The Full Information to Shopping for Kashmir Sapphires + Store Now

One of many rarest sorts of gems on this planet, Kashmir Sapphires have lengthy been thought-about the best and most fascinating sapphire. On this article, we are going to reveal what makes this sapphire so fascinating and methods to efficiently purchase your individual Kashmir Sapphire.

This text was written collaboratively by Michael Khordipour, Afshin Shaddaie, and Benjamin Khordipour. They’re among the many world’s foremost authorities on Kashmir Sapphires.

Historical past of Kashmir Sapphires

Kashmir sapphires’ historical past began in 1880 within the Kashmir area on the Indian subcontinent. A landslide atop the Himalayas revealed an uncommon sort of rocks underneath the same old layer of soil. These rocks have been nearly utterly naked aside from the occasional protruding blue stones.

It took the locals an inexpensive time to comprehend that the stones have been sapphire. This caught the attention of the Maharajah (a regional ruler in India), who despatched a regiment of guards to guard the mine and miners to dig out extra of the sapphires.

By the top of 1887, the well-known Kashmir Mine was exhausted. Hungry for extra, the Maharajah sought the help of the British, who had dominated India for greater than a decade. And with the assistance of British geologists, they discovered a brand new mine within the valley under. Nonetheless, they rapidly exhausted the opposite mine, too.

To this present day, no different Kashmir deposits have been discovered. All that is still is what is obtainable for buy or in personal collections.

The Timeline of Kashmir Sapphire Historical past

Right here is the timeline of the occasions that led to the invention and depletion of Kashmir Sapphires:

• 1880. Discovery of the primary Kashmir Mine.
• 1882. The biggest Kashmir Mining discoveries. Most Kashmir gems have been mined throughout these 5 years.
• 1887. Depletion of Kashmir Mine.
• 1906. C.M.P. Wright and the Kashmir Mineral Co. leased the mines and dug in a brand new location (with out realizing that he found the New Kashmir Mines). He finally gave up because of difficulties with digging circumstances.
• 1927. The final recorded small discovery of any Kashmir Sapphires was from new mines.

Store Kashmir Sapphire Assortment

We’ve curated one of many rarest collections of Kashmir Sapphires on this planet. Most of it’s a part of our personal assortment (and never on-line), however listed here are a couple of of our sapphires we’ve made obtainable on-line.

Contact us on to view our personal assortment of Kashmir Sapphire Stones and Kashmir Sapphire Jewellery.

Why are Kashmir Sapphires so Costly?

The worth of Kashmir sapphires is growing day-after-day. In reality, it’s at present one of many strongest funding items of bijou available on the market.

Not too long ago, Christie’s Public sale Home bought a 35.09-carat Kashmir blue sapphire for $7,357,999. For context, that’s $209,689 per carat. That’s the present world file. Anticipate it to go up within the following years.

Three major components make Kashmir so costly:

1. High quality. The Kashmir Sapphire instructions a excessive worth as a result of many include a top-quality sapphire specimen. You might come throughout different blue sapphires, however solely these from Kashmir have what consultants name blue velvet – a dreamy cornflower blue that displays gentle underneath all angles. See under.
2. Rarity. The Kashmir Sapphire is the rarest sort of sapphire available on the market.
3. Status. The repute of Kashmir Sapphires has taken on a lifetime of its personal. Most necessary items of sapphire jewellery worldwide showcase the Kashmir Sapphire within the middle.

On prime of its texture and tint, the unimaginable public demand has elevated its worth additional.

Total, Kashmir sapphires symbolize the crown of all sapphire gems, the proper sapphire to mount on a hoop, necklace, or earring.

The dialogue of the Kashmir Sapphire vs. Ceylon Sapphire vs. Burma Sapphire all the time ends with professionals agreeing that Kashmir is way superior.

Very Essential Be aware: For a Kashmir Sapphire to be fascinating, it first must be a “gem-quality sapphire”. A poor-quality sapphire that occurs to return from the Kashmir Mines is not going to have the premium funding qualities talked about above.

Ideas for Looking for a Kashmir Sapphire

As already talked about, you must all the time seek the advice of with a Kashmir professional earlier than shopping for a Kashmir sapphire. Only one carat can price north of $200,000. Thus, you might want to make certain of what you’re shopping for. There are solely about 15-20 consultants on this planet.

