A ring amongst many things stands for calmness and there isn’t a better way to represent that calmness than with a sapphire ring. Moreover, a sapphire studded ring represents untiring longevity. And it is for this reason that a sapphire ring is the ring of choice for many couples, be it for their engagement or wedding. If you want to set a precedent, then opt for a sapphire ring. With a myriad of options both online and offline, it becomes a tough task to choose the perfect combination for your special day. Read this ultimate guide created by seasoned jewelry artisans that will help you in learning all there is to know about a sapphire ring.
History of Sapphire
Before we get to the good stuff, let us learn about the history of sapphire. Since the dawn of the millennium, these gemstones have been associated with romance, royalty, tradition, and wisdom.
The name Sapphire is derived from the Greek word, “sappheiros” and the Latin word,” saphirus” both denoting blues. Sapphire is the September Birthstone and bears a resemblance to Ruby. In layman’s terms, if a Ruby isn’t red in color then it is called a Sapphire. Popularly known to be available in blue color. In addition these stones are obtainable in a wide variety of colors ranging from teal, violets, and pinks.
In ancient times, sapphires were a symbol of divine favor leading them to become the gemstone of choice for kings and high priests as early as 600BC. The ancient Persians believed that the earth was atop a sapphire and its reflection colored the sky. In addition, we believe that Moses got the ten commandments on tables of sapphire. Therefore, making this one of the most sacred gemstone.The use of sapphire by French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and Prince Charles has popularized this gemstone as the ultimate choice for engagement and/or wedding rings.
What is a Sapphire?
Sapphire is a precious gemstone that is a variety of the mineral corundum consisting of aluminum oxide with traces of chromium, iron, magnesium, titanium, or vanadium. From folklore, teal sapphire rings have been associated with faithfulness, sincerity, and nobility. Therefore, when it comes to fancy, there isn’t a better option than sapphire as these stones add supplementary characteristics and meaning to an engagement or wedding ring.
Color Changing Sapphires
Yes! You read that right, a color-changing gemstone that’s from your dreams. An engagement ring studded with this stone and a color-changing one will make all the other couples envious. Therefore, the Color changing ones alter from purple in light to pink in the dark. And who said magic wasn’t real?
Orange Sapphires
Filled with the color of orange this is one of the fastest-growing gemstones in the jewelry industry. Used by jewelry artisans to design modern jewelry, orange sapphires are the gemstone of choice for jewelers that want to offer a unique collection.
Peach, Pink and Padparadscha Saphire
These sapphires are associated with creativity, love borne emotions, forgiveness, acceptance, and letting go. Padparadscha in Sinhalese means, “lotus blossom” and represents the color of soft peach. Whereas, peach or pink studded engagement ring calls for glamor! Want to own a ring of the heavens, try a combination of rose gold metal along with peach/pink sapphire center stones.
Teal Sapphire
The green and blue colored stone, teal sapphire is known to associate with clarity, success, fidelity, and integrity. Engagement rings made with this gemstone provide the perfect color arrangement for someone who wants to unique.
White Sapphire
A colorless phenomenon, White Sapphire is known to be associated with wisdom and strength of character. Believed by many to this date it carries extremely pure energy which opens your mind and clarity. After a gemstone that resembles a diamond but isn’t one? Well, then this is your pick, these gemstones are colorless and clear. Save money and sparkle at the same time! What more can a newlywed ask for?
Yellow Sapphire
It is often associated with prosperity, wealth, and financial freedom. It’s also known for stimulating our intellect, create excitement, and joyful expectations through the ways of our life. A gemstone that sparkles like the shining sun, these are available in delicate lemons colors to deeper amber hues.
Purple Sapphire
Also known as violet sapphire, they bring wisdom. It is also believed to bring noble energy to its wearer. Colorists explain that purple reinforces royalty. Therefore, this elegantly colored gemstone fits royalty.
Origins of Sapphire
Miners are mining Sapphire gemstones in selected regions around the world like South East Asia and Africa. Popular sources of this gemstone are Australia, Madagascar, Malawi, Myanmar, Nigeria, and Sri Lanka.
Bismarck Sapphire
This one weighs 98.60 carats and is of the faceted type, the Bismarck is set in a diamond and platinum necklace. Excavated in Sri Lanka and owned by American millionaire Harrison Willaims, the necklace is one of the most significant pieces of jewelry in terms of Art Deco style.
Blue Giant of Orient
Experts weigh this gemstone at 486 carats. Therefore, making Giant of Orient the largest faceted sapphire in the world. Discoverers found it in Sri Lanka back in 1907. The creator designed this in the platinum brooch and surrounded by diamonds.
Logan Sapphire
The Logan Sapphire weighs 423 carats and is also of the faceted blue sapphire type. This stunning beauty is the second-largest faceted in the world. It is named after its donor, Mrs. John A. Logan.
