Owned and designed by H.R.H. The Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon,this magnificent ring incorporates three Burmese rubies, a gift fromMargaret’s mother, H.M. Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. The only sibling of Queen Elizabeth II and the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, Margaret was quite close to her family. King George would say of his two daughters, “Lilibet (Elizabeth) is my pride, Margaret my joy.” Gregarious and fun, Margaret grew to be a great beauty and a counterpoint to her serious sister. A style icon, she inspired recent collections by both Vivienne Westwood and Christopher Bailey for Burberry. Margaret designed this ring herself and the diamonds set obliquely to the rubies give a subtle and clever nod to the form of a crown.
Throughout history, the deep red color of the finest rubies has made it the most valued stone in the world. The ancient Hindus called the stone ratnaraj,meaning “king of precious stones.” In 1560, Italian goldsmith Benevuto Cellini stated “the price of ruby was eight times that of diamond.” An intense red gemstone, ruby is formed from the mineral corundum, with the color caused by chromium deposits. For hundreds of years the Mogok Valley in Upper Myanmar (Burma) produced the finest rubies ever discovered, though few good rubies have been found recently. Today, Burmese rubies over three carats are the most rare, expensive, and sought after of all gemstones.
While Burmese rubies of this size alone are exceedingly rare, to find a matched suite of three impeccable non-heat treated rubies totaling 8.65 carats is nearly unheard of except in a royal collection. Composed of a gem quality suite of Burmese rubies from the collection of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, this magnificent ruby and diamond ring, designed and owned by Princess Margaret, has an unrivalled pedigree and is a rare and coveted acquisition for any collector.
