For a sapphire gift where color quality matters, the most valued range is "royal blue" or "cornflower blue," a vivid, medium-dark blue with strong saturation and no visible zoning.
A Storied Heritage
Wartime restrictions on platinum in the early twentieth century created the conditions for white gold's development: jewelers needed a visually comparable alternative, the alloy was formalized, and the metal that began as a substitute became a permanent fixture in fine jewelry on its own terms.
Style Notes
Yellow gold introduces a warm color cast into the light reflected off and through a colored gemstone. White gold's neutral finish does not. The result is that a colored stone set in 14kt white gold reads closer to its actual hue, with less visual competition from the metal.