The messenger of heaven, the embodiment of the highest spirituality, the stone of nuns. This is about sapphire - a first-level gemstone. It is recognized as a symbol of purity, fidelity, and fortitude. He is equally loved by sorcerers and meditation practitioners.
It is believed that the stones were first discovered in southeast Asia. Their first name is corundum. Jewelers today call all corundums except red (ruby) sapphires. When asked what kinds of sapphires there are, a mineralogist will answer unequivocally – only blue ones.
The name is interpreted differently:
- As a translation from Greek, meaning “blue stone”.
- From “sipru”, which in Ancient Babylon meant “scratching”.
The second option speaks about the hardness of the mineral.
Rus' knew him as the azure yacht. In the East they are sure that the magic drops of Amrita, the elixir of immortality, became sapphires.
Rich blue sapphire is the stone of rulers, for which it is called royal. At the same time, it should be the way nature created it, without the intervention of a jeweler. Such specimens were chosen for rings by the first Christian pontiffs.
Description
This mineral is jewelry corundum, crystalline alumina. On the Mohs hardness scale, only diamond is higher than it. Other characteristics of the stone:
- glass shine;
- high strength;
- dichroism, that is, beam splitting, creating a play of light;
- porous structure, as a result of which completely pure stones are rare.
In addition to the classic blue, there are other shades called fantasy. The colors of sapphire are determined by impurities.
High temperatures discolor the crystal, but x-rays do the opposite. At the beginning of the twentieth century, artificial stones were synthesized.
Where is it mined?
The most valuable ones, cornflower blue, come from Indian Kashmir, but there are less than five percent of them. Expensive “Ceylon” blue and rare pink specimens come from Sri Lanka.
A quarter of the world's production comes from Australia. However, these are not the most valuable types of sapphires. The same low quality, with a greenish tint, is found in Southeast Asia.
Technical stones are mined in the Urals and the Kola Peninsula.
Therapeutic effect
Sapphires and the properties of the stone to heal the soul and body were studied in the ancient world. It improves the functioning of the psyche and all organs:
- Accelerates relief from hysteria, epilepsy, depression, nightmares.
- In case of vision problems, the eyes are washed with “sapphire” water.
- Cures arrhythmia.
- Eliminates back pain.
- Heals wounds, growths, ulcers.
- Fights bronchial asthma.
- Dissolves and removes stones from the body, relieves renal colic.
- Immunostimulant.
- Useful for female infertility.
A sapphire of a certain color cures “its” ailments:
- blue – heart, skin, inflammation, headache;
- yellow – stress, depression, immunity. It regulates the functioning of the body as a whole, but it has strong energy, which means it provokes anxiety or restlessness when worn constantly;
- pink – calms excess emotions, “unblocks” indecisive people;
- green – vision, sleep;
- white - restoration of mental balance;
- black - restores self-confidence.
Stones and water infused with them, which are used to moisten areas of the body and wounds, are healing. It is recommended to pour the mineral at sunrise.
Deposits of rubies and sapphires - mining of precious stones
In the photo. Deposits of Sri Lanka - extraction of precious stones from flowing waters in the middle of the 20th century.
Jewelry rubies are formed mainly during contact metamorphism of dolomitic limestones under the influence of granites. In such cases, dolomite marbles serve as host rocks. However, the ruby content in such primary deposits is too low for industrial development. Rubies are mined mainly from alluvial placers. The high density of ruby makes it possible to enrich river sand and pebble deposits by washing; From the resulting concentrate, the rubies are then selected by hand.
Extraction methods today are as primitive as they were hundreds of years ago. The owners of ruby mines, as a rule, are Western companies with limited participation of local entrepreneurs. More or less significant ruby deposits are known only in Burma, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Tanzania. The most important of them are in Upper Burma, near Mogok. The layer containing rubies lies here a few meters from the surface and is developed through pits, ditches and shafts. But only about 1% of mined rubies are of gem quality. True, rubies here often have the color of “pigeon’s blood.” Large stones are very rare.
