Bvlgari 1980s Unheated Sapphire and Gold Necklace
Located in Roma, RM
An elegant and highly distinctive Bvlgari pendant necklace dating to the 1980s, crafted in rich
Vintage 1980s Italian Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Sapphire, Gold
Bvlgari 1980s Unheated Sapphire and Gold Necklace
Located in Roma, RM
An elegant and highly distinctive Bvlgari pendant necklace dating to the 1980s, crafted in rich
Diamond, Sapphire, Gold
Bvlgari 20k Gold Vintage Sapphire Links with Diamonds Necklace
By Bulgari
Located in Great Neck Plaza, NY
This striking necklace, crafted by Bvlgari in 1970, is a genuine statement piece. Made from
Diamond, Sapphire, Yellow Gold
Bvlgari, 18K Gold Ceylon no-heat Sapphire Pearl Diamond Necklace, IGN
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
An elegant Bvlgari sapphire pendant necklace combining luminous natural pearls with warm yellow
Diamond, Pearl, Sapphire, 18k Gold
$184,000Sale Price|20% Off
BVLGARI Vintage Unheated Vivid Sapphire and Diamond Necklace
By Bulgari
Located in Chicago, IL
This exceptional Bulgari necklace is centered on a natural vivid sapphire, accompanied by a GIA
Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
BVLGARI SERPENTI Snake Head Necklace with Sapphires & Full Pave Diamonds
Located in Guangzhou, CN
Authentic BVLGARI SERPENTI high jewelry necklace. Full pave diamonds with sapphire accents, iconic
Sapphire, 18k Gold
Bulgari Bvlgari Bvlgari Reversible Gold Necklace with Diamond and Onyx Elements
By Bulgari
Located in Napoli, NA
Elegant and iconic Bulgari Bvlgari Bvlgari necklace crafted in 18k white gold, featuring a series
Citrine, Sapphire, Diamond, Onyx, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
$550,000
W 0.38 in L 16.5 in
Bvlgari Bulgari 18k Gold Necklace Diamonds Sri Lanka Sapphires No Heat 39.77 Cts
By Bulgari
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
A spectacular Bulgari 18k gold necklace, featuring Sri Lanka sapphires and diamonds and created
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Bvlgari Diamond Necklace
By Bulgari
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
BVLGARI necklace in 18 K yellow gold (43 g), composed of a twist of 24 strands of cultured pearls
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Tanzanite, Tourmaline, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
BVLGARI Serpenti Seduttori Diamond & Multi-Gemstone Necklace
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
allure and timeless elegance. The elegant pendant necklace, crafted from luxurious 18K white gold
Aquamarine, Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Tanzanite, 18k Gold, White Gold
Bulgari BVLGARI Multicolor Sapphire Diamond Gold Flower Necklace
By Bulgari
Located in Sunny Isles Beach, FL
BVLGARI Multi-Color Sapphire and Diamond Flower Necklace in 18K Yellow Gold. Total Diamond Weight
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, 18k Gold
Bulgari BVLGARI Sapphire Emerald Gold Pendant
By Bulgari
Located in Sunny Isles Beach, FL
Bulgari BVLGARI sapphire and emerald pendant necklace in 18K yellow gold on yellow gold chain. Oval
Emerald, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold
Bulgari Bvlgari Diamond and Color Stone Necklace Earring and Ring Set
By Bulgari
Located in Sunny Isles Beach, FL
Bulgari Color Collection 18K Yellow Gold Necklace, Earring, and Ring Set with Diamonds, Color
Amethyst, Diamond, Peridot, Blue Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Yellow Sapphir...
