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Royal engagement puts sapphire in spotlight

Nicola Cerrone of high-end jewellery retailer Cerrone believes Middleton’s status as a fashion icon will prompt many young women to consider the use of sapphire in rings and gifts.

Since the engagement, Cerrone has received increased enquiries about coloured gemstones.

He said, “I think this engagement will influence Australian couples to consider coloured stone rings and family heirlooms as engagement rings.”

He believes the industry would positively benefit from people acknowledging that jewellery pieces could be lifetime investments with superior craftsmanship and sentimental value.

Alana Chang Weirick, director of Australian supplier Moi Moi Fine Jewellery, also anticipated an increase in requests for custom-made sapphire pieces as a result of the royal engagement.

In the past, Moi Moi had created sapphire rings similar to Princess Diana’s due to its historical significance. When the young royal couple’s engagement was recently announced, Moi Moi responded by replenishing its stock and designing a replica sapphire and moissanite ring.

“Sapphire is a perfect stone because its navy colour goes with any skin tone or outfit and it’s so classic in design,” Weirick said.  

Paterson Fine Jewellery has also got in on the act, collaborating with Swarovski Gems to design a limited range of tribute sapphire jewellery called ‘The Royal Blue’, inspired by Princess Diana’s engagement ring.

Each piece is set into rhodium-plated sterling silver and feature large, lab-created oval sapphires.

Angela Han, head of product development and marketing at Paterson said, “Kate Middleton, being a young trendsetter in her own right, is an aspirational figure with lots of younger and mature women alike seeing her as the perfect understated glamour icon.”

“Our range is a tribute to both the celebration of this royal engagement and also an ode to Kate’s style,” Han added.

London-headquartered fine jewellers Mark Milton said it will launch sapphire cluster rings in its upcoming catalogue but general manager Heidi Plentinger said she did not feel younger Australian couples had an outward affinity for the British royal family.

History of the sapphire ring

Kate Middleton's sapphire engagement ring is the original ring that Prince Charles used to propose to Diana in 1981. The ring weighs 18 carats and is surrounded by 14 small diamonds in an elegant cluster setting.