Sapphire

One of the island’s most distinctive coastlines, where the sapphire waters retain their warmth until the onset of winter

A sapphire-and-diamond brooch and matching ear clips which once belonged to Russia's Romanov imperial dynasty were snapped up at a Sotheby's auction on Nov. 10 for nearly $900,000.

A jewelry set worn by French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte's adopted daughter sold for $1.65 million in Geneva on May 12, soaring way above the pre-auction estimate.

Marking the 200th anniversary of Napoleon's death, Christie's auction house sold the nine imperial jewels adorned with sapphires and diamonds, which were from the collection of his adopted daughter Stephanie de Beauharnais.

A Savoy royal tiara which everyone could try on via Instagram, and the largest Kashmir sapphire ever auctioned sold for millions of dollars each on May 11.

The tiara went for $1.6 million and the sapphire fetched $3.9 million when the historic treasures went under the hammer at Sotheby's auction house in Geneva.

The Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) launches a new series of banknotes. The common design and basic features of the new series banknote are preserved without any substantial changes to the banknotes that are in circulation. Changes in the new series' banknotes stem mainly from the introduction of new security features, the bank said. The banknote will be in circulation from 28 December 2018.

Queen Elizabeth II, the world's longest reigning sovereign, on Feb. 6 set a new record as the first British monarch to reach her sapphire jubilee, with 65 years on the throne.

The queen, now 90, rose to the throne in 1952 at the age of 25 upon the premature death of her father, King George VI.

A sapphire known as the Blue Belle of Asia has set a new world record after selling for more than 17 million dollars at a rare jewellery auction in Geneva, Christie's said.
     
The 392.52-carat gem was snapped up by a private collector Tuesday night for 16.965 million Swiss Francs ($17.29 million, 13.87 million euros), the highest ever for a sapphire at auction.