Bvlgari Bvlgari Pink Sapphire & Amethyst Pendant Necklace 18K Rose Gold
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
This Bvlgari Bvlgari necklace is an effervescent, contemporary statement of classiness. It features
Amethyst, Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
Bvlgari, 18K Gold Sapphire Ruby Necklace, GIA
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
This Bvlgari necklace is finely crafted in 18k gold. It consists of 5 heart-cut sapphires and 30
Ruby, Sapphire, 18k Gold
Bvlgari Multicolor Sapphire Flower Necklace
By Bulgari
Located in Miami, FL
This vibrant 18K yellow gold Bvlgari piece features a rainbow of lavish natural sapphires creating
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold
BVLGARI Tourmaline Diamond & Sapphire Necklace
By Bulgari
Located in Litchfield, CT
A stunning confection in pink, this 18k yellow gold necklace features an array of superb colored
Tourmaline, Sapphire, Diamond, 18k Gold
BVLGARI Vintage gold, diamonds and sapphire cabochon necklace
By Bulgari
Located in PARIS, FR
18Kt (750°/°°) yellow gold necklace featuring a gourmette chain and a pendant with a 2.55-carat
Diamond, Sapphire, Gold
Bvlgari Aquamarine, Yellow Sapphire and Diamond Yellow Gold Necklace
By Bulgari
Located in Greenwich, CT
This very unique Estate Bvlgari Necklace crafted in 18k yellow gold features a Certified 12 carat
Aquamarine, Diamond, White Diamond, Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, Gold, Whi...
Bvlgari Multicolor Sapphire & Diamond Flower Necklace
By Bulgari
Located in MIAMI, FL
Beautiful creation from famed jewelry house Bvlgari. This elegant necklace is crafted in 18k yellow
White Diamond, Sapphire, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Bvlgari Bulgari Diamond Citrine Sapphire Link Yellow Gold Necklace
By Bulgari
Located in Southampton, PA
18k Yellow Gold Diamond Citrine And Sapphire Link Necklace by Bulgari. The Bvlgari 18k Yellow Gold
Citrine, Diamond, Sapphire, Yellow Gold
Bvlgari Multicolored Sapphire Pearl Diamond Drop Necklace
By Bulgari
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Bvlgari sapphire flower drop necklace in 18k yellow gold, featuring multicolored pear-shaped
Diamond, Pearl, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
BVLGARI 18k Yellow Gold, Rock Crystal, Diamond, Sapphire & Tourmaline Necklace
By Bulgari
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Bvlgari Italy 18k Yellow Gold, Rock Crystal, Cabochon Sapphire, Diamond & Tourmaline Necklace
Crystal, Diamond, Sapphire, Tourmaline, Yellow Gold
Bvlgari Sapphire, Ruby, Diamond And Pearl Necklace
By Bulgari
Located in Miami, FL
Sensational Bvlgari pearl, sapphire, ruby and diamond necklace circa 1990, crafted in 18 karat
Diamond, Pearl, Ruby, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Bvlgari GIA Certified Burma Sapphire Hearts Chain Necklace
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
Finely crafted in 18k yellow gold with 3 Sapphire hearts. The center blue Sapphire is GIA certified
Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, 18k Gold
Bvlgari, 18 Karat Gold, Ruby, Sapphire and Diamond Link Necklace
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
Magnificent Bulgari Rope Necklace Center stone: 7 Carat Ceylon no heat 2 yellow sapphire weight
Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire, 18k Gold
Vintage Bvlgari 4.10 Carat Sapphire Aquamarine Beaded 18 Karat Gold Necklace
By Bulgari
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
One Vintage Bvlgari 4.10 Carat Sapphire Aquamarine Beaded 18 Karat Gold Necklace. Featuring one
Aquamarine, Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold
Vintage 1960s Bvlgari 12.00 Carat Cabochon Sapphire Link Necklace
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
Finely crafted in 18k yellow gold and platinum with a Cabochon Sapphire weighing approximately
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Platinum
Bvlgari Pear-Shaped Ceylon Sapphire, Ruby and Diamond Necklace in 18 Karat Gold
By Bulgari
Located in Miami, FL
A Signed Bvlgari pear-shaped No Heat Ceylon Sapphire, Ruby and Diamond necklace circa 1980, in 18K
Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1980s Bvlgari Cabochon Sapphire and Ruby Necklace with Diamonds
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
Finely crafted in 18k yellow gold with Cabochon Sapphires weighing approximately a total of 48.00
Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire, 18k Gold
Sold
W 0.75 in L 14.5 in
Vintage Bvlgari Necklace Bulgari Gold Chain Collar Necklace Citrine Gemstones
By Bulgari
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
This vintage Bulgari collar necklace is crafted in 18k yellow gold, showcasing the brand’s
Citrine, Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold
Bvlgari Yellow and Blue Sapphire Heart Necklace and Earrings Set
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
The necklace is finely crafted in 18k yellow gold with a heart cut yellow sapphire weighing 9.23
Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold
Bvlgari Monete Gold Ancient Coin and Blue Sapphire Necklace
By Bulgari
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
BVLGARI Ancient Coin Necklace 18k Yellow Gold 18.5 Inches Length 66.3 g Total Weight Pendant 25
Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold
Bvlgari Sapphire and Diamond Necklace
By Bulgari
Located in San Antonio, TX
Bvlgari 18k Sapphire and Diamond Necklace set with a curb link chain. Signed Bvlgari.
