Star Sapphire Rings
2010s Thai Contemporary Star Sapphire Rings
Brown Diamond, Star Sapphire, Black Star, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
Late 20th Century Retro Star Sapphire Rings
Diamond, Star Sapphire, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Star Sapphire Rings
Diamond, Star Sapphire, 14k Gold
1930s Art Deco Vintage Star Sapphire Rings
Diamond, Star Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, White Gold
1930s Art Deco Vintage Star Sapphire Rings
Star Sapphire, Platinum
2010s Thai Contemporary Star Sapphire Rings
Diamond, Star Sapphire, Black Star, 18k Gold
1950s Vintage Star Sapphire Rings
Diamond, Star Sapphire, Yellow Gold
Early 20th Century Art Deco Star Sapphire Rings
Diamond, Star Sapphire, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Platinum
1980s American Vintage Star Sapphire Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Star Sapphire, 14k Gold
1960s Unknown Vintage Star Sapphire Rings
Diamond, Star Sapphire, 18k Gold
1930s Art Deco Vintage Star Sapphire Rings
Diamond, Star Sapphire, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary American Star Sapphire Rings
Diamond, Star Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Star Sapphire Rings
Brown Diamond, Ruby, Star Sapphire, Black Star, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Star Sapphire Rings
Sapphire, Star Sapphire, Diamond, Platinum
Mid-20th Century Modern Star Sapphire Rings
Star Sapphire, 14k Gold
Early 20th Century Star Sapphire Rings
Diamond, Star Sapphire, 14k Gold, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary North American Star Sapphire Rings
Diamond, Star Sapphire, Platinum
1970s American Modernist Vintage Star Sapphire Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, White Diamond, Star Sapphire, Platinum
20th Century Star Sapphire Rings
Star Sapphire, White Gold, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century Retro Star Sapphire Rings
Diamond, Star Sapphire, Platinum
2010s Burmese Star Sapphire Rings
Diamond, Star Sapphire, Platinum
1980s Unknown Retro Vintage Star Sapphire Rings
Star Sapphire, Black Star, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s Unknown Retro Vintage Star Sapphire Rings
Star Sapphire, Black Star, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Star Sapphire Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Star Sapphire, Platinum
20th Century French Star Sapphire Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Star Sapphire, Platinum
1960s Modern Vintage Star Sapphire Rings
Diamond, Star Sapphire, Black Star, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Star Sapphire Rings
Ruby, Star Sapphire, Star Ruby, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
2010s Russian Contemporary Star Sapphire Rings
Star Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Cultured Pearl, Diamond, 18...
20th Century American Retro Star Sapphire Rings
Diamond, Star Sapphire, 14k Gold
Mid-20th Century North American Star Sapphire Rings
Star Sapphire, Sapphire, Gold, White Gold
2010s British Edwardian Star Sapphire Rings
Diamond, Star Sapphire, 18k Gold
2010s British Modern Star Sapphire Rings
Citrine, Diamond, White Diamond, Emerald, Garnet, Pearl, Ruby, Sapphire,...
Mid-20th Century Star Sapphire Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Star Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s North American Star Sapphire Rings
Diamond, Star Sapphire, Platinum
20th Century Art Deco Star Sapphire Rings
Star Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Star Sapphire Rings
Star Sapphire, Black Star, Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Star Sapphire Rings
Star Sapphire, Sapphire, White Diamond, Diamond, White Gold, 14k Gold, Gold
20th Century Japanese Modern Star Sapphire Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Star Sapphire, 18k Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Star Sapphire Rings
Star Sapphire, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
Early 20th Century Star Sapphire Rings
Diamond, Star Sapphire, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Platinum
1960s American Vintage Star Sapphire Rings
Blue Sapphire, Star Sapphire, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Modern Star Sapphire Rings
Diamond, Star Sapphire, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Star Sapphire Rings
Star Sapphire, Black Star, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold
20th Century Star Sapphire Rings
Diamond, Star Sapphire, Platinum
20th Century Star Sapphire Rings
Diamond, Star Sapphire, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Aesthetic Movement Star Sapphire Rings
Diamond, Star Sapphire, 14k Gold, White Gold
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Star Sapphire Rings
Diamond, Star Sapphire, Platinum
Late 20th Century Unknown Modern Star Sapphire Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Sapphire, Star Sapphire, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow ...
Early 20th Century Unknown Art Deco Star Sapphire Rings
Diamond, Star Sapphire, Palladium
20th Century Unknown Retro Star Sapphire Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Star Sapphire, Platinum
1940s American Baroque Revival Vintage Star Sapphire Rings
Diamond, Star Sapphire, 14k Gold, Rose Gold, Gold
20th Century North American Star Sapphire Rings
Diamond, Star Sapphire, 14k Gold
20th Century Star Sapphire Rings
Diamond, Star Sapphire, Platinum
2010s Thai Contemporary Star Sapphire Rings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Star Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
1970s American Modernist Vintage Star Sapphire Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, White Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Star Sapphire, Gold, Wh...
