Kashmir sapphire- The precious gem

Kashmir sapphire is considered to be one of the most famous gemstones in the world. Kashmir sapphire is so rare that it is hardly ever seen. One exception to this is the appearance of Kashmir sapphires in museums or various photographs. However, the discovery of new sapphires in Kashmir is very rare.

Why is Kashmir sapphire  famous?

Kashmir sapphires are valued as significantly as they are because they contain only the best specimens. These specimens are noted to have a superior cornflower blue tint with a sleepy quality to them. Most describe them as ‘blue velvet’. While some Burmese and Ceylonese sapphires come relatively close in quality with Kashmir sapphires, only Kashmir Sapphire continues its reign of King of the Sapphire World. The extreme rarity of this valuable gemstone surrounds them with an almost mythical allure.

Where do they come from?

Kashmir sapphires descend from a remote part of the Himalayan Mountains known as the Zanskar range. The mines located in the Zanskar range, while widely known for bright, blue sapphires, are also known to produce it. When the Maharaja of Kashmir heard of the presence of the bright blue beautiful sapphires in Zanskar range, he posted guards outside of the mines to protect their value. From the year 1882 to 1887, the mines were worked day and night throughout the summer months until the mines were depleted.

It wasn’t until 1887 that a geologist discovered that the sapphire stones, some as large as eggplants, originated from two separate locations. One location, known as the “Old Mine” included the pits within the valley and a second location which included the valley floor just below the Old Mine.

To access the mine, the journey to begin with is quite dangerous and challenging. The journey started by travelling over the Chenab and Wardwan river to cross a rope bridge which was elevated 11,550 ft in the mountains. The Chenab river ran through deep and quite narrow canyons which made travelling even more difficult. This portion of the trip took five days, even though it was only 24 miles long. The mines have been worked many times since these dates, but few sapphires have been produced as a result.

The rarity of the Kashmir Sapphire

The Kashmir sapphire is the most famous type of sapphire in the world. Newly discovered ones are extremely rare as the material which still exists was discovered over 100 years ago. They are highly sought after because they are the epitome of a near perfect sapphire if there ever was one. They have a superior cornflower blue hue to them with a mysterious and almost sleepy quality. Some gem enthusiasts describe these as ‘blue velvet”.

While some of the very best Burmese and Ceylonese sapphires come close to being compared to Kashmir sapphire, it continues to be the pinnacle of all sapphires in existence. The extreme rarity of the gem gives them almost a mythological reputation.

Theft of Kashmir Sapphires

Theft of the sapphires is always a constant problem, even today. There have been many attempts by gangs of hardy smuggles who are ready to pounce to take advantage of the remote location of the mine. Today the entrances of the mine are heavily guarded to prevent anyone from entering. The area is under a close vigil by a small group of private police.

The story of the most recent theft of Kashmir sapphire reads eerily similar to a mystery novel with plot twists and turns and a second theft. It takes place in the year 1996 when Horovitz & Totah Jewelers held an auction for a Cartier bracelet with 65.16 carat Kashmir sapphires in a cushion cut. Days before the anticipated auction in Geneva, the auction house, Anti quorum had this piece on display at the Four Seasons Hotel in Milan. More than 50 people were in attendance in the same room when the Kashmir sapphire bracelet disappeared.

The jewelers insured the bracelet for $1.8 million and put the incident in the past. It wasn’t until November of 2015 when H&T jewelers received an email with a scheduled viewing of a 59.57 carat Kashmir sapphire at an auction in New York that they considered was the original. Even though the stone was smaller than the one that was stolen, H&T jewelers didn’t think anything of it, because when gemstones are stolen, thieves often-times file them down to make them weigh less, or have a different shape

The hallmark of the Kashmir Sapphire is its velvet-like texture with a slight haziness in appearance. When under magnification this is shown to be many fine particles in various directions. We have discussed the lack of production from the Kashmir Old Mines, but is it completely dry, or are there riches that still lie waiting to be discovered for those that are willing to explore them even further?

The answer to this isn’t as simple as some may think. That is because it depends on the nature of how they are made. Kashmir sapphires are made when pegmatites cut through limestone. Heat from their making results in the limestone metamorphism into marble when corundum begins to form at the edges. This results in heat occurring in more than only one area. This means the discovery of sapphires in the old Kashmir mines may be much more widespread than many originally thought.