18k Gold
Bulgari Bvlgari Gold Natural Pink Sapphire & Diamond Curb Link Chain Necklace
By Bulgari
Located in Baltimore, MD
Bulgari Bvlgari 18K Yellow Gold Natural Pink Sapphire & Diamond Curb Link Chain Drop Necklace Circa
Diamond, Pink Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold
Bvlgari Bulgari Classic Gold Sapphire Citrine Tourmaline Necklace
By Bulgari
Located in Lambertville, NJ
Beautiful Bvlgari Bulgari 18k gold chain necklace. Necklace features sapphire, citrine, and
Citrine, Sapphire, Tourmaline, 18k Gold
Bvlgari Bvlgari Bvlgari Ring Pendant Necklace 18k White Gold and Pink Sapphire
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
: 20", Pendant: 29.35x21.00 mm Designer: Bvlgari Model: Bvlgari Bvlgari Ring Pendant Necklace 18K White
White Gold
Bvlgari Necklace in 18k Yellow Gold with Diamonds, Ruby, Emerald and Sapphire
By Bulgari
Located in Surfside, FL
sapphire. Necklace signed "Bvlgari 750". Length 15 inches. Comes with Bvlgari service papers and
Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, Yellow Gold
Bvlgari Divas' Dream Sapphire Diamond 18K Rose Gold Pendant Necklace
By Bulgari
Located in Dubai, Al Qouz 2
Truly meant for a diva like you, this Divas' Dream necklace is from Bvlgari. It has been
Rose Gold
Bvlgari Necklace in 18k Gold with Diamonds, Ruby, Emerald and Sapphire
By Bulgari
Located in Surfside, FL
sapphire. Necklace signed "Bvlgari 750". Length 15 inches. Comes with Bvlgari service papers and
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Bvlgari Necklace in 18k Gold with Diamonds, Ruby, Emerald and Sapphire
By Bulgari
Located in Surfside, FL
sapphire. Necklace signed "Bvlgari 750". Length 15 inches. Comes with Bvlgari service papers and
Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
Bvlgari Diva's Dream Pendant Necklace 18K Rose Gold with Pink Sapphires a
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
: 17", Pendant: 16.00x13.85 mm Designer: Bvlgari Model: Diva's Dream Pendant Necklace 18K Rose Gold
Rose Gold
CHRISTIAN DIOR taupe FOX FUR Winter Coat Sz. F38 / M
By Christian Dior
Located in Zürich, CH
Christian Dior coat in off-white, brown, and taupe fox fur with wide collar. Two side pockets. Opens with two hooks on the front. Lined in black silk. Has been worn and is in excelle...
$43,735
Size: FR 40 - UK 12 - US 8
Christian Dior by John Galliano black full length lamb and lace coat, fw 2001
By Christian Dior, John Galliano for Christian Dior
Located in London, GB
▪ Christian Dior black full-length coat ▪ Designed by John Galliano ▪ Mongolian lamb with lace overlay ▪ Heavyweight ▪ Large button fastening at the waist ▪ 100% lamb, lace - 100%...
Cartier Baignoire Mini 18K Yellow Gold Bangle Watch 17
By Cartier
Located in Jersey City, NJ
Sold out worldwide with a waitlist extending over a year, this petite timepiece is a masterpiece of craftsmanship. Skilfully created in the house's Swiss atelier, it boasts 18-karat ...
