Star Blue Sapphire - ING06

Gem of the heavens, Sapphire’s name comes from the Latin word for blue sapphirus, the color for which the gem is best known. The intensity of the blue color is the primary factor in determining value.

Sapphire, hailed by many gem experts and trends trackers as the most popular color stone on the market, has been the traditional birthstone for September since Jewelers of America established the modern list of birthstones in 1912.

And those who wear it include a long list of A-list fashionistas. The go-to-gem of stylists, Sapphire remains one of the most popular color stones on the red carpet. Bold drop earrings, big cocktail rings, statement necklaces, and bracelets stacked up the wrist are the favorite styles spied in Sapphire.

Among the most talked about Sapphire baubles at recent events include Margot Robbie at the Oscar’s in Van Cleef & Arpels’ “Zip” tassel necklace with over 300 Sapphires, fashioned after one owned by the Duchess of Windsor in the 1930s; and Maura Tierney at the Golden Globes in Sutra sliced Sapphire drop earrings totaling 80 carats. Sapphire is a top choice for Sutra designer Arpita Navlakha, for its timeless beauty, glamorous luster, and great durability. “In any form—full or rose-cut, sliced, bead or cabochon—Sapphires are remarkable to work with.”

Sapphire is the suggested gem gift for the fifth and 45th wedding anniversaries, but symbolizing truth and promise keeping makes it perfect to celebrate every passing year together.

Sapphire’s popularity also has a lot to do with more opportunity to find a larger, lustrous, cleaner, better cut gem than other precious stones that inherently have more inclusions, says Sam Haghighat, partner in the New York-based Ijadi Gems, specializing in blue Sapphire. “It’s much easier to obtain a clean 10-carat Sapphire than one of the other precious stones.”

Sapphire comes in all shapes and sizes and is found in many parts of the world, but the most prized gems are from Kashmir, Burma, Sri Lanka, and Madagascar.