The Story Behind Cher and the Black Star of Queensland
The star wore over a million dollars’ worth of diamond jewels and the Black Star of Queensland sapphire on the ‘Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour’ in 1971.
Cher has always had a certain propensity for all things razzle-dazzle. From her elaborate Bob Mackie sequined gowns to sumptuous natural diamond jewels, glamour is something Cher knows best.
The fashion icon has always been known for her bombastic sartorial choices, along with her diamond jewels from Loree Rodkin, Messika, and more. Even early in her career, Cher worked as a model for Vogue, photographed by Richard Avedon wearing diamonds from the likes of David Webb and Bulgari in the early 1970s.
2024 has been a big year for the superstar. After finally being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Cher has also released the first volume of her autobiography, Cher: The Memoir. The new book details her tumultuous childhood, her complex relationship with her ex-husband Sonny Bono, and their rise to fame.
By the mid-1960s, Sonny & Cher had a #1 hit with their song, “I Got You Babe” for a total of five tracks in the top 50 at the same time, according to CBS. Thanks to The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, the pair became the ultimate A-list it-couple, performing funny sketches and playful tunes in fantastic Bob Mackie creations. Cher told the news outlet, “When they started to realize that people were tuning in because of what I was wearing, they just gave us all the money we needed. It was so much fun.”
The Black Star of Queensland’s Appearance on The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour
In 1971, Cher adorned one of the world’s largest gem-quality star sapphires on the CBS television network series, along with a plentiful assortment of natural diamonds. Aside from just a few public appearances, the Black Star of Queensland sapphire was shrouded in a relative amount of anonymity before Cher shared the jewel with her audience of adoring fans.
When the episode aired in August, Cher sported a royal purple long-sleeved mock neck floor-length gown. A more simplistic dress than we’re used to seeing on her, Cher loaded up her look with over a million dollars’ worth of natural diamond jewels and the historic sapphire.
With incredible stacks of diamond rings, two large Art Deco-style diamond bracelets on one wrist and three on the other, Cher wore diamond cluster drop earrings and a fabulous, tiered diamond necklace with the Black Star of Queensland sapphire hanging as a pendant.
Ironically, Cher began to perform a cover of The Carpenters’ 1970 hit song “Close to You,” while surrounded by a flock of security guards. As they protect all her precious jewels throughout the musical skit, Sonny continuously attempts to get close to his wife but is blocked by the guards.
When Sonny introduced the segment, he explained, “Well here it is, the moment we’ve all been waiting for. Cher is wearing the fabulous jewel, the Star of Queensland. It was given to us by the Kazanjian Foundation. And you know, all this jewelry cost more than a million dollars, and she’s never looked lovelier: my beautiful wife, and that beautiful jewel.”
The heavy sapphire dangled from a string of about 100 carats of natural diamonds during the taping. Harry Kazanjian, who owned the jewel, had his nephew Michael in attendance to oversee the care of the stone on set.
The story goes: Michael began to panic that the sapphire would fall from Cher’s neck as she moved through her dance routine. Afraid that it would be damaged, he ran on stage to secure the stone. Luckily, CBS captured sufficient footage of the jewel throughout the sketch before the interruption.
The History Behind the Black Star of Queensland
Known as one of the largest known black sapphires in the world, the Black Star of Queensland has an outrageous story behind it.
In 1938, a 12-year-old boy named Roy Spencer accidentally discovered an unusual half-pound stone in its namesake Queensland, Australia. When he ran home to show his father, the family thought it to be a large black crystal and used it as a doorstop for about nine years. Eventually, the Spencer family realized it was a rough 1,156-carat black star sapphire and sold it to construct a new home.
A decade after its serendipitous discovery, the gem was sold to Armenian-born jeweler Harry Kazanjian for a reported $18,000. The sapphire was expertly cut into 733-carat oval stone with a dome-like silhouette to reveal the six-pointed star detail within. At the time, Kazanjian told the Los Angeles Times, “I could have ruined it a hundred times during the cutting.”
Although they sacrificed over 400 carats during the cutting process, The Black Star of Queensland was still considered the world’s largest gem-quality star sapphire until the discovery of The Star of Adam in 2015.
The Black Star of Queensland went on display at the Natural History Museum of the Smithsonian Institution in 1961, joining the likes of the Hope Diamond.
Where Is The Sapphire Now?
So, where is the Black Star of Queensland now? After several offers, the Kazanjian family sold the cabochon-cut sapphire in 2002 to fund a scholarship at the Gemological Institute of America.
Artist Jack Armstrong and his wealthy girlfriend Gabrielle Grohe purchased the stone together. But after the relationship soured, a bitter legal dispute ensued over the ownership of the sapphire. The New York Post even ran a story with the headline, “Heavyweight Gem $cuffle,” detailing the legal battle.
In 2007, the Black Star of Queensland went on display at the Royal Ontario Museum of Canada for six months. It marked the first public appearance since Cher’s televised debut of the jewel in 1971. Showcased in a new setting, the sapphire was surrounded by a halo of 35 pear-shaped natural diamonds. The sapphire was purchased by an anonymous private party and now resides in Switzerland and is owned by an anonymous private party.
