Named after the Greek word ‘sappheiros,’ meaning blue gem, the regal sapphire has a strong history in being the gem of choice for the rich, royal and revered. This traditional birthstone for September is valued for its hue (color), saturation (brightness) and tone (shade or depth), besides being considered a symbol of good fortune and wisdom.
Sapphires, known for their hardness, have primary and secondary hues. Blue sapphires have blue as the primary hue, while those with secondary hues feature hues of purple, green or violet. Available in many colours, the rare ones are those that are not heat-treated and belong to the old mines in Kashmir in India, Ceylon (SriLanka) and Burma, among other important mines.
Treasured blue sapphire jewelry and rare pieces were sold at auctions at Sotheby’s and Christie’s last year, fetching quite a few million dollars. Talking about pieces with provenance, we’d like to mention one of our favourites: the famous Cartier panther brooch made circa 1949, which features a sapphire and diamond adorned panther majestically clutching a heart-melting 152.35-carat cabochon Kashmir sapphire.
For a long time, jewelers have used sapphires in tandem with white diamonds to accent the beautiful blue color and for a lovely contrast. Mined in specific regions of Afghanistan, Australia, Burma, Colombia, India, Madagascar and North America, the unheated sapphires in resplendent blue color are highly sought-after.
A few years ago, the gem became popular after Prince William proposed to Kate Middleton with his late mother’s sapphire ring. Made by Garrard in 1981, the ring features an oval-blue Ceylon sapphire with a fine sprinkling of solitaire diamonds. The gesture set many a heart aflutter and the blue gem has been on-trend since.
Among the key luxury jewellers, Bayco, Boghossian (formerly Bogh-Art), Bulgari, Chaumet, Graff, Harry Winston, Ivy New York and Tiffany, Van Cleef & Arpels undoubtedly offer the most tempting collection of luminous blue-hued sapphire jewelry.
To make things easy for you, we’ve put together some pretty pieces from brands such as Dior Joaillerie, Graff, de Grisogono, Harry Winston and some independent designers. Take your pick from our jewelry edit in the Photo Gallery below!
Smitha Sadanandan
