Kashmir Sapphire (Kashmiri Neelam)

Kashmir Sapphire is a highly sought-after variety of Sapphire, immensely popular for its mesmerising blue color and velvety appearance. It is also one of the most expensive gemstone (not on per carat basis). In gem market, this Gemstone is also famous as Jammu Sapphire, Kashmir Neelam or Jammu Neelam gemstone. For more information, read our notes on Kashmir Sapphire mines , Kashmir Sapphire Quality and Kashmir Sapphire Price . For any further help, feel free to Contact our Gem Expert.

High aesthetic value, extreme rarity and strong demand, have collectively made Kashmir Sapphire an undisputed king of the gem industry. Its prices remain significantly high in comparison to the price of other blue sapphire varieties. This is because Kashmir blue sapphire bears a rich, lustrous blue hue with a unique velvety feel. It is hard to find such quality blue sapphire from other origins. The limited availability of this precious gem variety is another significant factor causing notable hike in Kashmiri Blue Sapphire prices. The Kashmir mines got depleted in early 19th century and since then no commercial mining have taken place. Kashmir Neelam available in the market were extracted years back and are present in limited quantity. This is the reason why these days even the palest blue Kashmir Neelam (that merely live up to the Kashmir reputation) manages to fetch an amount of nearly ₹1-2 lakh per carat ($1555 - $3100 approx.) and above. On the other hand, it is not easy to buy large Kashmir Neelam in top quality even if someone is ready to pay a premium as big as ₹50 lakhs per carat and above. The best quality Kashmir Sapphire can either be seen in auction houses or a collector’s collection. Star of Kashmir sapphire is a good example. It is a cushion-cut Kashmir sapphire weighing 19.88 carats. It was auctioned at a price of $175,259 per carat. It is encapsulated in a ring and is embellished with two cushion shaped diamonds present on each side weighing nearly 3.02 ct. and 2.72 ct. Most of the gemmological institutions identified Kashmir Sapphire to be extremely rare and worthy.

Yes, one can purchase a GIA certified Kashmiri Neelam from GemPundit. Since, Kashmir Sapphire cost a serious amount, GemPundit always strive on trusted and internationally recognised gemmological institutions like GIA, Gubellin, GII, GRS and IGI to get the origin testing done. We have showcased a decent inventory of Kashmir Neelam online for sale along with their certificates, photos and videos for better understanding of our customers. Click here to browse our collection.

The best way to identify a Kashmir sapphire is to look for a deep velvety blue hue with a hint of violet. One must check for a high clarity and distinct cornflower blue hue under natural light.

A deep clean blue sapphire termed as Kashmir sapphire can range anywhere between INR 1,00,000 ($1215.41) per carat to 1,50,000 ($1823.12) lac per carat with no upper limit. Auction prices for Kashmir sapphires typically go beyond $150,000 per carat (Rs 1 crore per carat).