Thai rubies are usually brownish. They are mined southeast of Bangkok, in the Changvada district, from clay gravel. The mining mines here reach a depth of 8 m. In Sri Lanka, the deposits are located in the southwestern part of the island, in the Ratnapura region. Rubies from these placers (called illam in the local dialect) are usually strawberry in color. Rubies are often mined here directly from the bottom of rivers - from sands and pebbles. Since the 50s of the 20th century, decorative green rock (zoisite amphibolite) with fairly large, although mostly opaque, rubies has been mined in Tanzania. Only a few crystals here are suitable for cutting. Rubies were also found in the upper reaches of the Umba River, in the northeast of the country. They have a purple or brownish tint.
Minor deposits of rubies are found in Afghanistan, Australia (Queensland), Brazil, Kampuchea, Madagascar, Malawi, Pakistan, Zimbabwe and the USA (North Carolina). Small deposits of ruby and sapphire are also known in Switzerland (Tessin), Norway and the CIS (Urals, Pamirs). Ruby is one of the most expensive jewelry stones. Large rubies are rarer than comparable diamonds. The largest gem-quality ruby weighed 400 carats; it was found in Burma and split into three parts. Among the world-famous rubies of outstanding beauty are the Edward Ruby - 167 ct (British Museum of Natural History, London), the Riva star ruby - 138.7 ct (Smithsonian Institution, Washington), the De Long star ruby - 100 kar (American Museum of Natural History, New York), "Peace" ruby - 43 ct, which received its name due to the fact that it was found in 1919, at the end of the First World War.
Numerous rubies adorn royal regalia and ancient family jewels. However, many of them, as a result of recent research, have been “exposed”, turning out to be red spinel. Among them are the "Black Prince's Ruby" in the British crown and the "Timur's Ruby" in the breast chain, also belonging to the English crown jewels. The teardrop-shaped spinels of the Wittelsbach Crown, made in 1830, were also long considered rubies.
Currently, rubies are usually cut in the countries where they are mined. Cutters, trying to preserve as much of the stone as possible, do not always maintain its proportions, so many stones later have to be re-cut. Transparent rubies are given a step or brilliant cut, while less transparent ones are cut into cabochons.
A lot of fake rubies end up on the jewelry market, especially glass imitations and doublets with the top part made of garnet and the bottom part made of glass, or with the top part made of natural sapphire and the bottom part made of synthetic ruby. There are many misleading trade names in circulation to this day: for example, Balas ruby (spinel), Cape ruby (garnet), Siberian ruby (tourmaline). Ruby can be confused with garnets - almandine and pyrope, fluorite, zircon-hyacinth, spinel, topaz, tourmaline.
Since the 1900s, synthetic jewelry rubies have appeared, similar to natural ones in composition, physical and especially optical properties. However, they can be distinguished by inclusions, and also due to the fact that, unlike natural rubies, they transmit ultraviolet rays. For watch and reference stones in devices, as well as for solid-state lasers and other technical needs, exclusively synthetic rubies are now used.
The huge and growing difference in price between natural and synthetic rubies makes methods for their reliable identification particularly important. The easiest way to confuse a ruby with a red spinel: both stones are similar not only in color, but also in hardness, density, and light refraction (spinel is only a little softer and lighter, has a slightly less bright shine), however, unlike ruby, it is optically isotropic, which means labor is established using a polarizing microscope.
In the CIS, ruby deposits were discovered only in the middle of the 20th century. This is primarily the Makar-Ruz deposit in the Polar Urals, confined to the ultrabasic Rai-Iz massif, as well as finds of ruby in the peculiar pegmatites of the Pamirs. Along with opaque red corundum, both deposits contain transparent gem-quality ruby crystals.
In the photo. Soil washing during the extraction of precious stones.
