Elsa Peretti Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Cufflinks
Sapphire, Platinum
2010s Unknown Modern Band Rings
Sapphire, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary European Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Sapphire, Platinum
Recent Sales
2010s American Chain Necklaces
Diamond, Sapphire, Platinum
20th Century Bangles
Pink Sapphire, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Bangles
Pink Sapphire, Platinum
20th Century Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Stud Earrings
Pink Sapphire, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Modern Stud Earrings
Blue Sapphire, Platinum
Late 20th Century Band Rings
Sapphire, Sterling Silver
20th Century Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, Sapphire, Gold
1990s Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Band Rings
Pink Sapphire, Silver
2010s American Modern Stud Earrings
Sapphire, Platinum
20th Century Unknown Modern Band Rings
Sapphire, Sterling Silver
2010s American Modern Chain Bracelets
Blue Sapphire, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Pink Sapphire, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Stud Earrings
Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Modern Bracelets
Pink Sapphire, Sterling Silver
2010s American Stud Earrings
Pink Sapphire, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Band Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Chain Necklaces
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Sterling Silver
2010s Pendant Necklaces
Pink Sapphire, Platinum
Early 2000s Chain Bracelets
Blue Sapphire, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Band Rings
21st Century and Contemporary American Drop Earrings
Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold
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2010s Italian Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
Early 2000s American Modern Wedding Rings
Diamond, Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century American Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, White Diamond, Platinum
2010s American Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Pendant Necklaces
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Top Handle Bags
Early 2000s French Structured Shoulder Bags
21st Century and Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Top Handle Bags
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, White Diamond, Platinum
2010s American Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Platinum
2010s French Top Handle Bags
21st Century and Contemporary French Top Handle Bags
21st Century and Contemporary French Top Handle Bags
21st Century and Contemporary French Top Handle Bags
The Legacy of Sapphire in Jewelry Design
On 1stDibs, shop the bright blue gems that star in sapphire rings, sapphire necklaces and other vintage and antique sapphire jewelry.
Sapphires — the stone of choice for Napoleon, Princess Diana and Elizabeth Taylor — have been a favorite of aristocrats and the well-to-do since the time of the Ancient Greeks.
Picture a sapphire. If the stone you conjure is a deep cornflower blue, you’re seeing only part of the picture. Although blue Kashmirs are considered the most valuable, sapphires come in every color except red. No matter the hue, this very special gem is rich in history and beloved by royals (FYI, Princess Diana and Kate Middleton share an 11-carat sapphire engagement ring), so September babies are in very noble company.
America’s version of royalty — old money and celebrities — have also shown a predilection for the blue stones. In 1940, John D. Rockefeller Jr. had Cartier mount a 62-carat sapphire he had bought from an Indian maharajah in a brooch for his first wife, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller; in 2001, the piece sold for a then-record of $3,031,000 at Christie’s New York.
The grand dame of jewelry, Elizabeth Taylor had a passion for the gems that her lovers were happy to indulge. Second husband Michael Wilding gave her an engagement ring set with a cabochon sapphire, while Richard Burton famously presented her with a BVLGARI sautoir set with diamonds and sapphires, including at its center a cabochon Burmese weighing 52.72 carats. One of the star lots in the sale of Taylor’s jewels at the Christie’s New York in 2011, it sold for $5,906,500.
You don’t have to have blue blood or a bulging bank account, however, to get an eyeful of this much-coveted gem. A number of outstanding examples reside in public collections.
The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History owns the 423-carat Logan sapphire, a gift from the Guggenheim family, and the Hall sapphire and diamond necklace, designed by Harry Winston and featuring 36 fine, well-matched cushion-cut Sri Lankan sapphires weighing a combined 195 carats. Also in the collection is the Bismarck sapphire necklace, designed by Cartier and sporting a central sapphire weighing 98.6 carats, which Mona Von Bismarck donated to the museum.
Sapphires are composed of corundum. Their color derives from trace elements, such as iron, titanium, chromium, copper or magnesium. When the trace element produces a ruby hue, the stone is called, what else, a ruby. (which is, as mentioned above, why sapphires cannot be red by definition).
The allure of large gemstones endures throughout the periods characterized as vintage, and sapphire features frequently in vintage engagement rings. (On 1stDibs, a range of buying guides can be found for those in the market for antique engagement rings, vintage engagement rings or Art Deco engagement rings.)
Find an exquisite collection of vintage and antique sapphire jewelry on 1stDibs.
- Who is Elsa Peretti for Tiffany?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertJune 30, 2023Elsa Peretti was a revolutionary jewelry designer and model who is known primarily for the work she did for Tiffany & Co. In an era of social upheaval, she reimagined diamonds as jewelry that working women bought for themselves rather than receiving from a suitor. She had her own boutique at Bloomingdale’s by 1972, and her partnership with the firm, which signed the venturesome and unorthodox designer to an exclusive contract in 1974, would cement her place in the lofty annals of jewelry legend. Peretti’s simple but sophisticated designs, such as the Teardrop collection and her minimalist Diamonds by the Yard necklace, helped establish a young audience for Tiffany’s offerings. Her visionary work elevated sterling silver, which was previously considered unsuitable for fine jewelry. On 1stDibs, find a collection of Tiffany & Co. pieces.
- What happened to Elsa Peretti?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMay 3, 2024What happened to Elsa Peretti was that she retired from her work as a designer in 2021 and then passed away later that year. After working as a model, the Italian-born Peretti moved to Manhattan in 1968 and became interested in jewelry design while furthering her modeling career. Through working with Halston, she became known to Tiffany & Co. She had her own boutique at Bloomingdale's by 1972, and her partnership with the firm, which signed the venturesome and unorthodox designer to an exclusive contract in 1974, would cement her place in the lofty annals of jewelry legend. In 1977, Peretti's designs earned the jewelry house more than $6 million. In some years, her work has accounted for 10 percent of the company's sales. Peretti signed a 20-year, $47.3 million contract with Tiffany & Co. in 2012. Find a diverse assortment of Elsa Peretti jewelry on 1stDibs.