Tennants is delighted to be offering three remarkable examples of fine quality Ceylon blue sapphires in the Fine Jewellery, Watches and Silver Sale on 14th March. Each stone was hand selected by a well-reputed gem merchant in Sri Lanka and cut with precision. Acquired directly by the vendor through familial connections as investment gemstones, they are completely fresh to the global market.
THE PRINCE OF ORION SAPPHIRE RING
The outstanding jewel from this private collection is The Prince of Orion Sapphire and Diamond Ring, with an incredibly rare 15.07 carat sapphire. This stone was acquired from gem traders in the Elahara mines of Sri Lanka, which is renowned for its supply of beautiful Ceylon blue sapphires. Set within a double row border of diamonds to frame the gem, it is a remarkable sized stone, with an astounding colour. The stone has been certified by the Gubelin laboratory, confirming the size and the unheated nature of the sapphire and the ring carries an auction estimate of £120,000-150,000 (all figures exclude buyer’s premium).
THE SWORD OF ORION SAPPHIRE RING
The second gem is the Sword of Orion Sapphire and Diamond Ring, which contains a sapphire of some 8.81 carat. Certified by GemResearch Swisslab (GRS) as unheated and a vivid blue colour, it is beautifully set within two rows of round brilliant cut diamonds. It is entered into auction with an estimate of £45,000-50,000.
THE MERVEILLEUX DIANA SAPPHIRE RING
Finally, the Merveilleux Diana Sapphire and Diamond Ring features a 4.07 carat sapphire. A certificate from GRS confirms this as an unheated stone and classifies it as an intense-vivid blue colour. This has been set within a border of round brilliant cut diamonds as a cluster ring. It carries a pre-sale estimate of £15,000-20,000.
ABOUT SAPPHIRES
Sapphires, which are a type of corundum, are consistently popular amongst jewellery lovers. The gem has been found and mined in various locations around the world, and it occurs in all colours imaginable, except for red, as red corundum is known as ruby.
The most desirable sapphire colour is blue, and indeed many people only think of blue sapphires when they hear the term. For stones of other hues, the colour is used as a prefix in the name, for example green sapphire and white sapphire.
Market preferences have varied over the years, but the most commercial shade of blue is a vivid mid-blue, sometime described as Royal blue. Stones which exhibit this colour are often from Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) or Kashmir in India.
Gemstones are assessed on quality; this is not just the colour they exhibit, but also the if they are free from inclusions, the cut quality of a stone, and the intensity (saturation) of the colour throughout the cut stone. Sapphires from the aforementioned sources more frequently occur within the higher-end quality grades.
Sapphires of this size and quality rarely appear together the open market and offer a rare opportunity to own one of nature’s masterpieces.
