The sapphire—the favorite gem of British royals, famous for its rich blue hue—is enjoying a mini-revival in fine jewelry.
Jewelry designers love the stone for its hardness and versatility of color, turning out innovative, eye-popping earrings, necklaces and bracelets using the gemstone, which formed over millions of years in the earth's crust. And as natural and lab-grown diamonds battle it out for the attention of brides, sapphires are sneaking into engagement and wedding rings.
Casey Perez sapphire and 14k gold Stella ring, $2,910
Here's what most people don’t know about sapphires: They come in every color in the rainbow, not just navy blue, but also white, yellow, green, black, pink, violet, lavender, teal, blue-green, purple, orange, gray and brown. And if it’s a red stone you want, sapphires also come in a range of scarlets (then we'd call it a ruby!).
Sara Freedenfeld, designer of Amali in Chapel Hill, N.C., said she’s always been drawn to sapphires. “I like the colors and shades that are available in sapphires,” she said, noting that she looks for unique shapes, a “perfect imperfection,” and plays with color combinations of pink, green and yellow.
Nurielle Tugendhaft, chief operating officer of New Jersey-based Meirat, said customers come to the jeweler for pink, red, green and white sapphires. “Meirat is all about colored stones and it’s a very easy stone to work with,” she said. “We have customers who collect sapphires.”
Amali Trio earrings with three colors of sapphire, in 18k gold, $3,400
Meira T sapphire necklace in 14k white gold with diamonds, $1,017
Price is another draw. Sapphires can range anywhere from $50 to $10,000 a carat, according to estimates, generally less than mined diamonds, which can fetch anywhere from $2,500 to $30,000 a carat.
“They’re a natural gemstone as opposed to synthetic and it’s a reasonably-priced option,” said Istanbul and New York jewelry designer Lika Behar, who creates multicolor pieces using tiny diamonds as accents. “It’s attainable luxury and it’s natural,” she said, adding, “You’re not wearing a fake.”
What to Look for When Buying Sapphires
The price of any sapphire (or any gemstone, really) is based on rarity, color, clarity, size and origin.
When buying a sapphire, color is your first decision, followed by cut. Because of their hardness (9/10 on the Mohs hardness scale, just below diamonds, which are a 10), sapphires can be cut into any shape, from round to kite. Next is clarity: Natural sapphires have inclusions, and like emeralds, sapphires are also typically heat-treated–either naturally or by human–which improves their color saturation.
Porter Gulch Presley Ring with a 2.62 ct. green-teal sapphire, $7,050
San Francisco-based Porter Gulch is a destination for sapphires—75 percent of the company’s engagement rings use at least one sapphire. “Sapphires are the best of the colored stones in terms of durability,” said founder, owner, and designer Brooke Miller. “Hence, they are pretty good for everyday wear.” Brides looking for alternatives to the colorless diamond go for teal, yellow opalescent, icy white, salt-and-pepper, and “party” or bi-color sapphires (half blue/half green). Average sizes are 3-carats ranging anywhere from $6,000 to $10,000. “People seek out unusual, broad spectrum-color sapphires,” she said, noting popular cuts include oval, emerald, radiant, and kite.
Denver-based designer Fernanda Durmer, founder of Universal Deco Jewelry, does well with $7,500-plus double-sapphire “Shield” rings. “A lot of my work is intuitively guided and there’s just something about spiritual about sapphires,” she said. Pointing to a natural yellow and brown sapphire with a slight inclusion, she added, “There’s no other stone that’s exactly like this one."
Universal Deco Lavendar Constellation sapphire stacker ring, $1,200 for 14k gold (also comes in 18k gold for $1,600)
Top photo: Universal Deco sapphire shield rings, which sell for between $7,000-$10,000
