…with color, style and a romantic link to the past.
We’ve met many couples in the past year that were getting engaged or married. Love is definitely in the air! But what stood out for me were the young couples looking for a Sapphire ring for the lucky bride-to-be. I immediately thought of the modern British royal family and their sapphire engagement rings, including the Queen Mother, Princess Anne, Lady Diana Spencer, and most recently Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge.
Sapphires have long been used in engagement rings because the sapphire symbolizes romantic love, truth and commitment. During the 12th century, the crusaders would present their wives with sapphire rings to test their fidelity because the sapphire’s color was believed to fade when worn by an impure or unfaithful woman.
… while rubies are considered King of stones, Sapphires are said to be stones of Kings’
Typically, sapphires appear as blue stones with the most valued shade of blue a medium-deep cornflower blue. Sapphires also occur in other natural colors and tints – colorless, gray, yellow, pale pink, orange, green, violet and brown – called fancy sapphires. These different colors are caused by different kinds of impurities within the crystal. For example, yellow sapphires get their color from ferric iron, and colorless gems have no contaminants.
…blue is the most popular color choice for a sapphire engagement ring while pink, purple and yellow hues are also high sought after
The word sapphire has its roots in several ancient languages: the Arabic safir, the Latin sapphirus (meaning blue), and the Greek word sappheiros for the island of Sappherine in the Arabian Sea where sapphires were found in ancient Grecian times.
Interesting fact: The second largest sapphire known (at 422.99 carats),the Logan Sapphire Brooch, from Sri Lanka, is on display at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. 
The biggest source of sapphires world-wide is Australia, especially New South Wales and Queensland. Australian sapphires typically are blue stones with a dark and inky appearance. In India, Kashmir used to be a well-known source of the cornflower-blue stones. In the United States, a major source is the Yogo Gulch Mine in Montana that mostly yields small stones for industrial use.
Today, young couples are increasingly turning to antique, vintage, and modern sapphire engagement rings because they want a more distinctive way to celebrate their love. The huge diamond has already been done! These new natural untreated sapphire engagement rings have color, style and a romantic link to the past.
Stop by Gold Market Diamond Jewelers and take a look at our beautiful and distinct selection of sapphire jewelry. Every woman needs to wear a little blue, and celebrate romantic love, truth and commitment!
