Rare Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Drop Earrings
White Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Blue Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, Diamond,...
20th Century More Jewelry
Green Sapphire, Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary More Jewelry
Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Loose Gemstones
Blue Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary More Jewelry
Sapphire
2010s African Modern Dangle Earrings
Pink Sapphire, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Sri Lankan Contemporary Loose Gemstones
Sapphire, Blue Sapphire
2010s American Dangle Earrings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Platinum
Mid-20th Century Dome Rings
Star Sapphire, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Gold, White Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Engagement Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary More Jewelry
Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary More Jewelry
Green Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary More Jewelry
Sapphire
2010s Hong Kong Art Deco Cocktail Rings
Sapphire, Padparadscha Sapphire , White Gold
Vintage 1940s Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Padparadscha Sapphire , Platinum, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary More Jewelry
Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Fashion Rings
Diamond, Padparadscha Sapphire , Sapphire, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Three-Stone Rings
White Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, Green Sapphire,...
21st Century and Contemporary More Jewelry
Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary British Signet Rings
Sapphire, Green Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Cuff Bracelets
Sapphire, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Beaded Necklaces
Agate, Freshwater Pearl, Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary More Jewelry
Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Solitaire Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, Gold, ...
2010s American Contemporary Solitaire Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Padparadscha Sapphire , Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Cuff Bracelets
Diamond, Opal, Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Green Sapphire, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary More Jewelry
Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary More Jewelry
Green Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Three-Stone Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, Green ...
1990s Hong Kong Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, White Gold, 18k Gold
2010s American Artisan Wedding Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Platinum
2010s Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, Topaz, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary More Jewelry
Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Green Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, White ...
2010s American Artisan Engagement Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary More Jewelry
Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, White Diamond, Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Purple Sapphire, Ruby, ...
2010s Hong Kong Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary More Jewelry
Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, Green Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Sapphire, Spinel, Sterling Silver
Antique 1850s Victorian Bangles
Blue Sapphire, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary More Jewelry
Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary More Jewelry
Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Dangle Earrings
Diamond, Sapphire, Gold, 18k 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 More Jewelry
Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Engagement Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Padparadscha Sapphire , Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary American Artisan Modern Bracelets
Diamond, Sapphire, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Link Necklaces
Diamond, White Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, White G...
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, White Diamond, Multi-gemstone, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Purple ...
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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.