Sapphires have historically been the symbol of nobility, truth, sincerity, and faithfulness. They have decorated the robes of royalty and clergy for centuries, and have been given most recently as engagement rings to the likes of Lady Diana Spencer, Penelope Cruz, Victoria Beckham, and Lady Kate Middleton.

The most renowned sapphires come from Kashmir and Burma, have a pure blue color and a unique velvety luster. Other sources are Sri Lanka (Ceylon), Madagascar, Thailand, Australia, and Nigeria. The sapphires from Kashmir are the rarest and have a superb cornflower blue color and a sleepy quality that has been described as velvety. Some Burmese and Ceylon sapphires have been known to have these velvety qualities.