Dazzling times

One of the finest sapphires and diamonds will go under the hammer at Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels auction in New York on April 29. The most dazzling and rarest of all is the Kashmir sapphire estimated to fetch a dazzling $4-5 million. This sapphire is one of the many which were drawn from the ground at the original mine in Kashmir, according to Sotheby’s. In the early 1880s, as a result of a landslide in the remote Kudi Valley of India, the legendary sapphires of the Kashmir region were discovered.

But by 1887, the original Kashmir mine was depleted. Owing to scarcity, Kashmir sapphires make up a tiny percentage of the world’s total sapphire supply. Auction has become one of the few means by which one can acquire a Kashmir sapphire.

The auction will also feature the timeless diamond jewels of Eydie Gorme, who with her husband Steve Lawrence reigned for decades as America’s award-winning pop vocal. Eydie is said to have dreamt of owning a diamond in every shape.

COMMENT NOW