1998 Skybox Premium Star Rubies Shaquille O'Neal /50 #21 BGS 9 MINT

In 1996, Fleer/SkyBox introduced the Rubies parallel to SkyBox Premium, adding modest hints of red foil to the base cards and inserting one per box. The following year, SkyBox dug deeper into the mine to revitalize the parallel with a touch of rarity and rebranded it as Star Rubies—a /50 set that helped catapult serial-numbered parallels into the mainstream. In nature, star ruby gemstones feature a unique internal star-shaped phenomenon called an asterism. A star ruby featuring prominent color, cut, clarity, and carat ranks among the scarcest gems on the planet, and considering these SkyBox parallels stand among the toughest-to-find cards from the ’90s, the Star Rubies name fits perfectly. In 1998, the /50 Star Rubies returned for a second year with a more impactful design. Throughout the ’90s, Fleer/SkyBox had an important rule regarding the design of its cards—they could be eccentric, but the player had to remain the focus. This tactic led to the creation of several iconic parallels where designers cut out action photos of players and plastered them on top of colorful backgrounds. The 1998 Star Rubies followed other parallels that used this model, such as the 1995 Ultra Gold Medallions and 1997 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems. Series 1 cards such as this Shaquille O'Neal maintain the Star Rubies’ signature red foil and showcase a sparkling holographic pattern that shimmers vertically (Series 2 cards feature a horizontal pattern that emphasizes more of the rainbow holofoil). Because of the full bleed of the front foil and four dark-colored borders on the flip side, collectors do not often find high-grade examples of 1998 Star Rubies cards like this offering. No BGS-assessed examples have earned a higher mark than this Pop. 4 BGS 9, and there are no PSA 9s or 10s. The certification number on this card has been checked against the third-party grader's online database and is active as of 04/07/2025.