In the spring of 2014, a rough stone with strong red color and unusually fine clarity weighing approximately 1.2 grams was discovered in Namya. The stone was entrusted to a skilled and experienced ruby cutter, who finished it as a 3.32 ct roundish cushion measuring 7.99 mm in diameter. The color, clarity, and cutting are so unusual for a ruby that on initial casual observation, most experts have mistaken it for a spinel.
In December 2014, Richard Hughes of Lotus Gemology examined the stone, commenting on its “pigeon’s blood” color. Additionally, he remarked that its clarity was “extraordinary,” mentioning that only “a light dusting of silk is evenly distributed across the stone” and noting that it was “obvious that the lapidary took great care in its fashioning, befitting a gem of such high value….”
This exceptional ruby deserved a befitting name. Several ideas were put forward; calling it a “King” seemed grandiose, and it was too vividly saturated to be a “Princess.” In March 2015, the Crimson Prince ruby found a fitting new home at a prestigious haute joaillerie on Place Vendôme in Paris.