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. Theft of the sapphires is always a constant problem, even today. The extreme rarity of the gem gives them almost a mythological reputation.Ĭartier bracelet with 65.16 carat Kashmir sapphires in a cushion cut. While some of the very best Burmese and Ceylonese sapphires come close, they can never compare to the Kashmir sapphire as it continues to be the pinnacle of all sapphires in existence. Some gem enthusiasts describe this as ‘blue velvet”. They have a superior cornflower blue hue to them with a mysterious and almost sleepy quality. They are highly sought after because they are the epitomy of a near perfect sapphire if there ever was one. Newly discovered ones are extremely rare as the material existing still was discovered well over 100 years ago. The Kashmir sapphire is the most famous type of sapphire in the world. The mines have been worked many times since these dates, but few sapphires have been produced as a result. This portion of the travel took 5 days, even though it was only 24 miles long. The Chinab River ran through deep and quite narrow canyons which made traveling even more difficult.
The journey started by traveling over the Chinab and Wardwan River to cross a rope bridge which was elevated 11,550 ft in the mountains. To access the mine, the beginning journey is quite dangerous and challenging. 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.
It wasn’t until 1887 that a geologist discovered that the sapphire stones, some as large as eggplants, originated from two separate locations. From the year 1882 to 1887, the mines were worked day and night throughout the summer months until the mines were depleted. When the Maharaja of Kashmir heard of the presence of the bright blue beautiful sapphires, he posted guards outside of the mines to protect their value. The mines located in the Zanskar range while widely known for bright, blue sapphires, also have been known to produce. Kashmir sapphires descend from a remote part of the Himalaya Mountains known as the Zanskar range.
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