The most iconic sapphire jewels worn by the Royal Family
To celebrate the 'September stone,' we look back at five of the most iconic sapphire jewellery pieces worn by the royals throughout the decades.
Sapphires, also known as the 'September stone,' are a favourite jewel of the royal family and have been worn on many iconic occasions.
The stone is said to represent ‘truth, sincerity, and nobility,’ with these meanings only heightening the importance of the gem for the royals.
Stepping into September, we enter the month of the sapphire stone. Birth stones are a fun element to incorporate into gifts for friends and family, but we don't just have to enjoy the stone assigned to the time of year in which we were born. The royal family certainly don't.
The women of the royal family are huge fans of sapphires and the jewel has been seen on multiple royals for multiple occasions across multiple decades. While the stone's stunning and sparkling appearance likely draws the royals to it, the meaning behind the stone is what keeps them around.
According to experts at Diamonds Factory, "This deep, royal blue stone has held a wealth of history and power over the years known to symbolise truth, sincerity, and nobility.
"It’s particularly popular amongst the British Royal Family, with the late Queen Elizabeth II and other prominent members of the royal family wearing different jewellery pieces and engagement rings with this stone."
So as we step into the month of the sapphire, we look back at five of the most iconic sapphire jewellery pieces worn by the royals.
Kate Middleton's engagement ring is one of, if not the most recognisable engagement ring in royal history thanks to its continuing of Princess Diana's legacy.
According to Diamonds Factory, "This 12-carat Sapphire engagement ring in a distinctive halo shape, surrounded by 14 precious diamonds set on an 18-carat white gold band, made headlines when she [Diana] and King Charles announced their engagement in 1981.
"A gold Cartier watch and her sapphire engagement ring were among the mementos Princess Diana left for each of her boys when she passed away. Whilst Prince Harry inherited the ring, as Prince William was first to propose, the two chose to swap pieces to allow the Duchess to continue the ring’s legacy.
"Since her engagement, The Duchess has altered the famous heirloom by adding small platinum beads inside the band to reduce its diameter to comfortably fit her finger which has had no effect on the value of this truly unique piece."
Princess Diana’s Saudi Sapphire and Diamond Suite is one of the late Princess’ most photographed jewellery sets. The stunning pieces were gifted to Diana from the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia as a wedding gift upon her marriage to the then Prince Charles in 1981 and the Princess was seen wearing them on multiple occasions.
The Diamond Factory experts share, "Made by Asprey, the set consists of a diamond-encrusted sapphire necklace with a matching pair of earrings. The additional elements of the suite—a watch set and sapphire ring were later changed into a choker (often worn as a headband by Diana) and last seen publicly when she attended her first ever Met Gala in New York in December 1996.
"Till now, this suite is still a royal favourite, with Kate Middleton captured wearing a diamond and sapphire pendant crafted from Princess Diana's famous ‘sapphire suit’ at Buckingham Palace, where she and Prince William welcomed the President and First Lady of Ukraine in 2020."
Since inheriting The King George VI Victorian Suite from her mother-in-law, the late Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Camilla has been spotted sporting the stunning sapphire jewels on multiple occasions and we can understand why. It's an absolutely stunning set.
The experts say, "This precious sapphire suite, which is another of the well-known royal suites and was given to the late Queen as a wedding gift by her father, King George VI, consists of a necklace made up of oblong sapphires surrounded by round diamonds and collets, and a pair of square sapphire and diamond earrings.
"After the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Camilla wore the Belgian Sapphire Tiara and the diamond necklace without the large pendant in 2022 at the South African State Banquet at Buckingham Palace."
"Given to Queen Victoria by her husband Prince Albert the day before their wedding in 1840, this sapphire brooch was handed down to the late Queen Elizabeth, becoming one of her most worn pieces after her accession in 1952," explains the Diamond Factory experts.
The stunning Prince Albert Sapphire Brooch has been seen on many different royals, from Queen Elizabeth II, who had an incredible collection of brooches, and Princess Anne, all the way back to Queen Victoria. The sapphire brooch is believed to be connected to a beautiful piece that Prince Albert gave to Queen Victoria on the eve of their wedding ceremony in 1840.
The experts add, "The brooch entails a large oblong sapphire surrounded by twelve round diamonds and was last worn by the Queen during her annual Christmas broadcast in 2019. Since then, Queen Camilla has worn the special heirloom during The British state visit to Germany in March 2023."
Much like Princess Diana, though perhaps less famously, Princess Anne's engagement rings both feature sapphire jewels. The Princess Royal is a huge fan of sapphires in general and it seen wearing them in multiple different jewellery pieces, though her inclusion of them in both her engagements rings really proves her penchant for the gem.
The Diamond Factory experts explain, "A clear fan of the gemstone, both of Princess Anne’s engagement rings from ex-husband, Captain Mark Phillips and her current husband, Tim Laurence, have featured sapphire centre stones, breaking royal tradition.
"Her first engagement ring featured three same-sized stones in a row, alternating between diamond and sapphire. The second ring from her current marriage is slightly more unique, featuring a cabochon stone with three small diamonds on each side.
"The fact that she has been proposed to twice with this precious gemstone strongly suggests this colour gemstone holds a special meaning to Princess Anne."