A lesser known yet truly exceptional sapphire ring once belonged to Greek financier Dimitri Mavrommatis. The Mavrommatis ring holds an extremely large unheated Kashmir sapphire as its centre stone prong set between two pear shaped diamonds. The sapphire itself is an impressive stone, not only because of its ideal colour and clarity, but also because of the rarity of high quality sapphires over 10 carats, especially those from Kashmir; members of the Swiss Gemmological Institute described the gem as “extraordinary”. The sapphire boasts a weight of 27.54 carats and displays the rich velvet blue colouration for which Kashmir sapphires are known. Because of the perfect colour distribution within the sapphire, it has been given an unconventional octagon step-cut. The ring sold on the 12th of November, 2014 at the “Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels” auction held by Sotheby’s in Geneva, Switzerland for $5,984,474. The Mavrommatis ring shall always be one of the world’s most marvellous bespoke sapphire rings.
One of the most well known sapphire rings of recent times is Elizabeth Taylor’s famous Bulgari Trombino ring. The ring was originally purchased in 1972 to match Taylor’s Bulgari sapphire sautoir and features a large sugarloaf cabochon sapphire from Sri Lanka of approximately 25 carats. The unheated Ceylon sapphire is set into Bulgari’s platinum “Trombino” (meaning “little trumpet”) style setting, featuring graduated baguette diamonds along its shoulders and a pavé shank. This exceptional ring dazzled the world upon Taylor’s finger and was sought after by other stars when the ring became available at auction. Taylor’s ring was sold along with a number of other pieces once belonging to the late actress as part of “The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor: Legendary Jewels” auction held by Christie’s in New York City. The sale of the ring took place on the 12th of December 2011 where the buyer paid $866,500 for the gem. A timeless sapphire ring, Elizabeth Taylor’s Trombino ring will forever remain a symbol of sapphire’s universal appeal and the glamour of sapphire rings.
A sapphire ring suitable for royalty, the Imperial Kashmir ring is certainly among the most impressive sapphire rings on the planet. This stunning sapphire ring features a large octagon step-cut 17.16 carat unheated cornflower blue Kashmir sapphire in a platinum prong setting surrounded with six carats of brilliant cut diamonds. The cut on this sapphire is somewhat unconventional for Kashmir sapphires, and was made possible by the supremely even colour distribution within the stone. Due to its kingly attributes, the stone was named “The Imperial Kashmir” at auction in reference to its regal qualities. The Imperial Kashmir ring was sold on October 7th, 2014 as part of the "Magnificent Jewels" auction held by Sotheby’s in Hong Kong for the equivalent of $4,006,000. Truly an incredible piece of human craftsmanship, the Imperial Kashmir ring is one of the world’s most gorgeous sapphire rings and holds a gem which exemplifies the potential of sapphires from Kashmir.
The Kelly Sapphire ring is a fine example of a grand sapphire ring. The Kelly Sapphire is named after its previous owner, Margaret Adderley Kelly, wife of William R. Kelly owner of Kelly Services Inc. Margaret Adderley Kelly was an avid jewelry collector and owned multiple sapphire jewelry pieces, but the Kelly sapphire ring stands out as the most exceptional item in her collection.The Kelly sapphire is a massive 21.17 carat cushion cut unheated Kashmir Sapphire with superb colour and clarity. It has been prong set between two trapeze-cut diamonds on a platinum Cartier mount accented with square cut diamonds along the shank. The ring was sold on June 15th, 2015 alongside a number of other pieces from Kelly’s collection as part of “The Magnificent Jewels of Margaret Kelly” auction held by Sotheby’s in New York City for the price of $4,197,00. A ring for the ages, the Kelly Sapphire ring shall always represent the classic beauty of sapphire rings.
The Kelly Sapphire ring; Image: Christie’s
A resplendent sapphire ring was sold at auction to a private buyer in 2015. The ring features an immaculate 35.09 carat unheated cushion cut Kashmir sapphire prong set between two triangle shaped diamonds on a white gold shank accented with baguette diamonds. The sapphire itself is extremely high clarity and displays perfect royal blue colouration. Sold once before at a Christie’s New York auction in 2000, the ring was sold again at the “Magnificent Jewels” auction held by Christie’s in Geneva, Switzerland on the 12th of May, 2015 for the equivalent of $7,300,000. Since then, some have called this ring “The Royal Blue” in reference to the perfect colour of its centre stone. One day this breathtaking ring will surface yet again, and collectors of the world will have another chance to own this incredible bespoke sapphire ring.
The Royal Blue sapphire ring; Image: Christie’s
These sapphire rings are wondrous examples of the ability that sapphires have to captivate the heart. Each of these rings has been crafted to accentuate the beauty of the dreamlike sapphires they hold, and will always be remembered as some of the world’s greatest sapphire rings.
Here are more of our favourite sapphire rings from the Skyjems catalog:
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