The host rocks of sapphire deposits are marbles or basalts. They are also formed in pegmatites, but are mined mainly from alluvial placers or weathering crusts, less often from bedrock. Development methods are extremely simple: manually driven pits or pits and eroded slopes allow the development of sapphire-bearing formations located at depth.
Clay, sand and gravel are separated by washing; Sapphires accumulate due to their high density. Finally, the sapphires are manually selected and classified according to quality. Sapphire is much more widespread than its closest relative, ruby, since the chromophore of sapphires is iron, and not the rare chromium that colors rubies.
Industrially significant sapphire deposits are now located in Australia, Burma, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Australian deposits in Queensland have been known since 1870. The host rocks there are basalts, from the weathered upper layer of which sapphires are extracted by washing. Their quality is low. The deep blue color of these stones becomes inky, greenish or even almost black in artificial light. Lighter stones also have a green tint. Black star sapphires have recently been discovered. Associated minerals of Australian sapphires are quartz, pyrope, topaz, tourmaline, zircon. In 1918, good quality blue sapphires were discovered in New South Wales. In recent years, these deposits have apparently become very productive. In Upper Burma, near Mogok, alluvial placers are mined, containing, along with sapphire, also ruby and spinel. Their parent rocks are pegmatites. In 1966, the largest star sapphire was found here - a crystal weighing 63,000 carats (12.6 kg!).
On the island of Sri Lanka, sapphires have been mined since ancient times. The deposits there are located in the southwestern part of the island, in the Ratnapura region. The host rocks are remnants of dolomitized limestones in granites or their interlayers in gneisses. Placers of river pebbles with a thickness of 30-60 cm (in the local dialect "illam"), located at a depth of 2 to 10 m, are being mined. The sapphires in them are mainly light blue, often with a purple tint. In addition, there are also yellow and orange varieties of the Padparadscha type and, along with them, green, pink, brown and almost colorless stones, and finally, star sapphires and cat's eye sapphires. Associated minerals are very numerous: apatite, garnet, quartz, cordierite, topaz, tourmaline, zircon, spinel, epidote.
The island of Ceylon may well lay claim to the status of Paradise on Earth. For Sri Lanka (as this island state is called today), precious stones are a serious budget item, providing about 5% of the republic’s GDP. The undisputed “king” of Ceylon stones is blue sapphire. Sri Lanka is a state that is actively developing the mining of various precious stones and their processing. Sri Lanka supplies the world market with both raw precious stones and their processed products - refined raw materials, jewelry inserts - faceted precious stones, as well as jewelry with them. The market is based on the famous Ceylon sapphires, including fancy colored and star sapphires. But only blue Ceylon sapphire is the national stone of Sri Lanka.
Sapphire mining in Sri Lanka today, at the beginning of the 21st century
There are two sapphire deposits in Thailand: one (Bang Kha Cha) is located near Chanthaburi, 220 km southeast of Bangkok, the other (Bo Phloy) is near Kancha Naburi, 120 km northwest of Bangkok. The host rocks are marbles or basalts. Deposits confined to placers and weathering crusts are being developed. Satellite minerals: garnet, ruby, zircon, spinel. The sapphires here are of good quality and come in a variety of colors, including star-shaped ones. The stones are a deep blue color, however, usually with a greenish tint.
Kashmir sapphires (India) are more prized than others. The deposits there are located at an altitude of 5000 m (Zanskar Range in the Himalayas) 200 km southeast of Srinagar. They have been in use with varying success since 1880 and are now apparently exhausted. Sapphires there were mined from a highly kaolinized pegmatite vein embedded in crystalline marbles. From the grit of these pegmatites, sapphires of thick cornflower blue, often with a silky tint, were extracted. Burmese sapphires are often passed off as Kashmiri.
