India is historically the world's most important gemstone trading and cutting centre, home to legendary Kashmir sapphires and a rich gem heritage spanning millennia.
India occupies a unique place in gemstone history — as both a major producer and the world's foremost cutting and trading hub. The legendary Kashmir sapphires, mined between 1881 and approximately 1925 in the remote Zanskar range, remain the most coveted and valuable sapphires in the world, with their characteristic velvety, sleepy blue colour unlike anything produced elsewhere.
The Kashmir mines produced sapphires for only a brief window in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The supply is entirely fixed — no new material is being mined — and demand continues to grow. Fine certified Kashmir sapphires regularly set world records at major auction houses.
India is historically the world's most important gemstone trading and cutting centre, home to legendary Kashmir sapphires and a rich gem heritage spanning millennia.
India occupies a unique place in gemstone history — as both a major producer and the world's foremost cutting and trading hub. The legendary Kashmir sapphires, mined between 1881 and approximately 1925 in the remote Zanskar range, remain the most coveted and valuable sapphires in the world, with their characteristic velvety, sleepy blue colour unlike anything produced elsewhere.
The Kashmir mines produced sapphires for only a brief window in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The supply is entirely fixed — no new material is being mined — and demand continues to grow. Fine certified Kashmir sapphires regularly set world records at major auction houses.
