corundum, ruby, quality.10, gems

Antel recounts the celebrated theft and recovery of the DeLong Star Ruby, one of the notable gems of the American Museum of Natural History, stolen from the J. P. Morgan Hall of Gems in New York in 1964 together with the Star of India and other valuable stones. The narrative follows the robbery, investigation, negotiations for the ruby’s return, and payment of a ransom that ultimately led to its recovery. Written as a true-crime account rather than a gemological study, the book provides a detailed contemporary history of the DeLong Ruby and the circumstances surrounding one of the most spectacular gemstone thefts of the twentieth century.