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From the Saudi Arabian set: sapphire and diamond necklace with earrings. Diana, the Princess of Wales and I share something in common ... our mutual love of blue sapphires . Reportedly, Diana favored the gems because they matched her eyes, whereas, I adore all things blue and sparkly. Sapphires (like rubies are corundums and the 2nd hardest stones after diamonds (which btw are crystalline forms of pure carbon). Whereas, tons of diamonds exist in the world, sapphires are rare (followed by rubies, then emeralds).  It takes Mother Nature thousands of years to form the precious stones. The intense blue color of the sapphire is caused by the addition of titaniun and iron to the mineral corundum.  A sapphire's color is the single most important characteristic in determining its value. More vital than it's clarity, since unlike diamonds, there are few clean natural sapphires  ( or  rubies)  in nature. While sapphires are mined all over the world, the top quality ones ...

When a royal couple gets engaged, count on seeing a gorgeous ring. Although diamonds are the hardest, most durable stones, there are plenty of diamonds in the world. Sapphires are rarer, which is why royalty often chooses a sapphire engagement ring. For fun, let's look at several famous royal rings:  Kate Middleton (2011) ,   now Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge - A 12-carat sapphire with 14 diamonds that once belonged to  fiancé  Prince William's mother, Lady Diana Spencer (1981) , is a favorite. Its creation was inspired by a sapphire brooch which Queen Victoria received on her wedding day from new husband Prince Albert that today is often worn by her great, great granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II. I adore blue sapphires, and you don't need to be engaged to a prince in order to wear a royalty inspired knockoff. Trust me! (In a window of a Madison Avenue jewelry store near my home sits a 12-carat Ceylon sapphire ring exactly like the royal engagement ring. I'm goi...