Q: What makes a Kashmir sapphire so special?

A: It’s all about the color! The typical Kashmir blue is a highly saturated (vivid) blue with a minute tinge of purple. But it is also about the “texture”. Kashmir sapphires, more often than sapphires from other locations, exhibit microscopic silk inclusions and growth zoning patterns which, if evenly distributed throughout the stone, give the sapphire a velvety appearance, in the gem trade often referred to as a “sleepy” character. Sleepy sapphires tend to “glow” when hit by both natural or incandescent light, because the light is reflected back from the hundreds and thousands of microscopic inclusions inside the sapphire. Blue sapphires with a sleepy appearance tend to hold their color very well and appear vibrant and powerful, even in low light, which sets them apart from sapphires without these microscopic inclusions.

Q: But aren’t inclusions flaws that you would usually want to avoid in a gemstone?

A: Yes and no. While single eye visible inclusions are generally not desirable in any gemstone, microscopic silk inclusions can add to the beauty of a gem. And a Kashmir sapphire – famous for this special inclusion type and the radiant blue – would not be as desirable without them. A Kashmir sapphire with a perfectly clean crystal would generally not be considered as valuable as its “sleepy” counterpart. On the other hand, the “sleepiness” should never be so strong that it significantly affects the overall transparency of the gemstone.

Q: Are Kashmir sapphires the only “sleepy” blue sapphires? 

A: No. Sleepy or velvety blue sapphires have always been found in other mining regions as well, notably in Ceylon/Sri Lanka, Burma/Myanmar, and more recently in Madagascar. It is possible to find a “Kashmir-like” blue sapphire from one of these countries of origin, and it will be only a fraction of the price of a real Kashmir sapphire. 

Q: Why are Kashmir sapphires so expensive?

A: Buying a Kashmir sapphire means not only to buy the finest quality blue gem. It also means buying – and becoming part of – a legend. Kashmir sapphires have been found in only very limited quantities in two small mines high up in the Himalayas. The sapphire deposit up there, at an altitude of 14,700 ft (4500 m), was discovered in 1880. Only 7 years later, in 1887, most of the fine quality material had been mined out. By 1930, the production of gem quality sapphire in the Kashmir mines had ceased. This means: all Kashmir sapphire in the market today is antique material. There has not been any new production for almost a hundred years, and in all likelihood – many attempts have been made – there will not be any new, fine quality finds from the region. In a nutshell: the Kashmir sapphire is an extinct species, and this is reflected in the way it is traded and priced.

Q: Do I need a Kashmir sapphire? 

A: Probably not, but you will enjoy having one. It is an excellent choice if your budget allows it, and you want to buy a gemstone with investment potential. As mentioned above, owning a Kashmir sapphire means becoming part of the legend, and acquiring a heirloom piece with a rich history of its own. However, if you are simply looking for a fine quality blue sapphire, you will have many more options to choose from when considering sapphires from other regions of origin as well. 

Q: Are all Kashmir sapphires top quality?

A: No, absolutely not. While the average Kashmir sapphire from the original finds is of remarkable quality and superior to most other sapphire material, exceptions do apply. Especially sapphires mined more recently from the – officially closed – mining area can be poor quality. Hence it is not advisable to buy a sapphire solely based on a lab report confirming the origin from Kashmir. Always look for beauty first, and only then consider the origin and paperwork. 

Q: Talking of lab reports – how can I be sure my Kashmir sapphire is really from Kashmir?

A: Reliably identifying Kashmir origin in a sapphire is a tricky business. The difficulty lies in the fact that both physical and chemical properties of Kashmir sapphire strongly resemble and partially overlap with the properties typical of blue sapphire from both Madagascar and Ceylon/Sri Lanka. Only a lab with an extensive reference collection of Kashmir specimens, and advanced technology (FTIR and LA-ICP-MS) is able to accurately identify Kashmir sapphire. Within the gem trading industry, the origin reports of these three laboratories are generally considered valid when it comes to Kashmir sapphire: AGL (New York, USA), Gübelin (Lucerne, Switzerland), SSEF (Basel, Switzerland).