Star of Adam
Gemologists explain that sapphires that consist of rutile which is a mineral are responsible for creating star-shaped lines. Furthermore, these will produce star shaped gems. Star of Adam, the largest known star sapphire to mankind. Miners in Sri Lanka found Star of Adam in 2015. Experts weighed it at a weight of 1404 carats. Therefore, the experts value the magnificent Star of Adam currently somewhere between 100 to 300 million US dollars.!
Stuart Sapphire
The Stuart weighs 104 carats and is of the oval cabochon type. King George IV designed the crow in 1937. Want to feast your eyes on this glorious gemstone? Check out the Imperial State Crown consisting of the Stuart. Owners at the Tower of London use the crown for coronation ceremonies.
Famous Sapphire Engagement Rings
Diamonds have always been the gemstone of choice for engagement rings when it comes to celebrity couples, sapphire is the gemstone of choice for those that want to stand out. It must be worth its weight in gold when the celebrities are using it to make a style statement, here’s a list of celebrities who to this very day flaunt their magnificent sapphire engagement rings in turn generating massive exuberance amongst the elite.
Elizabeth Hurley
Shane Warne engaged supermodel Elizbeth Hurley with an engagement ring that had a large square-cut sapphire and two side white diamonds.
Kate Middleton
Princess Diana adorned one of the most famous rings that now Duchess of Cambridge owns. In other words, Kate Middleton owns the ring loved by Princess Diana. The designer added a halo that consists of 14 diamonds.
Penelope Cruz
In 2010, Javier Bardem proposed to Spanish actress Penelope Cruz with a sassy three-carat sapphire engagement ring. Like mentioned before Kate Middleton wears a similarly styled ring to this one.
Victoria Beckham
An ultimate fashion designer and a famous singer Victoria Beckham is the epitome of fashion. Lady Beckham received the blue gemstone ring in a collection of 13 engagement rings by her soccer star husband David Beckham. Time to bend it like Beckham!
Owning a Sapphire Engagement Ring
Proposing with a sapphire studded engagement ring can be an excellent choice for couples seeking an alternate engagement ring that offers a wide array of colors!
Choosing a sapphire wisely will complement the custom settings and make the ring stand out in brilliance. Made up your mind and have settled on a sapphire engagement ring? Let’s cover all the angles to be on the safe side, here’s the 4C’s of sapphire.
4C’s of Sapphire
1. Clarity
Miners find only very few natural sapphires free from internal characteristics. Lapidarist say that the presence of natural inclusions changes the value of a gemstone. Therefore, inclusions give an insight into the formation of a gemstone, its growth, and where it was mined. For instance, the inclusion of rutile silk in Kashmir makes it highly sought after, therefore, increasing its value tenfold. Whereas, too many crystal inclusions in yellow ones can result in a steep drop in its value. Gemologists base the sapphire’s value based on their inclusions.
2. Color
Unlike colorless diamonds, color is one of the most significant ranking factors amongst the 4C’s of a gemstone. We determine the value of every gemstone based on many properties of which one is by its color. We judge the gemstone color on its hue, tone, and saturation that together make it come alive! Hue is the overall body color, it’s the first impression of the article you are going to purchase. For instance, the engagement ring consists of both blue and green colors in different proportions. On the other hand, tone expresses the extent of light or darkness seen within the gem. Some sapphires for instance are deep in color while other sapphires are of a lighter tone. Finally, when it comes to judging the color of a gemstone, we talk about saturation. Saturation is all about the strength or weakness of color in the gemstone. Highly saturated colors look bright and powerful!
3. Cut
We find Sapphires usually a trigonal crystal. The cutter chooses the cut for this gemstone well before actually cutting the gemstone. Even though all the grading factors individually define the value of a stone, in the case of sapphire both cut and color, work together. When these display a deeper darker color, we cut it with the method of windowing. However, when these display a lighter intensity, we cut it in deeper proportions to bring out its brightness.
The various cuts of a sapphire gemstone include coffin (shield), hexagon, kite, and pear. And it is this versatility that has made sapphire engagement rings, the stone of choice when it comes to picking out a picturesque engagement ring!
4. Carats
Larger gemstones filled with unique colors are a rare find. With this in mind, sapphires being of denser variety usually weigh more than a diamond. Some of the most popular sizes of sapphire fall in the spectrum of 1.50 to 4.00 carats.
Taking care of Sapphire jewelry
Known for their durability, sapphires rate 9 on the Mohs scale of hardness and are the second hardest mineral in the world. Yet, like any other gemstone engagement ring, a sapphire engagement ring requires you to take care of it. Therefore, the ring will last an eternity, that is if you listen to us.
The easiest and most effective method to clean your sapphire engagement ring would be to dip in warm soapy water, here’s an instruction list to make your task even easier–
- Take a bowl of warm water with a hint of mild soap and a soft toothbrush.
- Gently scrub away the dust and grime from the hard to reach spots.
- Rinse thoroughly and pat your ring dry with a soft cotton cloth.