Rare Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Pink Sapphire, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Engagement Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Sapphire, Platinum
2010s European Modern Engagement Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Platinum
Vintage 1980s Unknown Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Yellow Sapphire, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Purple Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
Vintage 1940s Art Deco Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Sapphire, Platinum
20th Century More Jewelry
Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary American Art Nouveau Engagement Rings
Pink Sapphire, Sapphire, Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold, Gold
2010s American Solitaire Rings
Sapphire, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary More Jewelry
Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary More Jewelry
Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary More Jewelry
Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Engagement Rings
Blue Sapphire, Platinum
1990s Unknown More Rings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary More Jewelry
Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary More Jewelry
Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Sri Lankan Modern Loose Gemstones
Blue Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Tennis Bracelets
Sapphire, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Aesthetic Movement Engagement Rings
Diamond, Yellow Sapphire, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Pink Sapphire, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Stud Earrings
Diamond, Green Sapphire, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary North American Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Sapphire, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary More Jewelry
Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary More Jewelry
Sapphire
2010s Thai Fashion Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, White Gold
2010s Hong Kong Modern Stud Earrings
Diamond, Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, White Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Artisan Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Opal, Ruby, Sapphire, Padparadscha Sapphire , 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Solitaire Rings
Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Sri Lankan Modern Loose Gemstones
Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary More Jewelry
Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Stud Earrings
Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold
2010s Victorian Link Necklaces
Diamond, Sapphire, Platinum
2010s Hong Kong Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Purple Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Loose Gemstones
Blue Sapphire
Antique 1870s Russian Victorian Pendant Necklaces
Pearl, Sapphire, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary More Jewelry
Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Retro Bracelets
Diamond, Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold
2010s Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold
20th Century Unknown Retro Brooches
Moonstone, Sapphire, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century American Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Sapphire, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Sri Lankan More Jewelry
Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary More Jewelry
Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Kunzite, Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century American Modern Clip-on Earrings
Yellow Sapphire, 18k Gold
2010s Thai Fashion Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s French Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Sri Lankan Loose Gemstones
Pink Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Cuff Bracelets
Diamond, Opal, Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Bangles
Sapphire, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Tennis Bracelets
Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Engagement Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold
1990s Hong Kong Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Engagement Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Rope Necklaces
Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold
20th Century American Contemporary Engagement Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Platinum
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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.