Sapphires in Antique Jewellery
Sapphires used in Victorian and Edwardian jewellery are typically natural stones with no heat treatment — a fact that is increasingly valued by collectors as the proportion of treated stones in the modern market has grown. Antique sapphires are usually in cushion or oval cuts rather than the modern oval or round brilliant cuts that dominate contemporary sapphire jewellery. The colour varies from pale cornflower blue through to deep navy, with the mid-blue 'cornflower' sapphires — particularly those from Kashmir and Burma — being the most sought after.
In Art Deco pieces, sapphires were frequently used as calibre-cut accent stones — precisely shaped flat-topped stones cut to fill geometric settings alongside diamonds. These baguette and square-cut sapphires are characteristic of the period and rarely found in modern reproductions.
Styles across the periods
Victorian sapphire rings range from bold cluster designs with an oval sapphire surrounded by old mine cut diamonds in yellow gold, to half-hoop rings alternating sapphires and diamonds. The three-stone ring with a central sapphire flanked by two diamonds is a Victorian design that has never gone out of fashion.
Edwardian pieces use the same arrangements but in platinum-topped gold or full platinum, with finer settings and more refined detail. Art Deco sapphire rings are the most distinctive of the period — geometric designs in which calibre-cut sapphires and diamonds are combined in precise arrangements, often with milgrain borders and openwork platinum galleries.
Buying an Antique Sapphire Ring: considerations
Sapphire colour and clarity vary considerably between stones and affect value significantly. We describe each stone's colour character — whether it is a bright mid-blue, a deeper navy, or a slightly grey or violet-tinted stone — and note any visible inclusions. Natural unheated sapphires from antique pieces are generally more valuable than modern treated examples of equivalent colour.
It is worth asking whether a sapphire has been treated. In genuinely antique pieces, the answer is usually no — heat treatment became widespread in the commercial sapphire trade from the 1970s onwards, so a Victorian or Edwardian stone that has not been subject to later treatment would not normally have been heated. We are transparent about everything we know regarding the history of individual stones.
Visit us or enquire about specific pieces
Sapphire colour and character are difficult to capture in photography — a stone that photographs as relatively unremarkable can be quite beautiful in person, and vice versa. We strongly encourage viewing in person when possible. Our shop in Battle, East Sussex is open Monday to Saturday, 10:15 to 17:00, and we can arrange private appointments for buyers travelling from further afield.
