Most of you know picture a scintillating, vibrant blue stone when you hear the word "Sapphire", don't you? It's not always common knowledge that sapphire is actually very similar to ruby on the atomic level. They're both varieties of a mineral called corundum that are simply colored by slight traces of other elements.

Sapphires are actually not all blue- it's just that the blue variety became the most famous due to demand, treatment procedures and historical usage.




Many patrons of old used to associate blue sapphire with the traits of faithfulness, sincerity and truth. Royalty and clergy both admonished themselves with this precious gemstone for centuries. Blue sapphires became the ultimate standard for the vibrant saturations by which every other blue gemstone was compared against.



Britain's most beloved princess- Lady Diana Spencer was proposed to by Prince Charles using a pristine blue sapphire ring, which was passed on to their child Prince William when the time came for him to get married as well.

The most famous source for blue sapphire is the mountainous Kashmir region, where the best qualities were touted as 'Cornflower Blue' sapphires. This trade label became quite famous and is still used today to depict some of the finest sapphire color profiles. The Kashmir mines though did not last for more than a few decades. Quite short in comparison to the long-drawn production timelines of other sources like Australia and Sri Lanka.

Other varieties of corundum aside from blue sapphire and ruby, are all called 'fancy sapphire'. These can be pink, orange, yellow, green, purple, black, or even colorless. Another high end corundum variety is called Padparadscha sapphire- inspired by the pinkish orange colors of a certain lotus flower. This relatively new variant has taken the gem world by storm and can match the finest blue sapphire for value in top market tiers.


It's interesting to note that before the Roman empire, sapphire was not actually known. Many of the gem's iterations in scripts and ancient text actually refer to lapis lazuli, being described as 'the night sky spangled with stars, or spotted with gold'.

The adornment of colored stones is becoming a lasting trend within the halls of many monarchs from the West. From princess Diana's ocean blue sapphire ring, to the ruby engagement ring Prince Andrew gave to Sarah Ferguson when he proposed. A movement towards large and valuable colored gemstones seems to be gaining traction as more and more of the public markets flock to the admiration of their vibrant hues.



Princess Eugenie, age 27, had recently just announced her upcoming wedding to James Brooksbank at the Windsor venue that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are also scheduled to be using earlier in the year. While the two royal couples are most likely going to plan some of the most extravagant celebrations in history, we can see an early glimpse of that grandeur from the elegance of their wedding jewelry.

Gem experts and gemologists have valued Eugenie's Padparadscha sapphire engagement ring to be worth around £100,000. Padparadscha is a term in the gem trade that refers to sapphires that possess a pinkish orange to orangey pink hue, and finely intense saturations. This range of color has grown in popularity over the recent decades as a fine variety of fancy sapphire. While blue hues are vastly more common (and popular), Padparadscha hues are more totally associated with the finer markets and high-end jewelry pieces. Some even tout it to be worth more than its high-end blue counterparts, given its scarcity and relatively modern rise to fame.



Eugenie's center sapphire is also surrounded by a total of 12 diamonds, two of which were cut into pear-shapes to give a more contemporary feel to the design. Like her mother's and Princess Diana's ring, this particular center gem was also fashioned into a brilliant oval-cut style, pursuing the classical elegance of royalty, while deviating slightly from the traditional round shape most commonly seen in the trade.



Meghan Markle's own engagement ring, hosting three brilliantly cut earth-mined diamonds, is estimated to be worth around half of Eugenie's, probably fetching around £50,000 at current market prices. Diamonds have indeed come a long way, and are even being transitioned as a commodity investment- like gold or platinum, by some big named companies. Despite their growth, colored stones seem to be pacing faster in terms of overall increase in market reception and demand.

Royal wedding jewelry has since deviated from the realm of large solitaire diamonds, ever since the unveiling of Princess Diana's famous blue sapphire. Her descendants and many other monarchs across the world have been venturing into the realm of sapphires and colored gemstones for their precious gifts.

Corundum varieties like ruby, blue sapphire and Padparadscha colors are all the rage these days, blending beautifully with high fashion collections, royal engagements and even celebrity preferences. Many who choose to use these rare and illustrious stones tend to seek out something just outside the realm of traditional luxury, developing their taste for a more diverse type of lifestyle.