Pink is the new red
Some Ancient Asian traditions once believed pink sapphires were the ultimate symbol of love, with its beauty compared to the sacred lotus flower. Gems can range from the palest of pinks to vibrant magenta colours.
Proof that sapphires were presented as engagement rings dates back to Ancient Rome.
Grace Kelly's enviable jewellery box featured pieces with pink sapphires and diamonds, such as the example above. In 2012, Montblanc created the ''Collection Princesse Grace de Monaco,'' a limited-edition jewellery collection embellished with filigree petal cut stones, honoring the Grace de Monaco pink rose, a flower named after Kelly in 1956 for her wedding day. Reflecting Kelly's style, diamonds and pink sapphires were strong influences in the collection. Montblanc teamed up with the Princess Grace Foundation-USA, which assists emerging talents in the performing arts, to create the divine collection.
Sri Lanka and Myanmar were traditionally where pink sapphires were mined, however, since the 1990s, Madagascar has become a great source.
Orange is the happiest colour
From princesses to the deepest pits of the ocean, coral, which was especially popular in Ancient Egypt and then in the Victorian period, is an example of beauty growing out of darkness. The underwater caves of Alghero, Sardinia, known as the Coral Riviera, Strait of Gibraltar, Cape Verde Islands and the western Pacific oceans around Japan and Taiwan are all home to this enigmatic stone.
Yellow, or rather yellow gold
Patented in 1955 and released in 1956, the President watch was one of Rolex's most complex. It featured a Day-Date with automatic movement, day and date discs, and, in 1969, Rolex introduced a concealed clasp. It was this year that the watch became prominently known as the President.
The President was on the wrist of everyone, from athletes, Hollywood's elite to, well, presidents with presidents Kennedy, Johnson, Ford, Reagan, Nixon to Roosevelt all having sported the Day-Date.
Green-eyed lover
The history of the emerald dates all the way back to 2.97 billion years ago, in South Africa, where the oldest emeralds are found. Pharaoh Cleopatra was as much known for her emeralds as she was for her winged eyeliner. During her reign, she took control of the emerald mines which were near the Red Sea from the Greeks.
No doubt her most iconic cinema performance, Elizabeth Taylor played Cleopatra in the 1963 film, alongside her husband Richard Burton. For the film, Taylor was adorned in emeralds, a style she continued on the red carpet. In 2011, Elizabeth Taylor's emerald pendant broke records for the stone, with emeralds selling for $280 000 per carat.
Blue Valentine
Tanzanite was first coined by Tiffany & Co. and became associated with the jewelers thanks to a publicity campaign in 1968. The first tanzanite gems were believed to have been found in 1967, in the hills of Merelani in northern Tanzania, which continues to this day to be the only source for the blue gem.
From Bolivia, with love
Throughout history, certain stones and gems have been associated with important female leaders, ametrine is no exception. The gem, which is a mix of amethyst and citrine colours, is believed to have first been introduced to Europe as a gift to the Spanish Queen from a conquistador, the explorers of the Spanish Empire or the Portuguese Empire, after he had received a mine in Bolivia as a dowry when he married a princess from the native Ayoreos tribe.
Today, the Anahi mine in Bolivia is still the only place ametrine is mined.
All pieces featured will be part of Seized Assets Auctioneers sales from 10th to 13th February. Check out the full catalogue here.
