New Sapphire Material from Kashmir
The legendary and remote sapphire mines of Kashmir, the disputed Himalayan territory between India and Pakistan, produced the finest-quality sapphires from 1890 through the 1920s. These coveted gems made their way south to Mumbai and eventually to Europe and America. Now, 100 years later, rough stones are still found, deposited through erosive processes. During the summer months, Kashmiri shepherds migrate north through the higher Himalayas, where they occasionally find sapphires in the riverbeds and on the hillsides. The glacier-tumbled rough typically exhibits rounded surfaces, affectionately referred to as “plums in pudding” by English geologist C.S. Middle in the 1930s (figure 1, left). Many in the trade believe the best available material dates back to five productive years in the 1880s.
Exhibited at the AGTA show by Jeffery Bergman (EighthDimensionGems, Bangkok) and Mayer & Watt (Maysville, Kentucky), this selection of newly found rough crystals, loose cut gems (figure 1, right), and mounted Kashmir sapphires (figure 2) was all recently faceted by lapidary artisan Eddie Cleveland of KashmirBlue, who lived in Kashmir researching the historic mines for more than a decade. Cleveland uses his heat-treating experience to turn much of the pale grayish geuda-like rough to rich, well-saturated blues through standard high-temperature heating techniques. A limited amount of new material is found each year, and only a few pieces find their way to market.