In 1894, sapphire deposits were discovered in the state. Montana (USA), confined to an andesite dike. The stones were extracted both from the dike itself and from the crushed stone formed during its weathering. The colors of Montana sapphires are very varied, often being pale blue or steel blue. Development of the field was stopped at the end of the 20s of the 20th century, but then resumed again.
Sapphire deposits are also known in Brazil (Mato Grosso), in the west of Kampuchea, in Kenya, Malawi, Zimbabwe and, more recently, in the north of Tanzania. Single finds of star sapphires occur in the north of Finland (in Lapland).
Large sapphires are rare. Sometimes, like famous diamonds, they are given their own names. The American Museum of Natural History (New York) owns the Star of India, probably the largest cut star sapphire (536 ct), as well as the black Midnight Star sapphire (116 ct). The Smithsonian Institution (Washington) acquired the Star of Asia star sapphire (330 ct). Two famous sapphires (St. Edward's and Stuart's) are among the British Crown Jewels. In the USA, sculptural portraits of US presidents: Washington, Lincoln and Eisenhower are carved from three sapphires, weighing approximately 2000 carats each.
Many stones are similar to blue sapphire: benitoite, kyanite, cordierite, tanzanite, topaz, tourmaline, zircon starlite. spinel; They also imitate it with blue glass. There are many trade names that mislead the buyer: for example, Brazilian sapphire is called blue topaz, oriental sapphire - blue tourmaline.
At the beginning of the century, they learned to grow synthetic sapphires, whose properties are very close to natural ones. Since 1947, synthetic star sapphires of gem quality have also been produced.
The Diamond Fund's collection contains blue Ceylon sapphires that are unique in beauty and weight; one of them (200 karat) is mounted in the cross of the Russian Empire, the other (258 karat) is inserted into a brooch. Manifestations of blue sapphire in the CIS, associated with syenite pegmatites of the Ilmen Mountains in the Urals and with napheline syenite pegmatites of the Khibiny massif on the Kola Peninsula, are small and, in addition, can serve as sources for obtaining low-quality cutting raw materials, suitable only for the production of small stones of the “spark” type.
Ceylon sapphires of all colors
Equipment in Sri Lanka today, at the beginning of the 21st century
Where are sapphires mined? This question is asked by many lovers of precious stones and original products made from them. The appearance of the stone largely depends on the deposit in which it is mined. This factor affects both the quality of the finished product and the cost of the product. Let's look further at where the best quality sapphires are mined.
What is a stone?
Sapphire is a blue stone with different shades. It contains impurities of iron or titanium and is included in the group of jewelry of the highest category. The name of the product comes from the Greek word, which translates as “scratching”. Until the 19th century, this was the name given to all stones of similar origin, including lapis lazuli. In Rus' there was a concept of an azure yacht. Other names include: water sapphire, tourmaline, cordierite, etc. We will look further at where real sapphires are mined. The main difference between the stone and its analogues is its high hardness, which is 9 units.
Coloring
The color of the stone depends on the deposit of sapphires. The color can vary from stable bluish to dark blue. This is largely due to the percentage of inclusion of fossil titanium in organic matter. The bright shade of cornflower blue crystals from Thailand or Myanmar is also called ringing. A blue color with a silky shine is characteristic of “royal” sapphires. The most valuable stones are considered to be Ceylon specimens with a purple tint. Next in the hierarchy are Kashmir and The most expensive sapphire is quite rare and has an iridescent inner star with six rays.
The Diamond Fund of the Russian Federation contains one of the remarkable sapphires, which has an oval configuration and a cornflower blue hue. Its weight is 258 carats, diameter is 39*22 mm. The stone belongs to the royal regalia.
Two famous sapphires are in the vault of the British kings. One of them is placed in the center of the cross of the imperial crown. The stone has an ancient history, dating back to the 11th century. Another beautiful jewelry sapphire measuring 25*38 millimeters adorned the crown of Emperor Charles II, but in 1688 it ended up in England after being stolen. Now the stone is located in the occipital part of the royal crown tiara.
