Sugarloaf Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary American Link Bracelets
Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold
Early 20th Century English Edwardian Cocktail Rings
White Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Platinum
Vintage 1920s English Art Deco Stud Earrings
Blue Sapphire, White Diamond, 18k Gold, Platinum
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Engagement Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Platinum
Vintage 1940s American Cufflinks
Sapphire, 18k Gold
Vintage 1960s French Cocktail Rings
Sapphire, 18k Gold
Vintage 1920s Unknown Art Deco Cocktail Rings
Blue Sapphire, Diamond, Platinum
2010s Hong Kong Art Deco Engagement Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Hong Kong Contemporary Loose Gemstones
Sapphire, Blue Sapphire
2010s Hong Kong Contemporary Loose Gemstones
Sapphire, Blue Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Amethyst, Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold
2010s Hong Kong Modern Solitaire Rings
Blue Sapphire
20th Century More Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold
1990s Italian Stud Earrings
Pink Sapphire, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Contemporary Cocktail Rings
White Diamond, Emerald, Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Modern Stud Earrings
White Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1960s French Retro Brooches
Sapphire, Turquoise, 18k Gold
2010s American Modern Fashion Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
Vintage 1960s Cocktail Rings
Sapphire, Platinum
Vintage 1950s British Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Platinum
20th Century Unknown Belle Époque Brooches
Sapphire, Diamond, 15k Gold, Platinum
Early 20th Century Edwardian Drop Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, Platinum
Early 20th Century Unknown Art Deco Three-Stone Rings
Platinum, 18k Gold
Vintage 1930s French Art Deco More Jewelry
Vintage 1960s American Retro Brooches
Coral, Diamond, Emerald, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Cocktail Rings
White Diamond, Pearl, Pink Sapphire, Tourmaline, 18k Gold, White Gold
20th Century French Cufflinks
Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold
2010s American Artisan Engagement Rings
Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold
20th Century German Art Deco Cufflinks
Sapphire, Silver, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century American Brooches
Ruby, Sapphire, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique Late 19th Century Unknown Victorian Engagement Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Cufflinks
Sapphire, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century French Cufflinks
Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold
Vintage 1970s American Art Deco Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
Antique Early 1900s Russian Drop Necklaces
Star Sapphire, 14k Gold
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Sugarloaf Sapphire For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Sugarloaf 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.
- 1stDibs ExpertOctober 19, 2021A sugarloaf cut gemstone or cabochon cut involves one of the oldest stone-cutting techniques. It sees that the doming and polishing of a gemstone are carried out, which gives it a flat edge that is best suited for a fine jewelry setting. It is most popular for displaying the natural colors of stones in their pure state. Shop a diverse range of vintage sugarloaf cut gemstone rings on 1stDibs today.
- What is a sugarloaf sapphire?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022A sugarloaf gemstone is one that is cut in the cabochon style, meaning there are no facets but a smooth, polished surface. The term sugarloaf means that the gem has a conical shape with four sides creating a rounded pyramid on top, while the bottom is still flat. This cut was frequently used with sapphires and some other gemstones. Shop a collection of authentic sapphire jewelry from some of the world’s top boutiques on 1stDibs.