Sapphire vs Diamonds: Here's The Difference

Also known as the King of all Blue gems, the Blue Sapphire is the stone that has long been associated with and a favourite of royalty and people in power, which may explain why Prince Charles, in the early 1980s, gave Lady Diana Spencer a large Blue Sapphire engagement ring that was then given by their son Prince William to his bride Catherine Middleton now known as the Duchess of Cambridge.

This seeming departure from the traditional colourless diamond engagement ring, as you might expect, exponentially increased the Blue Sapphire’s popularity both as the gem of choice and/or an engagement ring. Since then, however, some 35 years later, there has been no other Sapphire engagement ring that I know of perhaps because sapphires, particularly in an engagement ring, have had no other celebrity endorsement.

Or perhaps because they have not been marketed like colourless diamonds were in the 1940 by De Beers’ highly successful and enduring to this very day slogan, “A Diamond is Forever”.

The reason for this is that De Beers is a cartel with deep pockets that controls the diamond market and the price worldwide whereas sapphires and other coloured gemstones come from small, independent mining operations that specialize in particular gems in a free market enterprise where they set their own prices, reduce their costs by eliminating the middlemen from the supply chain, and make the most of the Internet to reach the widest possible market without the high cost of advertising and distribution.

Other Similarities and Differences between Colourless Diamonds and Sapphires

Registering 9 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness the Sapphire is the second hardest substance on earth, second only to the Diamond at 10. Their chemical compositions are also different, for the Diamond is carbon based whereas the Sapphire comes from mineral corundum that is responsible for both the Sapphire and the Ruby. Gem quality of this mineral, however, is extremely rare and while blue is the most traditional and classic colour for Sapphire it comes in many different colours known as the fancies: the Fancy Yellow sapphire; the Fancy Green Sapphire; the Fancy Purple Sapphire, the mouth-watering Fancy Peach Sapphire, the Golden Black Star Sapphire, the Fancy Pink Sapphire, and also the Orange or Padparadscha Sapphire (an unusual salmon or pinkish-orange colour combination). I include this last Padparadscha Sapphire for a particular reason, namely that one such gem as an engagement ring now sits on the hand of Princess Eugenie of York who will marry her long-time boyfriend in October to prove that Sapphires, after a 35-year hiatus, are making a come-back as the gem of choice for an engagement ring.

The Case for a Blue Sapphire Engagement Ring

While a Sapphire might not be your first choice of gem for you or your bride’s engagement ring I’m going to make the case for it by giving you reasons why it should be. But first, and to ‘set the stage’ so to speak, some background information about this incredibly beautiful gemstone that has been known since antiquity by many different cultures for its believed supernatural powers that are both fascinating and inspiring. Example, in ancient times Sapphire was believed by people in power to be the conduit between themselves and Divine favour and therefore a talisman or amulet that would protect them from evil, as well as sharpen their wits and intellect. And not just by people in power, e.g. kings and the nobility, but also every ancient religion believed in the power of the Sapphire: the ancient Greeks, Buddhists; ancient Persians; ancient Hindus, and early Christianity where to this very day a new Cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church is given a gold ring set with a Sapphire.

Additionally, a Sapphire is believed to attract financial abundance; bestow wisdom; help eyesight; promote mental clarity; strengthen intuition and integrity; evoke feelings of devotion, and protect the wearer from negative energy. Sapphire is the birthstone for September, the astrological signs of Taurus and Virgo, and the birthstone of the Chinese zodiac sign of Tiger.

And, in an engagement ring, the Sapphire inspires fidelity, faithfulness, loyalty, sincerity, honesty and devotion, and the fulfilment of dreams. The Sapphire is also known as the Lovers Crystal making it the perfect gemstone for an engagement ring whatever your preferred colour: Blue, Pink, Yellow, Green, Purple or Violet, Orange, Black, or even Colourless. I’m confident I have proved my case that a Sapphire, imbued with all of these impressive properties or attributes, is the ideal gem for an engagement because a colourless Diamond has but the slogan ‘A Diamond is Forever’.

For further information or to see any or all of these gorgeous Sapphires up close and personal please call Monika at LL Private Jewellers and then anticipate a truly exceptional eye candy experience. Guaranteed, you won’t be disappointed! Rather, you might even be inspired to design and create your own engagement ring with a Sapphire as the centre stone.

Please for more information about diamonds and sapphires contact LL Private Jewellers at 604-684-6343.