Here’s what you must request earlier than making the acquisition. We’ve listed this so as of significance:

1. Be sure that the sapphire is of Gem High quality (seek the advice of with an professional)
2. Affirm the origin of the sapphire as being from Kashmir (ideally two certificates, with one being from an AGL certificates)
3. Verify that the colour is cornflower blue or royal blue (seek the advice of with an professional)
4. Use the certificates to verify that the sapphire has not been heat-treated

And we will’t restate this sufficient: solely purchase Kashmir Stones from respected sellers. Uncommon and fantastic jewellery purchases require quite a lot of good religion. Solely buy your sapphire from a vendor who has a monitor file (and repute) of belief.

Proving Origin for Kashmir Sapphires

Proving origin is likely one of the most necessary elements of shopping for and promoting a Kashmir Sapphire. Real Kashmir sapphires come from the mines of Kashmir on the Zanskar mountain vary of the Himalayas. Virtually the entire premium worth of the Kashmiri Gemstone might be wrapped up in its proof of origin. With the intention to maintain your funding, it would be best to show that the sapphire got here from the Kashmir Mines.

The excellent news is that there are laboratories that may decide the origin of stones. They may look at the sapphire fastidiously, and they’ll present a doc guaranteeing its standing.

The highest firms that present respected certificates for origin are:

1. AGL – American Gemological Labs. The AGL certificates are thought-about the strongest Kashmir certificates within the trade.
2. SSEF – Swiss Gemological Institute. A really authoritative alternative for figuring out Kashmir’s origin.
3. Gubelin – Gübelin Gem Lab. One other very authoritative alternative for figuring out Kashmir’s origin.
4. Christian Duneg. This lab doesn’t have an internet site, however they’re one of many prime authorities.
5. GIA – Gemological Institute of America. The GIA isn’t advisable. See under.
6. AGTA – American Gem Commerce Affiliation. The AGTA Labs not exist, and their sapphire certificates are strongly flawed. See under.

In the event you’re trying to purchase a real Kashmir sapphire, you want affirmation of its origin. And never simply any affirmation, both; you’ll need an official certificates from a good supply confirming that it got here from the Himalayan valley.

Within the Nineteen Eighties, there have been many problematic certificates that confused the origins between Kashmir and Madagascar. In consequence, we strongly advocate not utilizing AGTA and GIA to find out the origin of a sapphire. AGL, SSEF, Gubelin, and Christian Duneg are the best authorities figuring out origin.

Desired Coloration and Saturation of Kashmir Blue

The strongest distinguishing characteristic of any sapphire is its blueness — the extra intense the blueness, the extra invaluable the stone. Kashmir Sapphires are not any exception to this rule. You’ll be able to encounter pale or much less intense blue sapphires, however they don’t maintain the best worth.

Essentially the most fascinating colour for a Gem High quality Kashmiri Sapphire is Cornflower Blue. This has all the time been the best colour metric for the reason that opening of the mines within the Eighteen Eighties. This blue is lighter than the extra famend Royal Blue Sapphire. The cornflower blue colour also needs to characteristic a deep saturation, as discovered on the petals of the Cornflower.

One other colour of observe for gem-quality sapphires is the Royal Blue Sapphire. The Royal Blue incorporates a darker saturation of blue than a cornflower.

In gem-quality Kashmir Sapphires, you can too count on the attribute velvet.

The least costly Kashmir sapphires have subpar saturation, making them seem pale. There are many these available on the market. They aren’t Gem High quality Kashmir and run at comparable costs to common non-gem-quality sapphires.

Moreover, you must all the time deal with the purity of the colour. There shouldn’t be overtones of another colour, particularly purple and violet. Gem-quality Kashmir sapphires ought to have a fair unfold of blue colour from prime to backside.

Essential Be aware: Concerning the colour high quality of a Kashmir sapphire, you’ll not get an correct studying from any certificates. That is one thing that solely a extremely certified sapphire professional can decide.

Readability Vary of Kashmir Sapphires (and Silk Inclusions)

Contact Us for more information on this Gem-High quality 5.54ct Kashmir Sapphire Ring. AGL and Gubelin certificates.

One of the vital well-known qualities of Kashmir sapphires is their silk-like rutile needles. This titanium oxide (TiO2) inside needles scale back the gem’s transparency however, in return, current a stupendous velvety shine that’s nearly totally unique to Kashmir sapphires.

These inclusions additionally permit gentle to journey evenly all through the gem. In the event you shine a lightweight into the gem, it signifies a real Kashmir sapphire if it lights up all sides.

