Pink Sapphire Burma Unheated
Late 20th Century European Cocktail Rings
Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Burmese Artisan Loose Gemstones
Sapphire, Pink Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Engagement Rings
Pink Sapphire, Sapphire, Multi-gemstone, White Diamond, Diamond, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Link Necklaces
Ruby, Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Hong Kong Contemporary Beaded Necklaces
Diamond, White Diamond, Emerald, Sapphire, Tourmaline, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Choker Necklaces
Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, 18k Gold, Gold,...
Antique Late 19th Century American Late Victorian Dome Rings
Pink Sapphire, Diamond, 18k Gold, Silver
Recent Sales
2010s Belgian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Ruby, Pink Sapphire, Spinel, 18k Gold, Sterling Silver, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Singaporean Art Deco Lever-Back Earrings
Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Singaporean Art Deco Fashion Rings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Yellow Gold
2010s Belgian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Spinel, Ruby, Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold, Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century Belgian Art Nouveau Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Garnet, Opal, Blue Sapphire, Spinel, Tourmaline, Black Opal, Pa...
2010s Hong Kong Contemporary Loose Gemstones
Pink Sapphire
2010s Hong Kong Contemporary Engagement Rings
White Diamond, Pink Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
People Also Browsed
2010s Choker Necklaces
Diamond, White Diamond, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Choker Necklaces
Diamond
21st Century and Contemporary Choker Necklaces
Diamond, White Diamond, Ruby, Platinum
2010s Italian Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Thai Belle Époque Drop Necklaces
Amethyst, Ruby, Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, 22k Gold, Gold Plate, Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Taiwanese Contemporary Engagement Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Contemporary Loose Gemstones
Alexandrite, Chrysoberyl
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Beryl, Diamond, White Diamond, Emerald, Multi-gemstone, Platinum
2010s Turkish Modern Bridal Rings
Garnet, 14k Gold
2010s Turkish Art Deco Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Emerald, 14k Gold
2010s Unknown Contemporary Engagement Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 20th Century French Belle Époque More Jewelry
Diamond, Platinum
Vintage 1980s Italian Choker Necklaces
Ruby, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Art Deco Link Necklaces
Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Artist Solitaire Rings
Pink Diamond, 18k Gold
2010s Sri Lankan Loose Gemstones
Garnet, Mandarin Garnet
Pink Sapphire Burma Unheated For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Pink Sapphire Burma Unheated?
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.