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Health & Fitness

FBI Still on the Lookout for Liberty Bell Ruby

A heist at Stuart Kingston Jewelers in Wilmington Delaware led to an FBI alert

 

A heist at Stuart Kingston Jewelers in Wilmington, Delaware led to an FBI alert to the public regarding the theft of the "Liberty Bell Ruby."  This 4 pound or 500 carat ruby is sculpted in the form of the Liberty Bell and has 50 diamonds mounted in it representing the 50 states in the union.

This irreplaceable artifact had its beginning in 1950, when James and Harry Kazanjian acquired the then largest unearthed Ruby weighing in at more than seven pounds. 

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Harry and James immigrated to the United States in 1912 and experienced the true American dream.  Harry had previously learned his skill in gem cutting while in France.  The brothers specialized in seeking out very large gems and often sculpted them in patriotic themes. 

They carved four extremely large sapphires into busts of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Dwight Eisenhower.  A 4,180 carat rough sapphire was also sculpted into a bust of Martin Luther King, Jr.  These busts were presented as a gift to the American people and are currently on display in the Oval Office of the White House.

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The Liberty Bell Ruby was at Stuart Kingston Jewelers for the purpose of being sold and then donated to a museum for public display.  The FBI believes that this will be a very difficult piece to unload due to its distinctive motif.  The ruby isn't of gem quality and therefore would not likely be recut.

That's all for now.

Your friend in the jewelry business!

Mark Grader

Grader Jewelers, Inc.

www.gradergems.com

www.facebook.com/graderjewelers

Groton, Waterford, Norwich

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