LONG ASSOCIATED WITH ROYALTY AND ROMANCE, SEPTEMBER’S BIRTHSTONE CAN BE FOUND IN ENGAGEMENT RINGS, ON AUCTION BLOCKS, AND IN THE PERMANENT COLLECTIONS OF VAUNTED MUSEUMS
By Rhonda Reinhart | September 16, 2025
While the name sapphire comes from the Greek word sappheiros, meaning “blue stone,” sapphires appear in a rainbow of hues – from pink, orange, and yellow to green, purple, and violet. But whatever their color, sapphires remain highly prized for their beauty and durability. In honor of this month’s birthstone – and the gem commemorating the fifth and 45th wedding anniversaries – we present a by-the-numbers look at the ever-popular sapphire, illustrated with lots from past and present Heritage auctions.
1881
The approximate year mining for Kashmir sapphires began in the high-altitude Zanskar Range of the Himalayas following a mountain landslide. Renowned for their velvety texture and cornflower blue hue, which owes its distinctive glow to fine silk inclusions that gently diffuse light throughout the stone, Kashmir sapphires are among the most coveted gemstones in the world. This unmounted and unheated 2.35-carat Kashmir sapphire is available in Heritage’s September 29 Fall Fine Jewelry Signature® Auction.
9
Sapphire’s ranking on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, making the gemstone ideally suited for use in jewelry. The hardness of sapphires is bested only by that of diamonds, which have a rating of 10 on the Mohs scale. This eye-catching platinum ring, featuring an 11.72-carat Kashmir sapphire as its centerpiece, realized $670,000 in a December 2016 Heritage auction.
7
The number of padparadscha sapphires that adorn this platinum necklace available in Heritage’s September 29 Fall Fine Jewelry Signature® Auction. Padparadscha sapphires are among the rarest and most sought-after members of the corundum family, prized for their subtle blend of pink and orange hues. These gems are exceptionally scarce, particularly when unheated and untreated, as is the case with these examples. The name padparadscha comes from the Sinhalese language and references the pink color of a lotus blossom.
$507,000
The price paid for a sapphire-studded Van Cleef & Arpels Zip necklace in December 2023 at Heritage Auctions, an amount that surpassed the jewel’s high pre-auction estimate by more than $300,000. The 18k white gold necklace – a modernized, sleeker version of the original Zip necklace created in 1950 – is encrusted with approximately 13.00 carats of sapphires, plus 6.10 carats of diamonds. “The necklace was inspired by the Duchess of Windsor, who was intrigued by the invention of the zipper,” says Ana Wroblaski, Director of Fine Jewelry in Heritage’s Beverly Hills office. “It took almost 12 years for Van Cleef & Arpels to create the working Zip. This stunning iteration has a much more tapered and streamlined silhouette.”
18.99
The weight in carats of the cushion-shaped Ceylon sapphire that centers this striking ring available in Heritage’s September 29 Fall Fine Jewelry Signature® Auction. The stone’s setting is equally eye-catching: Stylized vase motifs, crafted in platinum and filled with full-cut diamond blossoms, embellish the shoulders and gallery with graceful intricacy. The regal offering, which hails from Tiffany & Co.’s 2012 Legacy Gemstone Collection, was conceived in celebration of the house’s 175th anniversary.
6
The number of rays most often found in star sapphires, which can also have four or 12 rays. The star effect, known as asterism, is caused by small, needle-like inclusions. One of the world’s most famous star sapphires is the 563.35-carat Star of India, which is on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The pictured jewelry suite, which sold for $37,500 in a September 2021 Heritage auction, features two star sapphires weighing a total of approximately 73.20 carats. The necklace and bracelet once belonged to Phyllis McGuire, one-third of the McGuire Sisters, a popular singing trio in the 1950s and ’60s.
39.50
The weight in carats of this Ceylon yellow sapphire available in Heritage’s September 29 Fall Fine Jewelry Signature® Auction. While Ceylon sapphires are most often associated with the color blue, like the one in Princess Diana’s (and now Kate Middleton’s) legendary engagement ring, the stones come in a variety of hues, like the monumental orangy yellow sapphire in this platinum ring.
36
The number of baguette-cut pink sapphires on the bezel of this extremely rare 18k gold Rolex Daytona. Adding to the dazzle is the watch’s diamond-encrusted face and ruby hour markers. These gem-set Daytonas were offered in exceedingly low quantities, reportedly only to VIP international dealers, and this particular example, reference 116598 SARO, is a far rarer variant. “There have been only four reference 116598 SARO examples offered publicly,” says Jim Wolf, Heritage’s Director of Watches & Fine Timepieces, “which goes a long way toward explaining the high demand.” The circa 2005 watch sold for $175,000 in a June 2023 Heritage auction.
2
The number of hues exhibited by the Ceylon color-change sapphire at the center of this platinum ring available in Heritage’s September 29 Fall Fine Jewelry Signature® Auction. The 8.75-carat stone, which is surrounded by smaller pink sapphires, can appear bluish violet or purple, a natural phenomenon caused by trace elements, typically chromium and vanadium, which respond differently under various light sources such as daylight and incandescent light.