$660,000Sale Price|20% Off
Bulgari Twin Ring 5.79ct Emerald and 7.25ct Diamond 18k Gold and Platinum
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
This chic BULGARI cocktail ring features an exceptional 5.79 carat AGL certified Colombian emerald and a GIA certified 7.25 carat square emerlad-cut diamond of E color and VS1 clarit...
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold, Platinum
25-Carat D Flawless Type IIA Diamond Ring GIA Certified Rare Investment-Grade
Located in Mumbai, IN
Step into the world of ultimate rarity with this 25-carat D Flawless Type IIA round diamond ring, a true masterpiece offered by Legacy Diamonds & Gemstones. Known as the “perfect dia...
Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold
M. Buccellati Vintage Woven Choker Necklace – 18K Yellow Gold
By Mario Buccellati
Located in Miami, FL
This exceptional vintage woven choker necklace is a masterful example of Mario Buccellati’s renowned craftsmanship. Dating to the late 1970s, the necklace is crafted in solid 18K yel...
Yellow Gold
HARRY WINSTON Turquoise and Diamond Necklace and Ear Clips
By Harry Winston
Located in New York, NY
Inviting you to experience a world of unparalleled splendor and indulge in opulence, this breathtaking suite designed by Harry Winston showcases a mesmerizing blend of turquoise and ...
Diamond, Turquoise, 18k Gold, White Gold, Platinum
GUCCI Cobalt blue GG MARMONT SMALL MATELASSE VELVET Shoulder Bag
By Gucci
Located in Zürich, CH
This 100% authentic Gucci Marmont Matelassé Small flap shoulder bag in sapphire blue quilted velvet is the perfect jewel-toned accessory for holiday parties and evening events. Featu...
$96,000Sale Price|20% Off
Cartier 6.50 Carat Diamond Drop Earrings in 18K White Gold
By Cartier
Located in Chicago, IL
Cartier 6.50 Carat Diamond Drop Earrings in 18K White Gold Description: Exquisite Cartier diamond drop earrings crafted in 18K white gold and set with approximately 6.50 carats of n...
Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
Roberto Cavalli burgundy cut-velvet halterneck evening dress, fw 2004
By Roberto Cavalli
Located in London, GB
▪ Roberto Cavalli halter neck evening dress ▪ Fall-Winter 2004 ▪ Burgundy silk-rayon cut-velvet with metallic gold flecking ▪ Plunging cowl neck ▪ Halterneck string ties with decora...
Paco Rabanne Gold Chain Cocktail Dress
By Paco Rabanne
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Never worn Paco Rabanne Gold chain link sleeveless cocktail dress. New with tag. In excellent condition. Fit size 4-6
Roberto Cavalli S/S 2003 Chinoiserie Print Silk Train Maxi Evening Dress Gown
By Roberto Cavalli
Located in Naples, FL
Roberto Cavalli S/S 2003 Chinoiserie Print Silk Train Maxi Evening Dress Gown 2 Piece Roberto Cavalli semi-sheer chinoiserie print silk maxi dress featuring an floral & leopard prin...
Hermes Birkin 30 Blue Celeste Bag Gold Hardware Epsom Leather
By Hermès
Located in Miami, FL
Mightychic offers an Hermes Birkin 30 bag featured in rare Blue Celeste. This beautiful sky blue Birkin bag is complimented with Gold hardware. Neutral and as stunning in winter as s...
HERMES Poussin yellow Epsom leather KELLY 28 SELLIER Bag Ghw
By Hermès
Located in Zürich, CH
This 100% authentic Hermès Kelly 28 Sellier bag in Jaune Poussin (vanilla) Veau Epsom leather is a timeless classic. Featuring elegant tonal stitching and Palladium hardware, it embo...
$202,800
H 5.9 in W 7.9 in D 3.9 in
HERMÈS Birkin Sellier 20 Havane Matte Alligator with Gold Hardware
By Hermès
Located in Forest Park, GA
HERMÈS Birkin Sellier 20 Havane Matte Alligator with Gold Hardware The Hermès Birkin Sellier 20 in Havane matte alligator is a rare expression of refined elegance and exclusivity. T...
