Rare Sapphire
2010s European Romantic Drop Earrings
Sapphire, White Gold, 18k Gold
2010s European Romantic Drop Earrings
Sapphire, 10k Gold, White Gold
Antique 1880s Early Victorian Engagement Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Yellow Gold, 14k Gold
2010s Loose Gemstones
Blue Sapphire
Early 2000s American Three-Stone Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Platinum, Yellow Gold
2010s American Cocktail Rings
Sapphire
2010s Thai Modern Dangle Earrings
Amethyst, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, Tsavo...
2010s American Cocktail Rings
Padparadscha Sapphire , White Gold
2010s American Cocktail Rings
Yellow Sapphire
2010s Sri Lankan Three-Stone Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Purple Sapphire, Platinum
Vintage 1970s German Mid-Century Modern Collectible Jewelry
Diamond, Pearl, Sapphire, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Burmese Loose Gemstones
Blue Sapphire
2010s British Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Green Sapphire, 18k Gold, 22k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Sri Lankan Modern Loose Gemstones
Diamond, Pink Diamond, Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Padparadscha Sapphire
2010s Australian Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Blue Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Other, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Belgian Contemporary Bangles
Diamond, White Diamond, Pink Sapphire, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Belgian Contemporary Cocktail Rings
White Diamond, Pink Sapphire, Purple Sapphire, Diamond, Yellow Sapphire,...
Vintage 1940s Georgian More Bracelets
Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Belgian Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, White Diamond, Pink Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, Green Sapphire, ...
Antique Early 19th Century British Regency Necklace Enhancers
Amethyst, Diamond, Emerald, Garnet, Ruby, Sapphire, Tourmaline, 18k Gold
2010s American Contemporary Engagement Rings
Diamond, Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Sri Lankan Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Yellow Diamond, Yellow Sapphire, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Platinum, ...
21st Century and Contemporary Loose Gemstones
Green Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Belgian Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Purple Sapphire, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, ...
2010s African Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Blue Sapphire, Platinum, Sterling Silver
2010s Tanzanian Loose Gemstones
Ruby, Spinel, Padparadscha Sapphire
2010s Tanzanian Loose Gemstones
Padparadscha Sapphire , Ruby, Spinel
2010s European Art Deco Stud Earrings
Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, Gold, 10k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s European Art Deco Stud Earrings
Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, Gold, 10k Gold, White Gold
2010s European Art Deco Stud Earrings
Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, Gold, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Belgian Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, White Diamond, Sapphire, Purple Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, 18k Go...
2010s American Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Belgian Contemporary Cufflinks
Diamond, White Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold, Gold
Vintage 1940s Retro Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire, 18k Gold
2010s European Art Deco Stud Earrings
Sapphire, Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Malagasy Modern Loose Gemstones
Sapphire
Diamond, Rock Crystal, Sapphire, Topaz, Natural Pearl
20th Century European Art Deco Stud Earrings
Sapphire, Silver
2010s Art Deco Tennis Bracelets
Aquamarine, Yellow Sapphire, White Gold, 10k Gold
2010s Art Deco Tennis Bracelets
Aquamarine, Yellow Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
1990s Wrist Watches
Diamond, Sapphire, Yellow Gold
2010s Australian Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Blue Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Other, Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, White ...
21st Century and Contemporary Australian Modern Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Platinum
2010s Fashion Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Belgian Contemporary Bangles
Diamond, White Diamond, Pink Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, Sapphire, 18k Go...
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Yellow Sapphire, 18k Gold
2010s Thai Drop Earrings
White Diamond, Sapphire, Tsavorite, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
Early 2000s American Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, ...
21st Century and Contemporary Belgian Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Pink Sapphire, Purple Sapphire, Sapphire, 18k Go...
21st Century and Contemporary Belgian Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Pink Sapphire, Purple Sapphire, Sapphire, 18k Go...
Vintage 1960s Italian Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Sri Lankan Modern Loose Gemstones
Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Belgian Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, White Diamond, Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Sri Lankan Modern Loose Gemstones
Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Sri Lankan Modern Loose Gemstones
Sapphire
2010s British Contemporary Drop Earrings
Sapphire, 18k Gold, 22k Gold
2010s Australian 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.