How popular are sapphire engagement rings?

Princess Diana had one. Princess Kate has (the same) one. Victoria Beckham has one. Elizabeth Hurley has one. Sapphire engagement rings, it seems, are a real up-and-coming trend. But for those without the millions of dollars and the celebrity lifestyles, exactly how popular are they?

The simple answer to that question is that sapphires are currently the second-most popular engagement ring gemstone, and there’s no prizes for guessing which rock is first. But while diamonds still sit on the overwhelming majority of newly engaged fingers, sapphire does beat out the likes of emerald, ruby and amethyst to take second place. And the aforementioned celebrity factor has been seen to contribute greatly to this popularity.

When Princess Diana chose her sapphire engagement ring in 1981 she shocked a few people. Firstly she bought it off the shelf, making her the first royal to buy a standard retail engagement ring, rather than have one made. Secondly, it wasn’t a diamond. The blue rock and the manner in which it was purchased was the ultimate statement in individuality. Here was a woman who wouldn’t conform to the standard, stuffy image of the royal family.

Thanks to Princess Di sapphire engagement rings experienced a surge in popularity in the 80s before the trend died down a little. But when Princess Diana’s son, Prince William, presented his fiancé Kate Middleton with his late mother’s ring, the surge came again. Blue was the new black, or diamond.

Currently close to 90% of all white gold engagement rings feature a diamond, with a little under 10% featuring a sapphire, and other gemstones making up the last slice of the pie. This makes choosing a sapphire ring in Sydney both a popular yet individual option.