These skinny inclusions are an incredible indicator of authenticity. In the event you don’t discover these tiny needles (often known as inside silk) all around the core of the gem, it could be a superb trigger to lift your suspicion concerning the stone’s origin.

Essential Be aware: A average quantity of velvety silk is taken into account very fascinating. If, nevertheless, there’s an excessive amount of velvety silk, the desirability of the stone will begin to go down.

Cuts and Shapes of Kashmir Sapphires

There are two issues to know when researching the minimize of a sapphire:

• How Completely the Sapphire is Minimize
• The Sort of Form

You’ll hardly ever discover a completely symmetrical minimize of blue Kashmir, and there are a number of causes for that.

First, Kashmir Sapphires are previous. They’ve been round for a minimum of 100 years, and all through that point, it’s nearly unimaginable that they wouldn’t have gotten a small bump right here and there.

Secondly, the jewelers who minimize the sapphire would have lived over 100 years in the past. Stone-cutting expertise has come a great distance. Within the early 1900s, the methods weren’t very exact.

Moreover, Kashmir Sapphires would require a lot endurance and experience to chop because of the tiny inclusions.

Concerning form, sapphires are normally minimize in an vintage cushion minimize, emerald minimize, or oval-cut shapes. The much less deep the stone, the higher. Chopping the sapphire to somewhat shallow permits much less gentle into the stone and retains the stone with a deeper saturation.

However it’s truly the intact gems – those who aren’t minimize in any respect – which are the most costly. In reality, the aforementioned record-breaking stone was an uncut gem.

Subsequently, you must know {that a} minimize Kashmir sapphire normally sells for
a cheaper price. For instance, if you’d like a heart-shaped blue Kashmir ring for
your wedding ceremony ring, you could get fortunate and discover one at a cut price worth. Nonetheless,
all the time look to purchase from a reliable jeweler.

Value of Kashmir Sapphires

Now that you just perceive all of the figuring out components, let’s speak concerning the worth vary of those gems, regardless that it could nonetheless be troublesome to find out a sensible worth.

Attributable to their rarity, there isn’t a protracted path of established costs for Kashmir sapphires. Most stones are already within the palms of collectors, buyers, and jewelers. Subsequently, sellers can set the value at liberty.

In any occasion, the lowest-tier of gem-quality Kashmir sapphires could go for $5,000 per carat. One carat is 200mg (0.2g), like another treasured gem.

If the stone is of the best colour and high quality, it’ll considerably enhance the value per carat. That’s why the record-breaking Kashmiri Gem went for $200k+ per carat.

Assume twice about whether or not a vendor affords you a Kashmir sapphire at an affordable worth. Verify its high quality, colour, and readability. And most significantly, convey it to an professional who can decide that there’s nothing suspicious.

The place to Purchase Kashmir Sapphires?

As stated, it received’t be simple to seek out real Kashmir Sapphires. You’ll be able to’t simply go into your native jewellery retailer and look forward to finding them. In the event you actually need genuine gem-quality Kashmiri Sapphire Jewellery, you’ll must look very laborious for them.

When you discover a vendor, there are some things to contemplate:

• Retailer Fame – The shop must be reliable and dependable. You need to analysis a vendor very fastidiously earlier than contemplating coping with them. Additionally, you will wish to be sure that the vendor is an professional in Kashmir Sapphires.
• Picture of the Sapphire – Request to see high-res photographs of the Sapphire. Dependable sellers will make obtainable pictures that you could zoom in on. That is particularly necessary for Kashmir sapphires, because it helps you to discover the silk-like inclusions and the reflective hue.
• Certificates – Crucially, a dependable on-line retailer could have an official doc vouching for the gem’s authenticity. It ought to all the time come from an internationally acknowledged gemologist establishment and solely those talked about above. Most can verify the geographic origin, situation, form, transparency, and so forth.

At all times do not forget that ready for the actual factor is healthier than letting down your guard and ending up with a faux.

Essential Be aware: To view our complete uncommon assortment of Kashmir Sapphires, please contact us immediately and make an inquiry.

Are you on the lookout for a Kashmir Sapphire? We now have a really uncommon personal assortment of Kashmir Sapphires and Jewellery.

Right here’s what we advocate mentioning to be able to aid you higher: your approximate price range, sort of Jewellery (ring, earrings, brooch, necklace, bracelet, or unfastened stone), and dimension of the stone.