46.26 CT Pear Cabochon Sapphire Earrings in 18kt White Gold.

These sapphire and emerald earrings are a one-of-a-kind pair of long drop earrings in 18kt white gold. Each one starts with a sliced rough emerald at the ear, continues through a ladder of emerald baguettes and small diamond bars, and ends in a large faceted pear-shaped blue sapphire. The two sapphire drops weigh 46.26 carats together. Everything below describes this exact pair, which you can see at our Boca Raton showroom.

Sapphire and emerald earrings at a glance

Here is what the pair is made of, from the top of the ear down.

At the top of each earring sits a sliced rough emerald, a flat section cut across a natural emerald crystal and held in white gold claws. The two slices are about 6 carats each.

Below it hangs a ladder: two tiers of paired emerald baguettes, eight baguettes in all, separated by three bars of small round diamonds. There are twenty-four diamonds across the pair, each about a hundredth of a carat.

At the bottom is the main event: a pear-shaped blue sapphire on each earring, faceted across its face and held in claws. The two sapphires total 46.26 carats, roughly 23 carats each.

The metal is 18kt white gold, about 16 grams in total according to our listing, and the pair carries more than 60 carats of gemstones altogether.

Why these are pear sapphire earrings

The pear shape, also called a teardrop, is the natural shape for a drop earring. The rounded end carries the weight at the bottom, while the point leads the eye up toward the face. That is why pear sapphire earrings hang so cleanly and move so gracefully.

These pear sapphire earrings use a cut you do not often see. Instead of a deep faceted gem, each sapphire is a broad, relatively flat pear with its face covered in shallow diamond-shaped facets, a style related to the rose cut. It shows off the size of the stone and gives the surface a soft, shimmering pattern as the light moves across it.

The color is a deep, inky blue with a velvety look, the traditional sapphire blue that has been prized for centuries. At about 23 carats each, these are very large sapphires for earrings, and it is their size and color that make the pair a statement.

The Gemological Institute of America describes sapphire as a variety of the mineral corundum, 9 on the Mohs hardness scale. Only diamond is harder, which makes sapphire an excellent choice for jewelry that will be worn.

How sapphire drop earrings are built

Big sapphire drop earrings have to be engineered, not just designed. A 23 carat sapphire is heavy, and a long earring puts all of that weight on a single point.

Here the sapphires hang from a small jump ring below the last diamond bar, so each drop swings freely rather than sitting stiff. The ladder above is built as a rigid frame, which keeps the earring straight and stops it from twisting on the ear.

Each sapphire is held in a series of fine claws around its edge. Claws hold the stone securely while covering as little of its face as possible, so you see the full size of the gem.

Because sapphire drop earrings this long carry real weight, the posts are fitted with large earring backs that spread the load across the back of the earlobe. That keeps them comfortable for an evening and helps the earrings hang forward instead of drooping.

The emeralds: sliced rough tops and a baguette ladder

The emeralds are what make these different from ordinary sapphire earrings. Emerald and sapphire are a classic pairing, green against blue, and here the two are balanced from top to bottom.

The top stones are sliced emeralds. Rather than being cut into a faceted gem, a natural emerald crystal has been sectioned into flat slices, keeping its irregular outline and its natural inclusions, which appear as darker flecks and veils inside the green. That rough, organic look is intentional, and it contrasts beautifully with the crisp lines below.

The ladder uses eight emerald baguettes, long rectangular step cuts set in pairs. They are lighter and brighter in tone than the sliced tops, and together they carry the green down toward the sapphire.

Emeralds are softer than sapphires and naturally included, so they need a little more care. The GIA's emerald guide explains why nearly all emeralds contain inclusions and why they should be kept away from ultrasonic cleaners.

Diamond accents and 18kt white gold earrings

Twenty-four small round diamonds are set in three short bars on each earring, between the emerald tiers and above the sapphire. They are small on purpose: they add sparkle and definition without competing with the colored stones.

These are 18kt white gold earrings. 18kt gold is 75 percent pure gold, richer than 14kt, and in white gold it is usually finished with rhodium for a bright, cool surface. That cool white frames both the green and the blue without warming either color.

Weight matters with 18kt white gold earrings of this length. At about 16 grams of gold for the pair, the frame is substantial enough to hold the stones securely and keep the ladders rigid.

Over time the rhodium finish on white gold can wear and let a slightly warmer tone show through. We can re-plate white gold in our store to restore it.

Blue and green: a pairing with a long history

Putting sapphire beside emerald is one of the oldest color combinations in fine jewelry. Blue and green sit next to each other on the color wheel, so they harmonize rather than clash, and the pairing has been used for everything from royal parures to Art Deco brooches.

Designers of the 1920s were especially fond of it. Bright emerald baguettes, crisp diamond lines and bold colored drops are hallmarks of that period, and the ladder on these earrings owes a clear debt to it. The sliced rough emerald tops then pull the design forward into a more organic, modern style.

