BLACK PRINCE'S RUBY

large red gem set in the Maltese cross in the front of the imperial state crown of England. It is not a ruby but is one of the world's largest gem-quality red spinels, a polished lump 5 cm (2 inches) long, pierced and partly filled with a small ruby. The stone was given to Edward the Black Prince by Pedro the Cruel, king of Castile, on the victory of Njera in 1367. It narrowly escaped destruction when Henry V wore it at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.