1980s Vintage Star Sapphire Rings
Diamond, Star Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Hong Kong Star Sapphire Rings
Purple Sapphire, Green Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Sapphire,...
2010s Thai Contemporary Star Sapphire Rings
Diamond, Star Sapphire, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
Late 20th Century Unknown Gothic Revival Star Sapphire Rings
Star Sapphire, 10k Gold
1950s Vintage Star Sapphire Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Star Sapphire, Platinum
Find Unique Star Sapphire Rings on 1stDibs
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. Today, shop the bright blue gems that star in vintage star sapphire rings on 1stDibs.
Picture a piece of antique sapphire jewelry. If the gemstone 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.
You may have heard of star sapphire jewelry, and yes, star sapphires do exist. These gems are created as a result of Asterism, which “arises from white light reflecting from numerous tiny, oriented needle-like inclusions,” according to the Gemological Institute of America. Such a stone is usually cut as a cabochon and may be any color. Thanks to its depth, a cabochon cut can intensify the hue of a colored stone like an emerald, sapphire or ruby. And it enhances the optical effects seen in some gems, such as the iridescence, or rainbow-like play of color, in opals; the adularescence, or milky glow, of moonstones; the chatoyancy, or cat’s-eye effect, of tigereyes; and the asterism, or star-shaped display, in star sapphire rings and star ruby earrings.
Star sapphires and rubies, both hard stones on the Mohs scale, would not display this compelling feature if not cut as cabochons. These rare gems have been treasured throughout history, and their crossed lines are said to represent faith, hope and destiny.
The grand dame of jewelry, Elizabeth Taylor had a passion for sapphires that her lovers were happy to indulge. Second husband Michael Wilding gave her an engagement ring set with a cabochon sapphire — cabochon jewels were once the height of glamour — 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.
In the 1930s and ’40s, cabochon-cut sapphires surged in popularity as icons of the day embraced them. Mary Pickford, America’s Sweetheart, had a penchant for exceptional jewels. Her husband, Douglas Fairbanks Sr., gave her perhaps the world’s most impressive star sapphire, the Star of Bombay, set in a platinum ring by Trabert Hoeffer (which later became Trabert Hoeffer-Mauboussin).
The taste for cabochon sapphires spread across Hollywood. Joan Crawford was known to love the gemstone, so much so that the press dubbed her Joan Blue. Crawford’s second husband, Franchot Tone, commissioned her favorite jeweler, Raymond Yard, to create a ring with a 70-carat star sapphire for their engagement. However, the most publicized Crawford jewel, also designed by Yard, was a bracelet with three huge star sapphires in a wide platinum Art Deco setting along with diamonds. Actor William Powell’s most notable leading ladies, both on- and off-screen, also wore star sapphires.
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. When she died, Mary Pickford left the Star of Bombay to the Smithsonian, where it remains today.
The allure of large gemstones endures throughout the periods characterized as vintage, and star sapphires feature 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 star sapphire cocktail rings, star sapphire engagement rings and other sapphire rings on 1stDibs.
Read More
This Absinthe-Hued Peridot Cocktail Ring Is Positively Intoxicating
Ancient Egyptians referred to the vibrant stone as the “gem of the sun.”
Our Guide to Engagement Ring Settings – And How to Choose One
There are many ways to showcase a diamond, from traditional prongs to a smooth, streamlined bezel. Here’s everything you need to consider.
Nothing Says Summer Heat Like This Ruby-Red Cartier Stunner
The vintage bombé ring is bursting with color and timeless style.
Zircon Rings: Our Guide to a Uniquely Colorful Natural Gemstone
Zircon is a magnificent and underrated natural gemstone that has been worn and adored for centuries.
[Survey] Two-Thirds of Jewelry Gift Recipients Don’t Want to Be Surprised
Givers of fine gems enjoy surprise more than receivers, and women more than men. Find out what else our survey of 3,000 Americans revealed.
Colorful Gemstones Are a Brilliant Choice for Engagement Rings
If diamonds don’t seem right, what about a magnificent sapphire, ruby or emerald?
Our Guide to Fancy-Colored Diamond Engagement Rings
Accounting for just 1 percent of all diamonds, these marvels of nature are exceedingly rare and gorgeously complex.
Our Guide to Victorian, Edwardian and Art Deco Engagement Rings
Learn about these antique jewelry styles, then choose a design that speaks to you.