The World's Most Famous Sapphires

Sapphires have been mined across the world for centuries, fairly widely available, they are popular due to their colour range, hardness and size range. As with many gemstones, sapphires are also of spiritual significance. Symbolic of royalty, romance and loyalty, they have also become a popular choice for engagement rings, with blue sapphire engagement rings representative of unity. 

Here is a breakdown of the world’s most famous sapphires throughout history:

This ring is arguably the most commercially recognised piece of sapphire jewellery from the past 50 years. This engagement ring features a large oval cut, 12 carat blue sapphire, surrounded by 14 white diamonds, set in white gold. This ring has set infinite engagement trends, still a classic style, now worn by Prince William’s wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton. Nowadays, there are many rings inspired by Princess Diana’s ring, such as the Sapphire Dreams Eleanor Ring and the La Reine De Vivera Ring. 

The world’s largest blue sapphire, with a carat weight of over 1404, The Star of Adam was mined in Sri Lanka, named for its six point star-shaped reflection. Valued between $150-450 million, this gemstone is almost double the size of its reigning predecessor.

This 62 carat, internally flawless, rectangular sapphire is one of the world’s most recognisable stones. Entirely unheated and untreated, this cornflower blue stone was owned by John D Rockefeller Jr after he purchased it from Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan. Most recently, this stone sold for $3 million in 2001 after appearing in Christie’s New York.

As the centrepiece of a large, bold diamond necklace, this cushion cut Ceylon blue sapphire is 392 carats, purchased for over $17 million in 2014. The fourth largest sapphire in the world, first discovered in 1926 and sold in 1937, it is exceptionally clear and high quality.

Australia’s most famous sapphire is the Black Star of Queensland. Weighing in at 733 carats, this stone is a black star sapphire, with its bright star standing out vividly against the dark background. A large oval stone, mined in the Anakie fields in Queensland, Australia, it was discovered in the 1930s as rough, originally 1,165 carats, the stone wasn’t cut until 1948, where the Kazanjian Brothers sacrificed 400cts to unveil the star at its centre.