‘Sapphire’ will take you on a journey of the gem, from antiquity to the present day. We delve into the unexplained talismanic powers bestowed on sapphire during the Middle Ages while being treated with caution in other parts of the world. Sapphire was often the stone of choice for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, and its popularity has continued with other members of the royal family. We look at jewellery collections of the glitterati socialites, such as Daisy Fellowes, the Duchess of Windsor and Elizabeth Taylor, and hear about the lure of collecting sapphires for three private collectors today, who have generously and for the first time allowed their sapphire jewels to be documented.
Joanna’s personal journeys to Myanmar (Burma), Sri Lanka and Madagascar explore the mining of sapphires today giving a window into the extraordinary world of sapphire and its many colours. Sapphire joins Emerald and Ruby to complete her trilogy of books that celebrate these gemstones.