Rare Sapphire
20th Century More Jewelry
Sapphire
Late 20th Century Charm Bracelets
Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Engagement Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Padparadscha Sapphire , Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Three-Stone Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Engagement Rings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Modern Fashion Rings
Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Fashion Rings
Diamond, Star Sapphire, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary American Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Contemporary Fashion Rings
Pink Sapphire, Rose Gold
2010s American Contemporary Fashion Rings
Yellow Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Engagement Rings
Blue Sapphire, Platinum
Antique 1880s Victorian Solitaire Rings
Sapphire, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Contemporary Engagement Rings
Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, Platinum
2010s American Contemporary Engagement Rings
Yellow Sapphire, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, Platinum
2010s Sri Lankan Art Deco Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Padparadscha Sapphire , 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Contemporary Engagement Rings
Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Three-Stone Rings
Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Solitaire Rings
Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Band Rings
Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Solitaire Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Cluster Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, Green ...
2010s Italian Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Engagement Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Multi-gemstone, Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Purple ...
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Contemporary Engagement Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Signet Rings
Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Green Sapphire, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary French Artisan Band Rings
Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary British Signet Rings
Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Stud Earrings
Sapphire
2010s American Contemporary Bridal Rings
Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
Vintage 1970s Unknown Retro Cocktail Rings
Sapphire, White Gold
Antique Late 19th Century European Victorian Bangles
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Cluster Rings
Sapphire, Purple Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold
2010s Link Necklaces
Sapphire
2010s Drop Earrings
Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, 14k Gold
2010s Fashion Rings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, 14k Gold
Vintage 1960s Italian Brooches
Blue Sapphire, White Diamond, 18k Gold
2010s Drop Necklaces
Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, 14k Gold
20th Century Sri Lankan Loose Gemstones
Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Purple Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Sapphire, 14k Gold
Antique Late 19th Century Victorian Chain Bracelets
Sapphire, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Cluster Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Platinum
2010s Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Solitaire Rings
Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Drop Necklaces
Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Sri Lankan Modern Loose Gemstones
Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Sapphire, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Drop Necklaces
Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold
2010s Unknown Contemporary Solitaire Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Padparadscha Sapphire , Gold, 18k Gold...
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Stud Earrings
Diamond, Pearl, Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Engagement Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Opal, Blue Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Sri Lankan Contemporary Engagement Rings
Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Loose Gemstones
Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Green Sapphire
Early 20th Century Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold
2010s American Brooches
Diamond, Emerald, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, 14k Gold
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Rare Sapphire For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Rare Sapphire?
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.
- Is a star sapphire rare?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 31, 2023Yes, a star sapphire is rarer than other types of sapphires. The gemstones get their name from the natural starburst effect that appears on their faces when you view them under a single overhead light. On 1stDibs, shop a range of star sapphire gemstone jewelry.
- Are purple star sapphires rare?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2023Yes, natural purple star sapphires are rarer than sapphires of other colors like blue. Natural purple star sapphires come in a variety of hues from light lavender to deep violet. Sapphires can even be colorless, or white, although examples are very rare, since the corundum from which they are formed has to have been untouched by any other element. Non-blue colored sapphires are referred to as “fancy sapphires” and can be pink, purple, orange, yellow or green. Shop a collection of vintage and modern sapphire jewelry from some of the world’s top jewelers on 1stDibs.