DeLong Star Ruby

The DeLong Star Ruby, a 100.32-carat (20.064 g) oval cabochon star ruby, was discovered in Burma in the 1930s.^[1] It was sold by Martin Ehrmann to Edith Haggin DeLong for US$21,400, who then donated it to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City in 1937.

On October 29, 1964, the DeLong star ruby was one of a number of precious gems stolen in a notorious jewelry heist by Jack Roland Murphy and two accomplices. In January 1965, nine of the stolen gems, including the Star of India and the Midnight Star, were recovered in a bus depot locker; however, the DeLong ruby was not among them.^[2] After months of negotiation, the unknown holder of the ruby agreed, through third parties including Dick Pearson, to ransom it for $25,000. The ransom was paid by wealthy Florida businessman John D. MacArthur and he was present on September 2, 1965, when the ruby was recovered at the designated drop off site: a phone booth at a service plaza on the Sunshine State Parkway near Palm Beach, Florida.^[3]^[4] Months later Dick Pearson was arrested burglarizing a jewelry store in Georgia and was found in possession of $100 bills with serial numbers matching the ransom money. He was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison for his involvement in the DeLong Star ruby case.^[5]

References[edit]

^ Sofianides, Anna S.; George E. Harlow (1990). Gems & Crystals from the American Museum of Natural History. New York: Simon and Schuster. p. 52. ISBN 0-671-68704-2.
^ David Sears, "How Three Amateur Jewel Thieves Made Off With New York’s Most Precious Gems," Smithsonian, February 25, 2014.
^ Preston, Douglas J. (1986). Dinosaurs in the Attic. New York: St. Martin's Press. pp. 210–218. ISBN 0-312-21098-1.
^ "$140,000 RUBY RANSOMED", Chicago Tribune, September 3, 1965, p1
^ Meryl Gordon, "The 50th Anniversary of New York’s Most Sensational Jewel Heist," Vanity Fair, October 29, 2014.

External links[edit]

This gemology article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[Sofianides-1] Sofianides, Anna S.; George E. Harlow (1990). Gems & Crystals from the American Museum of Natural History. New York: Simon and Schuster. p. 52. ISBN 0-671-68704-2.

[sears-2] David Sears, "How Three Amateur Jewel Thieves Made Off With New York’s Most Precious Gems," Smithsonian, February 25, 2014.

[Preston-3] Preston, Douglas J. (1986). Dinosaurs in the Attic. New York: St. Martin's Press. pp. 210–218. ISBN 0-312-21098-1.

[4] "$140,000 RUBY RANSOMED", Chicago Tribune, September 3, 1965, p1

[gordon-5] Meryl Gordon, "The 50th Anniversary of New York’s Most Sensational Jewel Heist," Vanity Fair, October 29, 2014.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

DeLong Star Ruby

See also[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]