Similarly to rubies, sapphires are primarily made up of the compound corundum; a crystalline form of aluminium oxide. ‘Sapphire’ is the name given to gemstones of this composition which are not red in colour. Stones with a more pinkish hue are usually referred to as pink sapphires, with blue sapphires being the most recognisable. Sapphires attain their colour from trace elements found within the compound. For instance, iron and titanium produce a blue hue, while chromium gives rubies and pink sapphires their red/pink colour.

Blue sapphires in particular have long been associated with royalty, being worn by royals for protection during medieval times and now more so as a symbol of nobility and faithfulness.

The rarest sapphire in the world is known as the ‘padparadscha’. Orangey-pink in colour, the name translates to ‘lotus flower’ in sinhalese; the language of Sri Lanka from which they most commonly derive.