Rare Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Drop Earrings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, 14k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Sri Lankan Stud Earrings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Art Deco Engagement Rings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Contemporary Engagement Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Pink Sapphire, 14k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Arts and Crafts Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Engagement Rings
Diamond, Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
Early 20th Century Unknown Art Deco Engagement Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, 14k Gold, Platinum
2010s Italian Engagement Rings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
Antique Late 19th Century French Victorian Brooches
Diamond, Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Silver
21st Century and Contemporary More Jewelry
Spinel
21st Century and Contemporary More Jewelry
21st Century and Contemporary More Jewelry
21st Century and Contemporary More Jewelry
21st Century and Contemporary More Jewelry
21st Century and Contemporary More Jewelry
1990s Wrist Watches
21st Century and Contemporary More Jewelry
Vintage 1980s European Art Deco Band Rings
White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary More Jewelry
21st Century and Contemporary More Jewelry
Vintage 1980s Swiss Wrist Watches
Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Fashion Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Tanzanite, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary More Jewelry
21st Century and Contemporary More Jewelry
21st Century and Contemporary More Jewelry
21st Century and Contemporary More Jewelry
21st Century and Contemporary British More Jewelry
Early 2000s Fashion Rings
Pearl, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary More Jewelry
20th Century More Jewelry
2010s Italian Modern Pendant Necklaces
Sapphire, Padparadscha Sapphire , Diamond, Platinum
2010s Dominican Modern Drop Earrings
Diamond, Sapphire, Padparadscha Sapphire , Platinum
Antique 15th Century and Earlier Byzantine Models and Miniatures
Aquamarine, Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Topaz, Tourmaline
21st Century and Contemporary Rope Necklaces
Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold
Vintage 1980s Modern Wrist Watches
Sapphire, Gold, Vermeil, Sterling Silver
1990s Modern Wrist Watches
Sapphire, Vermeil, Sterling Silver
1990s Modern Wrist Watches
Sapphire, Gold, Vermeil, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1980s Modern Wrist Watches
Sapphire, Gold, Vermeil, Sterling Silver
1990s Modern Wrist Watches
Sapphire, Gold, Vermeil, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1980s Modern Wrist Watches
Sapphire, Gold, Vermeil, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Russian Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Pearl, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Tourmaline, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Russian Contemporary Fashion Rings
Diamond, Garnet, Pearl, Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Russian Contemporary Fashion Rings
Diamond, Garnet, Pearl, Sapphire, Emerald, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Artisan Multi-Strand Necklaces
Diamond, Sapphire, Kyanite, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Artisan Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Peridot, Tourmaline, Tsavorite, Padparadscha Sapphire , 18k Gol...
2010s Russian Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Tourmaline, Tanzanite, Blue Sapphire, Natural Pearl, Pearl, Diamond, Aqu...
2010s Tanzanian Loose Gemstones
Spinel
Vintage 1920s French Art Deco Brooches
Emerald, 18k Gold, Platinum
1970s More Prints
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Burmese Modern Loose Gemstones
Spinel
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Tourmaline, Tsavorite, Garnet, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold, Other
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Art Deco Stud Earrings
Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, Rose Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Still-life Sculptures
Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Three-Stone Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Multi-gemstone, Spinel, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Engagement Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Emerald, Multi-gemstone, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Afghan Modern Loose Gemstones
Emerald, Tourmaline, Other, Platinum, Yellow Gold, White Gold, Rose Gold...
21st Century and Contemporary Ethiopian Contemporary Loose Gemstones
Opal, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold, 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.