Sapphires: Kashmir Blue

It is always nice to be able to retreat, once is a while, from my tai tai duties, focus over a cup of good tea and do some serious business: Blog! Of late, I have been feeling a little blue... thinking a little blue. To be more precise, Kashmir Blue!

Once upon a time, there was a man called Alexander II who happened to be a Russian Emperor, he bought a 260.73 carat Sapphire for his wife, Empress Maria Alexandrovna. If this is an expression of love, he must then really love his wife. Sapphires have been, since anyone can be bothered to remember, been coveted gems. These stones that conjure up brilliant images of blue... Kashmir Blue, Cornflower Blue, Ceylon Baby Blue, Royal Blue...

At the top of my list would be Kashmir Blue:

Kashmir Sapphires were discovered in 1889 in a small Indian state northwest of the Himalayas! Apparently, these sapphires were so abundant that they have been once used as flint stones. (What were they thinking!) Unfortunately by the early 1900s, the mines were plundered to their deaths and depleted of their gems. Hence, it is only natural that their value multiply. Stones from 2 - 3 Carats have become items much sort after by collectors and large ones can only be found in museums, at once in a while, at auctions.

If one is so fixed that the gem is born from that particular Indian state, then be disappointed to know that it is almost impossible to prove the origin of the gem with a simple Lab report. Having said that, Sri Lanka, one of the world's most respected sources of Sapphires, does produce a gems that have the "Kashmir Colour" and it is regarded by many as being collection worthy and is almost identical to a stone from Kashmir.

Qualities of Kashmir Sapphires:

Despite the fact that I do not own a Kashmir Sapphire, at least not yet, I understand that they have amazing, legendary qualities. These gems are a velvety, soft, lazy luxurious cornflower blue. Imagine a premium grade cornflower blue sapphire that has a velvety quality to its luster, a soft, lazy, sleep glow. It does not scintillate like most sapphires do, instead it has a idlic lazy glow. Well, nothing beats seeing the real thing but unfortunately, I do not have any to show. (Not yet, at least) but here are some famous Kashmir Sapphires! Enjoy!

Hill's Kashmir Sapphire: 22. 66 Carats

(Photo Credits: Christie's)

(Credits: gemsauction.com)

The Cornflower Blue Sapphire from Sri Lanka – Truly Royal!

In the world of gemstones, there are three imperial sisters who has reined over any dynasty and rules. Their status - The three royal princesses of gems have withstood the test of time. They have stood high and proud in value and demand over many years and they are The Sapphire, The Ruby and The Emerald!

Amongst these three sisters, my favourite is the sapphire. This fancy stone can be found in as many colours as the rainbow and sometimes even more than one colour in a stone but if someone tells you that she knows Sapphires but not the “Cornflower Blue” Sapphire, then she is definitely trying to pull a fast one! Don’t waste your time talking to this one! The legendary “Cornflower Blue” is one of the two most coveted colours when it comes to blue sapphire. Many Tai Tais go on a ceaseless hunt for this coveted colour sacrificing much money along the way. In fact, this colour is so rare that it has been said that once you see it, you will not forget it!

But Why Sri Lanka?! While there are also sapphires to be found in the Land of a Thousand Smiles, Amazing Thailand and Madagascar, the stones from these two countries are considered by many Tai Tais to be poor substitutes for the poor. Thai Sapphires appear to be darker (colour wise, Thai Sapphires can sometimes be almost black!!!) than the Sri Lanka ones while the ones mined from Madagascar appear to be less rich and intense in terms of its hue of blue. It also often presents a rather false-grey-ish metallic sheen that the Sri Lanka Sapphires do not have.

So what is this Legendary “Cornflower Blue” Sapphire! What is a “Cornflower”?

A Cornflower but which blue? (Source: www.wikipedia.org)

So when we look for a “Cornflower Blue” Sapphire, do we look for the colour in the centre of the flower or the colour of the petals? In my experience, when you see a cornflower blue you will know. The feeling is like seeing a perfect male specimen naked in the most unexpected of places like a mall on Christmas Eve! It leaves you breathless! Many have gone to the extent of matching the colour with a pantone code and so on but to me, it is really futile because the legendary cornflower comprises more than merely colour. There has to be luster and scintillation, which takes a master craftsman to bring out. Like a man who is good looking who has a great body and possesses a well-developed fire-fighting department! What’s the use of mere looks when you cannot satisfy the woman!?

Tai Tais: The Ladies That Lunch but Never Eat! Or do they!?

A group of international elites exists amongst the various echelons of society wielding immense influence on multi-billion dollar industries all across the world from the fields of jewelry and fashion, to beauty (both invasive and non-invasive) to real estate, skin care, shoes, health care, automobile, F&B and furnishing, not forgetting Charity. We are not confined to restraints of bearing official office nor do we carrying official titles affiliated to any commercial or non-commercial organizations, support groups or companies and we are very much happy to be that way as well. We have been conferred the titles like “The Ladies that lunch but never eat”, “Ladies of Leisure” or in the region called Southeast Asia, “Tai Tais”.

The Blue-Bloods

Us, Tai Tais, have existed since the time of civilized society. Many aspire to attain this status by marrying upwards however, a group of us, some call “the snobs”, take immense pride in being the blue blood of Tai Tais. We relish the fact that we are descendants of prominent families who marry members from other families of equal prominence. You can easily distinguish the blue blood snobs when you see a group of us at some Gala event, huddled together whispering softly into one another’s ears and then laughing loudly but always gracefully at a junior Tai Tai, an entry level freshee who just got married into prominence.

The Original Blue Blood Tai Tai - Empress Dowager CiXi (source: www.radio86.co.uk)

If anyone were to ask me, I would say that the first Blue Blood Tai Tai will have to be Empress Dowager, Ci Xi. Allegedly born from the family of court officials from the Bordered Blue Banner of the Eight Banners in Qing Dynasty, she shares the same passion as I do, the love for Gems, especially pink tourmalines and imperial jade! I sometimes wonder if that is the reason why fuchsia pink is the most coveted colour among the wide spectrum of tourmaline colours!?

CiXi drank from a jade cup and ate with golden chopsticks. At the end of her life, her personal jewellery vault held 3,000 ebony boxes of jewels. (source: www.sacu.org) I have chosen an image of CiXi in an embroidered bamboo leaf robe with her famous pearl cape made of 3500 pearls of perfect shape and colour. The Tai Tais of today can only dream and drool at the wardrobe and jewels she had! (photo www.radio86.co.uk)

Even in death did she lavish herself with precious gems. It is a little sick I know but I am envious…sometimes…

Cixi’s mausoleum was built for 14 years altogether. Her mausoleum was the most luxurious in the all emperors of Qing Dynasty. Her mausoleum can be said to be a grand underground palace. Then how much jewelry was there in her mausoleum? According to the historical records of Qing Dynasty, there was a gold silk mattress inlaying gems in the coffin bottom of Cixi. 12604 pearls, 85 rubies and sapphires, 2 emeralds, 203 green jades and white jades were inlaid on the gold silk mattress.

In addition, other jewel and jade in the coffin are as follows: east pearl, coral necklaces, white diamond, green pearl, emerald bracelet, yellow quartz, agate, gold peach, white jade antelope, white jade cat, purple gem, red-and-white diamond, yellow gem, shoe-shaped gold ingot, etc.

(Source: www.mysteriouschina.com/mystery-of-jewelry-in-the-mausoleum-of-queen-cixi)

I doubt that anyone is this day and age will be able to accumulate a tiny fraction of what she owned. Hence, to me, she is undoubtedly the original Blue Blood Tai Tai!