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Inscribed Royal Spinel ('Balas Ruby')
Inscribed Royal Spinel ('Balas Ruby')
LNS 1660 J
Cut from spinel (fine slightly purplish deep pink, with a soft, 'velvety' quality), drilled, manually engraved with a diamond stylus, and wheel cut
Lenth 48 mm; width 36 mm; thickness 18 mm; weight 249.3 carats
Photography by Bruce M. White

Inscribed Royal Gemstones

Although royal inscriptions have been engraved on gemstones from early times, the type featured in the exhibition constitutes a particular group originating about the 13th century. The type is represented almost exclusively by inscribed spinels. This stone had special significance for the Mughals because of its association with their Timurid ancestors, who ruled in Iran and central Asia. Spinel, formerly known as "balas ruby" (after its origins in the northern Afghanistan province of Badakhshan), was the only available truly large transparent red stone aside from garnet, which is typically so dark that it displays its glories only in the strongest light. The corpus of royally inscribed spinels almost exclusively records Mughal rulers' ownership. This group consists of fifty to sixty documented pieces. The al-Sabah Collection's only rival for holdings in this area is the National Jewels Treasury of Iran. Between them they preserve more than 75 percent of the known pieces.

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