The result is a pair of sapphire and emerald earrings that feels both classic and current. It would sit comfortably in a vintage-inspired wardrobe or next to very contemporary clothes.

Color balance is what makes the combination work here. The deep blue sapphire is the heaviest color and sits at the bottom, where it anchors the earring. The lighter green baguettes sit in the middle, and the richer green of the emerald slice sits right at the ear, so the eye travels the full length of the piece.

How to wear sapphire and emerald earrings

Long drop earrings like these are made for evenings, events and occasions when you want your jewelry to be the thing people remember. They look best with hair up or tucked back, and with a simple neckline that gives them room.

Because the pair carries both green and blue, it works with a surprising range of colors: navy, black, white, emerald green, and jewel tones generally. With a plain black dress, sapphire and emerald earrings can carry the whole look on their own.

If you would like to see how the length and weight feel before you decide, try them on in our showroom. Drop earrings look very different on the ear than in a photograph.

Choosing sapphire earrings

If you are shopping for sapphire earrings, think first about size and style. Stud sapphire earrings are for every day; drop sapphire earrings like these are for making an entrance.

Next, look at how well the two earrings match. In any pair of sapphire drop earrings the two stones sit side by side, a few inches apart, so a difference in size, shape or color is easy to see. Compare the two drops face up and from the side, under both daylight and indoor light, and make sure the outlines of the pears are balanced. On this pair the two sapphires are close in size, outline and tone, and the faceting pattern is similar on both.

Then look at color. The most valued sapphires are a strong blue that is neither too dark nor too pale. These sapphires sit at the deep end of the range, which gives them a rich, velvety look under warm light and a darker, more dramatic tone in low light.

Finally, ask about treatment. Most sapphires on the market have been heated to improve their color, a long-accepted and permanent practice. The written appraisal for this pair records what is known about the stones, and we are happy to talk it through.

The International Gem Society has a thorough guide to sapphire quality if you would like to read more before visiting.

A one-of-a-kind pair

These are not production earrings. They were made as a single pair, around these particular stones, and there is no second pair waiting in a drawer.

That matters in two ways. First, the stones were chosen to go together: two sliced emeralds of similar size and outline, eight baguettes of matching tone, and two sapphire drops matched in shape and color. Matching large colored stones is slow work, because no two natural gems are identical.

Second, it means the pair you see in our showroom is the pair you take home. What you see under the loupe, and how the sapphire drop earrings look on you in the mirror, is exactly what you are buying.

If you are looking for sapphire earrings that nobody else at the event will be wearing, a one-of-a-kind pair is the surest way to get them.

Sapphire and emerald earrings as a gift

Sapphire is the birthstone for September and emerald the birthstone for May, so a pair that combines both can mark two birthdays at once, or a couple's two months.

Sapphire is also the traditional gift for a 45th wedding anniversary, and emerald for a 55th. For a milestone anniversary, a significant birthday, or a celebration that deserves a piece of jewelry with presence, pear sapphire earrings of this size make a memorable gift.

If you are buying as a surprise, ask us about the fit and weight of long drop earrings before you choose. We are happy to help you decide, and to talk about what to do if they are not quite right.

Seeing these sapphire earrings in Boca Raton

A pair of earrings this size really does need to be seen in person. You are welcome to try these sapphire and emerald earrings on at our Boca Raton showroom, look at the stones under a loupe, and see how the colors change between daylight and indoor light.

We are open Monday to Friday, 9:30 to 5:30, and Saturday, 10:30 to 4:30. Directions are on our Visit Us page.

David Stern Jewelers has served Boca Raton for over 40 years. David Stern is a GIA Graduate Gemologist, so detailed questions about the sapphires and emeralds can be answered by the person showing you the pair.

Appraisal, insurance and care

This pair includes a written jewelry appraisal by David Stern. The appraisal describes the sapphires, emeralds, diamonds and gold, and gives a replacement value for insurance. For a piece of this value, we recommend scheduling it on your insurance separately.

To clean them, wipe the sapphires and diamonds with a soft cloth, and rinse the earrings briefly in lukewarm water with a drop of mild soap. Do not soak them, and never put them in an ultrasonic or steam cleaner, which can damage emeralds. Our jewelry care guide has more detail.

Store each earring separately in a soft pouch so the sapphires cannot scratch the emeralds, and have the claws checked every so often. We offer complimentary cleaning and inspection for jewelry bought from our store.

More sapphire and emerald jewelry

If you love the deep blue of these sapphires, see our oval sapphire and diamond necklace or our sapphire ballerina ring. You can browse all our earrings for studs, hoops and other drops.

For help choosing between gemstones, our team is happy to lay out several options side by side when you visit.

Questions about these sapphire and emerald earrings