Most Expensive Sapphires Of All Time

The list below shows some of the most expensive sapphires of all time. There are however many other sapphires that deserve to be somewhere on the list such as the Logan sapphire which for weight alone would be only second to the star of Adam at 422.99 carats. 

 

Top-tier sapphires seem to be witnessing an increase in value year over year, with record breaking prices continuing to be seen at auction. 

1 

The Stewart sapphire is arguably the most expensive sapphire of all time because of its long connection with Royalty. It weighs 104 carats and is fixed in prime position at the back of the imperial state crown. Originally set in the crown of King Alexander The Second in 1214. It was then claimed by Edward the First of England in 1296. 

It was king David II of Scotland’s sister Marjorie Bruce who named it the Stewart sapphire after her son Robert the Second who was the first monarch of the house of Stewart. 

In 1838, Queen Victoria had the sapphire set in the front of the imperial state crown but in 1909 it was moved to the back to make way for the 317 carat Cullinan II diamond. 

According to Hello Magazine the imperial crown is estimated to be worth up to £5 Billion, although a sale will likely never come about. 

2 

The Star Of Adam was found in a mine near Ratnapura, Sri Lanka in 2015 weighing 1404 carats. It is a star sapphire, exhibiting a phenomenon called asterism, which is an optical star like effect within the stone. It was named “ The Star Of Adam” after a Muslim belief that Adam arrived in Sri Lanka after he was sent away from the garden of Eden. It is deemed the largest star sapphire to have ever been discovered & is estimated to be worth 100-175 million USD according to the BBC. 

3 

The Blue Belle of Asia sapphire weighing 392.52 carats, is set in a diamond & white gold necklace. It was discovered in 1926 in Ratnapura, Sri Lanka. It was originally sold to Lord Nuffield. Then it exchanged hands many times throughout the 20th century to today. The cornflower blue cushion cut gem sold for 17.3 Million USD at Christie’s auction house in 2014. To date this is the highest sum recorded that has ever been paid for a sapphire. 

4 

The Regent Kashmir sapphire in 2025 sold for 9.5 million USD. The 35.09 carat stone broke the record price per carat ever recorded in history, according to Forbes. The record has now been set at just over 271,000 USD per carat compared to the previous record of just over 243,000 USD per carat. 

4 

The Richelieu sapphires sold at Sotheby’s auction house in 2013 for 8.4 million USD. The richelieu sapphires are set in a pair of drop earrings, featuring 2 cushion cut natural unheated Kashmir sapphires weighing 26.66 & 20.88 carats. 

The sapphires were given to Odile de La Chapelle de Jumilhac de Richelieu in 1905 as a wedding gift when she married Count Gabriel de La Rochefoucauld. 

5

A sapphire without a particular name was an extremely rare find in the Mogok mine of Burma that usually produces rubies. The loose oval stone was sold at Sotheby’s auction house, not set into any jewellery at the point of sale. The sapphire weighing 114.73 carats was sold for 7.2 million USD in 2013. 

5 

The Jewel Of Kashmir sold for 6.7 million USD. It is a natural unheated blue Kashmir sapphire weighing 27.68 carats in a square emerald cut set on a white gold ring. Its rich velvety cornflower blue hue seems to glow from within. 

6 

The Elizabeth Taylor sapphire Bvlgari necklace was repurchased for 5.9 million USD at Christie’s auction house by Bulgari in 2011. It was given to the British-American Hollywood star as a 40th birthday present from her husband in 1972. The 52.72 carat sugarloaf cabochon sapphire is set on a pavé-set diamond octagonal pendant necklace.   

7 

The Oscar & Heyman sapphire ring sold for 5.1 million USD in 2014. It’s an eye-clean, richly saturated velvety blue stone from the Kashmir mines of Northern India that weighs 28.18 carats. The sapphire at the centre of the ring, believed to have originated from Burma, is surrounded by 32 tapered baguette diamonds making a beautiful cocktail ring. 

8

The Cote D’Azur brooch has a large Burmese central sapphire that weighs 58.29 carats. It was sold for 4.5 million USD at Christie’s auction house in 2013. 

The large Burmese unheated cushion cut stone has excellent colour & clarity. The central stone is accented by a variety of other gems in a floral branch motif, including various colours of sapphire, tsavorite garnets, emeralds, tourmalines, coloured diamonds & spinels. It was designed by designer Anna Hu whose works have been worn by various celebrities & a few members of international nobility. 

9

The Kelly Sapphire was sold for 4.2 million USD in 2015. Designed by Cartier, the platinum ring features a 21.71 carat classic Kashmir cushion-cut sapphire flanked by two diamonds. The Kelly’s are known for their Fortune 500 company that employs 550,000 people globally. 

10 

John D Rockefeller bought, what became known as the Rockefeller sapphire, in 1934 from an Indian maharaja and it remained in the family's hands for 27 years until 1971. Believed to have come from Burma, the sapphire subsequently changed hands multiple times before Tiffany’s set the rectangular cut sapphire weighing 62.02 carats into a platinum ring. The Rockefeller sapphire ring was sold at Christie’s auction house for 3.03 million USD in 2001. When the Rockefeller sapphire was first sold for 2.85 million USD in 1988, it set a world record price for a sapphire sold at auction at the time.