Knowledge Centre > Extraordinary Jewellery > Rare Gems

Kashmir Sapphires - The Unparalleled Beauty

Beauty is unparalleled and they have a rarity to match.


Kashmir Royal Blue sapphire and diamond ring, circa 1910. Hatton Garden
Kashmir Royal Blue sapphire and diamond ring, circa 1910.
Ref: 27628

Kashmir sapphires are most famous for their superiority of colour, a colour unlike any other sapphire. It is possibly best described as an intense cornflower or cobalt blue with a fine velvety, milky softness. Their beauty is unparalleled and they have a rarity to match.

In 1881 a landslide exposed sapphires in a remote snow covered area in the Zanskar mountain range, in the Padar region of the north-western Himalayas, Kashmir. The sapphires were traded and found their way to Delhi where they were quickly admired for their exceptional colour. The physical mining of these stones was incredibly difficult. For several months of the year, the harsh, snowy climate combined with the mountainous landscape prohibited any kind of production. Coupled with this, the mining methods at the time were still fairly primitive; making the actual unearthing of these sapphires very difficult indeed.

Within just six years, the old Kashmir sapphire mine was exhausted. In this short space of time they earned a reputation as being the very best sapphires in the world. Incredibly, all of the fine Kashmir sapphires in existence were mined between 1881 and 1887. Even today, these stones remain the exemplar by which other sapphires are compared.

To own a fine natural unenhanced Kashmir sapphire is to have a truly astonishing gemstone of immense rarity. We are fortunate to have several rings set with Kashmir sapphires, all of which are prime examples of this exquisite stone.

Kashmir sapphire and diamond ring, circa 1935 hatton garden
Kashmir sapphire and diamond ring, circa 1935.
Ref: 27627
kashmir sapphire ring berganza hatton garden
Kashmir sapphire and diamond octagonal cluster ring, French, circa 1925.
Ref: 16032
Royal Blue Kashmir sapphire diamond ring berganza hatton garden
Royal Blue Kashmir sapphire and diamond ring, circa 1920.
Ref: 27626
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Updated 18/03/2024 at 4:17PM

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