Pick the kind, then the color, then ask whether the sapphires were grown or mined
Choose the kind first. A sapphire cross, heart or flower is the everyday necklace, and those three made up more than eight in ten of what sold in the year. Then match the color she already wears. A tennis chain is a heavier buy, close to 47 grams. Before you pay, ask us whether the sapphires were grown or mined.
Which color: blue, pink or red sapphire necklace, and the names in the titles
Match the color she already wears. Pink and blue sold about evenly in the year, and red came next. In the titles, water, ocean and celestial mean blue. Blood red is the deepest red, and fire a brighter one. Grass and forest are green, galaxy is purple, and rainbow chains mix several colors. Ruby in a title means red too, since ruby is red corundum, the same mineral as sapphire. White gold cools a blue stone, and yellow gold warms a red one.
Crosses: mini, 2 row, oval or emerald cut sapphire cross necklace
Crosses sold most here in the year, and the small ones led. Eight stand 1 inch tall. A mini on its own weighs under 2 grams, made for a thin chain. Most others run 1.1 to 1.3 inches. A 2 row cross carries two lines of princess cut stones. Emerald cut names the shape, a long rectangle cut in steps, not the stone. The four oval crosses are the big ones, in silver or 10K. Two crosses titled Set come on a chain. Ask us whether the others come with one. Every cross also sits in our men's case.
Heart, flower or bezel: a small sapphire pendant necklace for a gift
For a gift, take a heart. The pink sapphire heart was the single piece bought most in the year. Most hearts measure 0.6 inch across, light enough for every day. Nearly every flower is 10 mm across, about a fingernail, and most come in yellow gold alone. A bezel drop holds its stone in a gold rim that guards the edge. Few heart or flower listings print the chain's length, so ask. When you cannot ask her, 18 inches rests at the collarbone.
Tennis necklaces: 10 or 20 pointer sapphire tennis chain, width and weight
A sapphire tennis chain sets a single stone in every link, and every one here is 14K. Half are 4 mm wide, a bold line. For a quieter one, take 3 mm. The middle weight is about 47 grams. A pointer is a hundredth of a carat per stone, so a 20 pointer stone weighs a fifth of a carat. A graduated chain sets its biggest stones at the center. Nearly every chain comes in one length, most often 22 inches, so check it before you pay. Nearly all sit in our men's case too.
Natural or lab: grown or mined sapphires, heat, and the diamonds beside them
Ask before you pay. The titles do not say whether the sapphires grew in a lab or in the ground, and the specs name only the diamonds' origin. A lab stone matches a mined one in makeup and hardness, and its color is usually cleaner. Heat is common on mined sapphire, to deepen the color, so ask about it too. Most diamonds are natural by their specs, and two titles say lab-grown. Name the piece on the live chat, or call or text 212-872-9692 from 10 AM ET.