Unheated Purple Sapphire
2010s Unknown Loose Gemstones
Purple Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Sri Lankan Loose Gemstones
Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Purple Sapphire
2010s Unknown Loose Gemstones
Purple Sapphire
2010s Unknown Loose Gemstones
Purple Sapphire
2010s Unknown Loose Gemstones
Purple Sapphire
2010s Unknown Loose Gemstones
Purple Sapphire
2010s Thai Contemporary Solitaire Rings
Diamond, Green Sapphire, Tanzanite, Purple Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Tanzanian Loose Gemstones
Sapphire
2010s Tanzanian Loose Gemstones
Sapphire
2010s Malagasy Loose Gemstones
Sapphire
2010s Unknown Loose Gemstones
Purple Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Sri Lankan Loose Gemstones
Sapphire, Purple Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Sri Lankan Loose Gemstones
Sapphire, Purple Sapphire
2010s North American Contemporary Fashion Rings
Purple Sapphire, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Malagasy Loose Gemstones
Sapphire, Purple Sapphire
2010s Loose Gemstones
Purple Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Loose Gemstones
Sapphire, Purple Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Loose Gemstones
Sapphire, Purple Sapphire
2010s Tanzanian Loose Gemstones
Pink Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Taiwanese Contemporary Engagement Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Purple Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, White...
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold
2010s Tanzanian Loose Gemstones
Pink Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Loose Gemstones
Pink Sapphire
2010s North African Loose Gemstones
Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Sri Lankan Loose Gemstones
Sapphire, Purple Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Sri Lankan Loose Gemstones
Emerald, Sapphire, Purple Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Taiwanese Contemporary Engagement Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Purple Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, White...
2010s Unknown Loose Gemstones
Sapphire
2010s Thai Contemporary Solitaire Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Tanzanite, Purple Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s African Loose Gemstones
Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary More Jewelry
Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Purple Sapphire, Rose Gold
20th Century More Jewelry
Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Loose Gemstones
Star Sapphire
2010s Thai Contemporary Solitaire Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Purple Sapphire, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
20th Century More Jewelry
Sapphire
2010s Loose Gemstones
Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Link Necklaces
Blue Sapphire, Purple Sapphire, Green Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, Pink Sa...
2010s Thai Contemporary Solitaire Rings
Brown Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
2010s Loose Gemstones
Pink Sapphire, Purple Sapphire
2010s American Solitaire Rings
Diamond, Pink Sapphire, 14k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Sri Lankan Loose Gemstones
Pink Sapphire, Purple Sapphire
2010s Unknown Loose Gemstones
Blue Sapphire, Sapphire, Purple Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Engagement Rings
Diamond, Pink Sapphire, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary American Loose Gemstones
Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Purple Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Sri Lankan Loose Gemstones
Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Purple Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Sri Lankan Loose Gemstones
Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Purple Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Modern Bracelets
Diamond, Sapphire, 14k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary German Contemporary Brooches
Diamond, White Diamond, Sapphire, Purple Sapphire, Padparadscha Sapphire...
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Modern Tennis Bracelets
Blue Sapphire, Sapphire, Diamond, Purple Sapphire, Green Sapphire, Yello...
2010s Sri Lankan Loose Gemstones
Pink Sapphire, Sapphire, Purple Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Three-Stone Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Multi-gemstone, Sapphire, Purple Sapphire, Platinum
2010s Thai Art Deco Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Sapphire, Purple Sapphire, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary German Contemporary Brooches
Diamond, White Diamond, Sapphire, Purple Sapphire, Padparadscha Sapphire...
21st Century and Contemporary British Pendant Necklaces
Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Purple Sapphire, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Modern Band Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, Green ...
21st Century and Contemporary American Artisan Modern Bracelets
Diamond, Sapphire, Platinum
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Unheated Purple Sapphire For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Unheated Purple 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.
- What is an unheated sapphire?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertOctober 12, 2021Unheated sapphires refers to sapphires that have not had any form of heat treatment, which enhances their color and clarity. Gemology experts estimate that more than 90% of sapphires on the market are heated sapphires. Find a collection of vintage and antique sapphire jewelry on 1stDibs today.
- Can sapphires be purple?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertFebruary 22, 2021Yes, sapphires can be purple. While sapphires are generally blue, these stones actually come in a wide range of colors. Purple sapphires are some of the rarest sapphires in the world.
- Is purple sapphire real?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMay 5, 2023Whether purple sapphire is real depends on the piece in question. Nature does produce purple sapphires, but they are not as common as other colors like blue and white. An expert appraiser can help you determine if a particular piece contains a genuine gemstone. On 1stDibs, shop a selection of sapphire gemstone jewelry.
- 1stDibs ExpertJune 15, 2023What a purple sapphire means is largely a matter of individual interpretation. Some people associate the gemstone with wisdom, while others believe it symbolizes spiritual enlightenment. On 1stDibs, shop a range of sapphire jewelry from some of the world’s top sellers.
- 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.