Chanel Slot Machine Casino Minaudière Clutch 2023
By Chanel
Located in London, GB
This Casino Minaudière Evening Clutch Bag by Chanel is a highly sought-after and exclusive piece from the 2023 Cruise collection. - Circa 2023 - From the Chanel 2023 Cruise collectio...
Greek silversmith Sotirios Voulgaris arrived in Rome in 1881 and set up his own shop there in 1884, calling it Bulgari, an Italianization of his last name (in the brand's logo, it's styled BVLGARI, using the classical Latin alphabet in a nod to ancient Roman culture). In 1905, he opened the company’s flagship boutique on Rome’s Via dei Condotti. Since then, Bulgari has looked to Rome as a source of reference for its fanciful and decidedly romantic designs for necklaces, bracelets, earrings and other accessories.
Although the iconic jewelry house found success with its silverwork and Art Deco designs, popular through the 1920s, Bulgari’s signature style — bold, often using yellow gold embellished with big colorful gemstones — began to emerge when Sotirios’s sons inherited the business, in 1932.
The brand truly hit its stride in the dolce vita era of the 1950s and ’60s, when the founder’s grandsons Paolo, Gianni and Nicola Bulgari decisively departed from demure traditional styles to develop the house’s exuberant multi-gem looks, attracting celebrity collectors like Elizabeth Taylor.
In the 1940s, Bulgari debuted perhaps its most famous design, the Serpenti bracelet watch. The piece’s snakelike coils were made possible by the tubogas jewelry technique, which links a flexible series of thin horizontal bands. Both the sleek, modern tubogas construction and the sinuous snake motif continue to be synonymous with the Bulgari brand.
On 1stDibs, the collection of vintage Bulgari jewelry includes rings, pendant necklaces, watches and other accessories.
Gold is the feel-good metal, the serotonin of jewelry. Wear vintage and antique gold necklaces, watches, gold bracelets or gold rings and you feel happy, you feel dressed, you feel, well, yourself.
Gold, especially yellow gold, with its rich patina and ancient pedigree going back thousands of years, is the steady standby, the well-mannered metal of choice. Any discussion of this lustrous metal comes down to a basic truth: Gold is elementary, my dear. Gold jewelry that couples the mystique of the metal with superb design and craftsmanship achieves the status of an enduring classic. Many luxury houses have given us some of our most treasured and lasting examples of gold jewelry over the years.
Since its founding, in 1837, Tiffany & Co. has built its reputation on its company jewelry as well as its coterie of boutique designers, which has included Jean Schlumberger, Donald Claflin, Angela Cummings and Elsa Peretti. There are numerous gold Tiffany classics worth citing. Some are accented with gemstones, but all stand out for their design and the workmanship displayed.
For the woman who prefers a minimalist look, the Tiffany & Co. twist bangle (thin, slightly ovoid) is stylishly simple. For Cummings devotees, signature pieces feature hard stone inlay, such as her pairs of gold ear clips inlaid with black jade (a play on the classic Chanel black and tan), or bangles whose design recalls ocean waves, with undulating lines of lapis lazuli and mother-of-pearl. And just about any design by the great Jean Schlumberger is by definition a classic.
Even had he eschewed stones and diamonds, Southern-born David Webb would be hailed for the vast arsenal of heavy gold jewelry he designed. Gold, usually hammered or textured in some manner, defines great David Webb jewelry. The self-taught jeweler made very au courant pieces while drawing inspiration from ancient and out-of-the-way sources — East meets West in the commanding gold necklaces made by Webb in the early 1970s. The same could be said for his endlessly varied gold cuffs.
In Europe, many houses have given us gold jewelry that sets the highest standard for excellence, pieces that were highly sought after when they were made and continue to be so.
Numerous designs from Cartier are homages to gold. There are the classic Trinity rings, necklaces and bracelets — trifectas of yellow, white and rose gold. As a testament to the power of love, consider the endurance of the Cartier Love bracelet.
Aldo Cipullo, Cartier’s top in-house designer from the late 1960s into the early ’70s, made history in 1969 with the Love bracelet. Cipullo frequently said that the Love bracelet was born of a sleepless night contemplating a love affair gone wrong and his realization that “the only remnants he possessed of the romance were memories.” He distilled the urge to keep a loved one close into a slim 18-karat gold bangle.
