Why Are Sapphire Engagement Rings So Beautiful and Popular Today?
In October of 2010, Prince William presented Kate Middleton with the engagement ring that had once belonged to his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. Princess Diana's engagement ring was the subject of a lot of attention after she picked it out herself in 1981. Diana had stated her preference for a sapphire before looking for a ring, and the one she selected was a 12-carat oval blue Ceylon sapphire surrounded by 14 solitaire diamonds, all set into white gold.
Sometimes called the "Commoner's Sapphire" in reference to Diana's non-royal birth, the stone once agai
n made headlines when Prince William gave it to Kate Middleton, and it inspired a craze for sapphire jewelry of all kinds, but especially sapphire engagement rings. Here at Noe's, we have been thrilled to see renewed interest in sapphire jewelry in Kansas City, as we think they're some of the most amazing stones out there!
Sapphires are treasured for their beauty, but they're also incredibly strong. They rate a 9 out of 10 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness, and the only naturally occurring substance on earth that can scratch a sapphire is a diamond. The hard-wearing nature of sapphires means they're an ideal choice for an engagement ring! And we're not the only time or culture who realizes how great sapphires are. The ancient Romans loved sapphires, and people in the medieval period thought sapphires had magical properties, including the ability to protect the wearer from evil.
Prince Charles and Prince William weren't the only royal fellows to propose with a sapphire engagement ring; Napoleon Bonaparte gave the famous Josephine a pear-shaped sapphire engagement ring. Paired with a pear-shaped diamond and set into a simple gold band, this ring recently auctioned for nearly a million dollars.
We usually think of sapphires as being blue stones, but did you know that sapphires can come in many different colors? It's true! Sapphires can be pink, green, orange, yellow, and even pink! Red sapphires are more commonly known as rubies, but both stones are the same mineral, corundum, which is actually an aluminum oxide.
Sapphires can also be "star sapphires" when they have asterism, little inclusions that catch the light and manifest as a six-ray star across the surface. The largest blue star sapphire was found in Ratnapurna. Unearthed in a mine near Sri Lanka, the massive sapphire weighs 1404.49 carats and is estimated at over $300 million dollars.
Sapphires are the traditional gift given on a couple's 45th wedding anniversary, but sapphires are wonderful on just about any occasion. Whether it's a birthday (September or otherwise), an anniversary, an engagement, or a "just because" occasion, the gift of sapphire jewelry is always practical, beautiful, and thoughtful. Noe's has a wonderful selection of sapphire jewelry in Kansas City, so if you're considering a durable and gorgeous gift for someone, come by our Raymore store to see what we have to offer. Whether you're looking for earrings, pendants, rings, bracelets, or other sapphire ornaments, we know we'll have something perfect.
Visit Noe's online or in person at our Raymore, Missouri jewelry store to see our selection of gemstone jewelry, including fine sapphire jewelry.