Gold Sapphire Pin
A gold sapphire pin brings together deep blue stones and precious metals in wearable forms from the Victorian era onwards.
Gold Sapphire Pin
A gold sapphire pin covers a range of antique and vintage brooches, bars and decorative fasteners centred on blue or pink sapphires set in yellow, white or rose gold. These pieces span late Victorian designs, Edwardian bows, and mid-century window motifs.
The most common forms you will encounter on this page are bar brooches, crescent mounts and elaborate butterfly or crown configurations. Makers paired the central sapphire with diamonds, pearls or turquoise to accent the primary gemstone.
Dating ranges from the late nineteenth century through to the mid-twentieth century, capturing distinct stylistic shifts from foliate motifs to geometric arrangements.
Materials and construction
Craftsmen utilised various purities of gold, including 9ct, 12ct, 15ct and 18ct yellow and white gold, occasionally incorporating silver settings to enhance the brilliance of old-cut diamonds.
Stones were securely claw-set or bezel-set into detailed frames, often featuring hand-carved foliate patterns, double bars, or delicate wirework crescents that supported both pearls and sapphires.
Listings span the Victorian, Edwardian, Art Deco and Mid-Century periods, utilising gold, silver, pearls and diamonds.
Distinguishing quality
The distinction between standard examples and superior pieces rests on the provenance and weight of the stones, particularly unheated sapphires paired with substantial diamond carat weights.
Fine construction involves crisp metalwork, secure pin mechanisms and balanced proportions in complex multi-stone layouts like butterflies, crowns and floral wreaths.
Gubelin
The Gold Sapphire Pin Glossary
- Bar brooch
- A slender horizontal pin featuring one or more central gemstones mounted directly on a rigid metal bar.
- Old cut
- A diamond facet arrangement typical of antique jewellery, characterised by a higher crown and smaller table than modern cuts.
- Crescent brooch
- A curved, moon-shaped pin frequently set with graduated pearls and sapphires popular during the Victorian and Edwardian periods.
- Navette
- A boat-shaped ring or brooch mounting that tapers to points at both ends.
- Unheated sapphire
- A natural gemstone that has undergone no thermal enhancement to improve its colour or clarity.
Gold Sapphire Pin: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I wear a gold sapphire pin?
These pieces pin securely to lapels, scarves or heavy knitwear using traditional hinged pins and safety catches.
Ensure the fabric is thick enough to support the weight of multi-stone gold and diamond brooches without sagging.
Are these pins made of solid gold?
The listings feature pieces constructed from solid gold alloys ranging from 9ct up to 18ct yellow, white and rose gold.
Assay marks and hallmarks where present confirm the metal standard used by the period jewellers.
How do I date a sapphire brooch?
Dating relies on stylistic clues like foliate motifs from the Victorian era or geometric lines from the Art Deco period.
Pin mechanisms, mounting techniques and accompanying stone cuts such as old mine cuts also help establish the era.
Can these brooches be worn as pendants?
Certain pieces are constructed with integrated loops or fittings that allow them to function as both brooches and pendants.
Check the reverse of the piece for hinged loops or bail attachments designed to accommodate a chain.