5. The Sapphire of St. Edward
Donn by: Charles III, the King
Since: 1042
Value Approximation: $57 million*
Compared to other gemstones in the Royal Collection, the history of this rose-cut, octagonal sapphire, which is a part of the British Crown Jewels, is significantly older. Two decades before the Norman Conquest, in 1042, St. Edward (also known as Edward the Confessor) ascended to the English throne and was crowned with the St. Edward’s Sapphire.
The Stuart Sapphire, ©Public Domain/Wikimedia, Royal Collection no. 630740
One of the final Anglo-Saxon kings of England, Edward, was interred with the Sapphire in 1066. The sapphire was taken from Edward’s body when his body was reburied a century later. It has made it through the ages, even the English Civil War, and is currently King Charles III’s property.
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