One of the largest sapphires was found on the island of Ceylon (Sri Lanka). After processing, its weight was 446 carats. According to the newspapers, in the USA (North Carolina, 1988), a connoisseur found a sapphire stone, the price of which was several million dollars. At first, the miner mistook it for rock crystal, but in the end it turned out to be a gemstone weighing more than 3.5 thousand carats.
Kashmir sapphires
For jewelers and connoisseurs, sapphire from Kashmir is considered the most valuable. It is valued for its original color. The deposit was formed as a result of a mountain collapse in 1880. These high quality stones were found at an altitude of 5 thousand meters. Intensive extraction of stones was carried out for 8 years. Kashmir sapphires are a kind of standard among the jewelry under consideration. The blue color with a silky tint does not change even under artificial lighting.
The price of products is determined based on the color, size and transparency of the stone. Active mining is currently underway in Australia and Thailand. The oldest deposit is considered to be Ceylon (Sri Lanka). In addition, production is carried out in the USA, Russia, India, and Madagascar.
Deposits in Russia and Sri Lanka
In Russia there are practically no deposits of the precious stone in question. In the northeast of Kazakhstan there is the Semizbugu basin. In addition, corundum deposits are present in the Kyshtym region on the Borzovka River and in the Ural Ilmen Mountains.
Sapphires from Sri Lanka are famous for their excellent quality and variety of colors. The Ratnaputra region is considered the most productive region in this country. Here, stones are mined that are characterized by the absence of various gas and other inclusions, as well as having a high content of silky rutile. Stones of all known colors have been found in Ceylon, including black sapphire, the cost of which is not particularly high compared to its blue, purple and red counterparts.
Madagascar
Precious stones in this country are mined in multiple deposits throughout the state. Sapphires mined in the south are geologically related to their counterparts from Tanzania and Ceylon. The northern basins are rich in stones of a completely different structure; their origin is still not clear. Madagascar is a potential major supplier of these jewelry worldwide. Currently, export is difficult due to the poor development of relevant areas, including the scientific approach, technological features and transportation.
The material mined in Madagascar is more saturated with various foreign inclusions. In terms of color, the stones are not inferior to Ceylon products. The requirements for such material are lower than for fossils from Sri Lanka, but their cost is also an order of magnitude lower.
Kenya and Tanzania
In these countries, sapphire mining is carried out in the provinces of Umba (Kenya), Tunudra, Songea (Tanzania). In the first basin, the deposits are similar to Ceylon stones; there is practically no red color. The remaining deposits are rich in material identical to the reserves of Madagascar. Among the main colors, green and red shades predominate. In Tanzania and Kenya, star-shaped stones are most often found, which are characterized by the effect of changing light.
Australia, Thailand, Cambodia
Australian sapphires are mined from a variety of small deposits. They are optimally suited for commercial use. Mostly in this country there are stones of a rich dark blue color. Pure examples are quite rare, but the size can compete with the largest analogues in the world.
Jewelry sapphire is also mined in Thailand (Siam and Kanchaburi regions). The number of products is growing every year, competing in the market with Ceylon and Madagascar minerals. Thai jewelry is low in price, not very high quality and medium in size. The color of the stones is slightly saturated and includes cabochon raw materials.
The gradual resolution of the troubled situation in Cambodia has a positive effect on the development of the sapphire market. Production increased maximally in Pailin province. Stones from this deposit are distinguished by their purity and richness of colors. These two main parameters of jewelry quality are often combined in Cambodian pieces.
Other deposits
Where else are sapphires mined? The highest quality stones are found in Burma, although in limited quantities. These jewelry are rare on the world market due to the trade embargo.
The American pool is in a mothballed state due to economic unprofitability. The low level of purity and weak color saturation of stones do not make it possible to create worthy competition in the jewelry market.
