Great Blue Sapphire of Louis XIV.

During the 17th cent, a Roman prince named Ruspoli sold it to a salesman, who sold it to King Louis XIV before 1691. The Ruspoli jewel escaped confiscation & theft during Revolution, probably saved by its peculiar form. In 1796, the revolutionary government allowed the Museum to choose a few gems for educational purposes. Today the Ruspoli Sapphire can be viewed in the Muséum National D’Histoire Naturelle