Sapphires are September’s birthstone and as far as our clients and friends are concerned, right now there’s only one type of sapphire on people’s lips – peacock sapphires. But what are these gems that everybody is currently obsessed with?

As we’ve mentioned before, sapphires come in a large variety of colours; every colour of the rainbow, in fact. Most people think of sapphires in the context of the colour blue, but yellow, pink, green and orange sapphires are all easily available and popular in their own right. The only colour that sapphire doesn’t occur in is red – because red corundum is ruby, which you may have seen us mention before.

Sapphires have a hardness of 9 out of 10 on the mineral and gemstone so, as the second hardest gemstone after diamonds, they’re perfect for engagement rings. Sapphires have always been popular for engagement rings, particularly since Princess Diana’s engagement back in 1981. Traditionally, blue sapphires have been the most popular, but as we move through the 21stcentury, we’re seeing people pay less attention to tradition as they explore more creative jewellery designs.

Oval peacock sapphire engagement ring

Oval peacock sapphire and round diamond halo engagement ring in 18ct white gold.

Ever since we posted a picture of some peacock sapphires that we were using for some design inspiration, we’ve been inundated with enquiries about them, and we’re not surprised. They are, after all, quite stunning.

Peacock sapphires South Africa

Loose teal (peacock) sapphires available at Katannuta Diamonds.

Essentially, the peacock sapphires contain both green and blue hues, which, when caught in the correct light, give off a spectacular teal colour. Typically, sapphires exhibiting multiple colours have been considered less desirable than single colour sapphires – i.e. those that are uniformly blue or uniformly green. As a result, peacock sapphires are quite affordable when compared to traditional blue sapphires.

A 1ct peacock sapphire will cost approximately R5000 at current market prices. That’s significantly cheaper than a 1ct diamond (which would be at least R50,000 for a very average quality stone) and cheaper than a traditional vivid blue sapphire. Depending on what kind of ring design you are looking at, together with ring size and choice of metal, the cost on a peacock sapphire ring would start at approximately R10,000.

Sapphires are an excellent choice for engagement rings due to their hardness and durability, and a peacock sapphire engagement ring would be a great choice when you consider affordability, practicality and the uniqueness of the colour. We have a great selection of loose peacock sapphires that you can choose from, in oval, round, pear and emerald cut shapes.

Round, oval, emerald and pear-cut peacock sapphires now in stock.

Contact us today to set an appointment for your own private consultation and let us design your perfect peacock sapphire jewellery creation – whether it’s a ring, earrings or a pendant, the choice is yours. Browse some Pinterest inspiration below and let us know what designs you love best.