BVLGARI and its coin jewelry, gemme nummarie, hit the jackpot when the line launched in the 1960s. The line has been perennially popular. BVLGARI coin jewelry features ancient Greek and Roman coins embedded in striking gold mounts, usually hung on thick link necklaces of varying lengths. In the 1970s, BVLGARI introduced the Tubogas line, most often made in yellow gold. The Tubogas watches are classics, and then there is the Serpenti, the house's outstanding snake-themed watches and bracelets.
A collection called Monete that incorporated the gold coins is one of several iconic BVLGARI lines that debuted in the 1970s and ’80s, catering to a new generation of empowered women. Just as designers like Halston and Yves Saint Laurent were popularizing fuss-free ready-to-wear fashion for women on the go, BVLGARI offered jewels to be lived in.
Since Van Cleef & Arpels opened its Place Vendôme doors in 1906, collection after collection of jewelry classics have enchanted the public. As predominantly expressed in a honeycomb of gold, there is the Ludo watch and accessories, circa the 1920s, and the golden Zip necklace, 1951, whose ingenious transformation of the traditional zipper was originally proposed by the Duchess of Windsor. Van Cleef's Alhambra, with its Moroccan motif, was introduced in 1968 and from the start its popularity pivoted on royalty and celebrity status. It remains one of VCA’s most popular and collected styles.
Mention must be made of Buccellati, whose name is synonymous with gold so finely spun that it suggests tapestry. The house’s many gold bracelets, typically embellished with a few or many diamonds, signified taste and distinction and are always in favor on the secondary market. Other important mid-20th-century houses known for their gold-themed jewelry include Hermès and Ilias Lalaounis.
Find a stunning collection of vintage and antique gold jewelry on 1stDibs.
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.
We are fortunate to know much of the world’s long and dazzling history of necklaces, as this type of jewelry was so treasured that it was frequently buried with its owners. Today, Van Cleef necklaces, Tiffany necklaces and Cartier necklaces are some of the most popularly searched designer necklaces on 1stDibs.
Lapis lazuli beads adorned necklaces unearthed from the royal graves at the ancient Iraqi civilization of Sumer, while the excavation of King Tut’s burial chamber revealed a sense of style that led to a frenzy of Art Deco designs, with artisans of the 1920s seeking to emulate the elegant work crafted by Ancient Egypt’s goldsmiths and jewelry makers.
In ancient times, pendant necklaces worn by royalty and nobles conferred wealth and prestige. Today, wearing jewelry is about personal expression: Luxury diamond necklaces exude confidence and can symbolize the celebratory nature of a deep romantic relationship, while paper-clip chain-link necklaces designed by the likes of goldsmith Faye Kim are firmly planted in the past as well as the present. Kim works exclusively with eco-friendly gold, and these fashionable, fun accessories owe to the design of 19th-century watch fobs.
For some, necklaces are thought of as being a solely feminine piece, but this widely loved accessory has been gender-neutral for eons. In fact, just as women rarely took to wearing a single necklace during the Renaissance, men of the era layered chains and valuable pendants atop their bejeweled clothing. In modern times, the free-spirited hippie and counterculture movements of the 1960s saw costume-jewelry designers celebrating self-expression through colorful multistrand necklaces and no shortage of beads, which were worn by anyone and everyone.
Even after all of these years, the necklace remains an irrefutable staple of any complete outfit. Although new trends in jewelry are constantly emerging, the glamour and beauty of the past continue to inform modern styles and designs. In a way, the cyclical history of the necklace differs little from its familiar looped form: The celebrated French jewelry house Van Cleef & Arpels found much inspiration in King Tut, and, now, their Alhambra collection is a go-to for modern royals. Vintage David Webb necklaces — whose work landed him on the cover of Vogue in 1950, two years after opening his Manhattan shop — were likely inspired by the ornamental styles of ancient Greece, Mesopotamia and Egypt.
On 1stDibs, browse top designers like Dior, Chanel and Bulgari, or shop by your favorite style, from eye-catching choker necklaces to understated links to pearl necklaces and more.