There are deposits of the material in question in South America. They are mined in small areas, and sometimes specimens of the highest category are found.
In the early 2000s, sapphires from Mozambique and Nigeria began to go on sale. The quality of these stones is above average, which provides excellent prerequisites for actively exporting jewelry around the world.
Black sapphire
This category includes not the most expensive stones that have a dark blue or rich green color. Under artificial light, they appear in this color, although the basis of any black sapphire is a dark gray color. This stone is valued for its specific pearlescent tint, which is more typical of black pearls. Heat treatment of such a product changes the original shade over time.
The main deposits of the stones in question are located in Australia. Back in 1938, an ordinary guy found a crystal weighing 1156 carats. His father couldn't think of anything better than to make a door prop out of it. It later turned out that it was a sapphire, which was sold for 18 thousand dollars. After its cutting, the weight became 733 carats, and the price increased to one million.
Artificial stones
Synthetic sapphires are used not only in jewelry, but also for the production of lasers or gravitational space transmitters. Such antennas are distinguished by their reliability and capacity. In addition, this direction continues to advance in various high-tech industries.
Jewelers and artists continue to prefer natural crystals. It is worth noting that natural transparent samples are extremely rare. The price of a sapphire stone in this case can be from $4,000. Usually, future jewelry is mined from placers.
In conclusion
Sapphires are precious stones of various shades that are carefully hidden in the depths of the Earth. They are mined in the form of crystals that undergo further cutting. This operation requires appropriate skills because the stones are hard. In addition, it is necessary to preserve the color of the specimen so that it shows up optimally after processing. Depending on the place of extraction, the saturation and transparency of the product varies. The most preferred color of sapphire is light blue or dark blue, which shows up beautifully not only in sunlight, but also in artificial light.
Sapphire is a precious stone, one of the varieties of corundum.
Minerologists usually call dark blue corundums sapphires, although in nature there are also specimens of fancy colors: yellow sapphires, orange, green, colorless, pink sapphires, blue and other colors - they have the same chemical formula, but differ in the content of impurities. The stone owes its deep blue color to the presence of titanium and iron compounds in its molecular structure.
Separately, it is worth mentioning such a type of gemstone as star sapphire. Unusual shimmers of light on the surface of sapphire cabochons are created thanks to titanium oxides, which are responsible for the asterism effect. Star sapphires are quite rare and highly prized.
Average price for 1 carat blue cut sapphire (with low quality and weight no more than 1 carat) could be up to $60. A stone weighing from 2 to 5 carats can cost up to $900 per carat. Good quality one-carat stones cost up to $700 per carat. 1 carat sapphires of the best quality, the so-called exceptional ones, already cost 3-4 thousand dollars.
Deposits
The richest sapphire placers are located in Southeast Asia (Thailand, Burma, China, Vietnam), in India, Australia and the United States. In Russia, industrial production is not carried out due to the lack of large deposits.
The most valuable and beautiful, recognized as the standard, are Kashmir sapphires, which received their name from the place of their extraction - Kashmir. (disputed area between India and Pakistan). They have a rich blue-cornflower blue hue and do not change color depending on the lighting, and due to microcrystalline inclusions they are not very transparent. In Kashmir sapphires, the structure of the mineral is most clearly expressed; at a certain angle, you can see the parallel layers that form the crystal.
Natural and synthetic sapphires
Artificial sapphire was first synthesized in the USA in the mid-twentieth century, and since then large-scale production of such corundum has been carried out all over the world. The main difference between artificial stones is the absence of natural inclusions, which can only be seen under a microscope. Under an ultraviolet lamp, a synthetic mineral will show a green tint, while a natural stone will have a white sheen.
Unfortunately, only a specialist can distinguish an artificial sapphire from a natural one in finished jewelry, therefore, in order not to purchase a fake, you should require a certificate for the product.
