
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The stone originates from the Mogok mines of Burma. The gem is noted for its significant size and is considered to be one of the largest of its type. It is also noted for its rich colour and clear star. It is said to once have belonged to the Maharajah of Jodhpur. It was acquired by the Museum in 1961.