Rosser Reeves Star Ruby

The Rosser Reeves Star Ruby is a 138.7 carat oval cabochon star ruby from Sri Lanka, often described as one of the largest and finest star rubies in the world. The stone is a medium red-purple and is noted for its strong color and well defined six-rayed star, an effect called asterism. It is held by the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., where it carries catalog number NMNH G4257.

The ruby's early history is not known. Robert Fisher bought it at a London auction in 1953, when it weighed just over 140 carats. The stone was later repolished to remove heavy scratching, which also helped center the star. Advertising executive Rosser Reeves, who built his career at the Ted Bates agency, acquired it in the 1950s. Reeves claimed he had bought the stone at an auction in Istanbul, but the sale actually ran through Robert C. Nelson Jr. of New York, acting for the Boston firm Firestone and Parson on behalf of Paul Fisher, Robert Fisher's son.

Reeves donated the gem to the Smithsonian Institution in 1965, and it has carried his name since. He was known to carry the ruby with him as a lucky stone and referred to it as his baby.