Magical and healing properties of sapphire
Sapphire is considered the stone of heaven and has powerful cosmic energy. He has always been a symbol of wisdom, justice, purity and spirituality. In many cultures, sapphire was the main decoration of temples; it was worn by priests and clergy, and it contributed to the unity of man and god. Due to the ability to pass energy through itself and purify it, sapphires are often used in the process of meditation. This is a stone with very strong but calm energy. Sapphire pacifies passions, awakens the power of the mind, strengthens the spirit and will. Blue corundum brings fidelity, peace and love to family life, protects against betrayal, gossip and slander.
In ancient times, cups were inlaid with sapphires, as it was believed that the stone could recognize poison by changing its color, and it was also used as an antidote. Lithotherapists recommend wearing sapphires for diseases of the visual and respiratory organs, blood pressure and heart rhythm disorders, and insomnia. This stone can also calm and help people prone to hysterics and psychosis.
Who is sapphire suitable for?
Sapphire is very good for people of creative professions; it will help them to fully reveal their talent and find new, extraordinary solutions. This stone awakens a thirst for knowledge, improves memory and concentration, so students and students should carry it with them. Sapphire can become a talisman for insecure individuals; it will bring them luck and give them courage.
From an astrological point of view, sapphire is suitable for Aquarius - it will bring them self-confidence and eloquence, and will help them win the sympathy and trust of others. For Aries, the stone will allow you to curb your emotionality and temper. If Virgo wears jewelry with sapphire, it will become easier for her to establish relationships with others and find a common language. Geminis who own this stone will be able to make reliable friends, and Scorpios will find harmony with themselves and the world around them. Pisces and Libra will become more thoughtful and insightful, while sapphire will bring peace of mind to Leo and contribute to effective work.
Probably, sapphire is of particular value for Cancer - with its help, this sign can not only calm the nervous system, but also experience all the healing properties of the stone: sapphire will speed up the healing of heart and kidney diseases.
Taurus should be more careful with sapphire if the representative of this sign is not an overly responsible person and is prone to laziness. Sapphire is absolutely not suitable for Capricorn - the stone can take away strength and oppress.
The quality, appearance and, accordingly, the cost of a gemstone depend on the deposit in which it is mined. This applies to sapphires no less. In each deposit, stones of varying quality are found, with their own characteristics, features and disadvantages. Therefore, the famous mid-level Kashmir sapphire will cost less than Ceylon sapphire, but will be of the highest quality. An experienced jeweler is able to determine only by appearance where the sapphire that he now sees in front of him was found. Let's find out where the best sapphire gemstones in the world are mined.
Velvety, sleepy, cornflower blue, shrouded in a milky or twilight haze - all sorts of epithets and comparisons are bestowed on sapphire mined in the deposits of India. Such stones are recognized as the best sapphires on the planet. Sapphire mining sites are located in the mountains, at a fairly high altitude, and have been in development since the end of the 19th century. Sapphire is mined there by hand at a depth of ten meters.
Blue sapphires, in which impurities of other shades amount to no more than 15%, are classified as the highest grade. Slightly less important, but also important, is the transparency of the gem, so the presence of dark tones reduces the color saturation and the overall aesthetic value of the stone. Kashmir sapphires have a beautiful, deep blue color with a purple tint. That is why they are considered the best of their kind. The most valuable specimen is a cornflower blue stone, while stones that are lighter or darker are valued at half as much.
Since the Indian deposit has been developed for a long time, not a very large amount of blue gems are currently mined in Kashmir. Therefore, such sapphires are a great and very valuable rarity. They may offer you a sapphire that only has a “Kashmiri color,” that is, cornflower blue with purple hues. Moreover, it can be mined anywhere. But, naturally, such a mineral does not possess the uniqueness of a real Kashmir sapphire. Most of the current Kashmir sapphires are old, having been passed from hand to hand many times. Even these, not to mention new specimens, are sought after by collectors from all over the world.
