Rare Kashmir sapphire for Dorotheum

A rare Kashmir sapphire of 13,963 carats, estimated at between 200,000 and 400,000 euros. It is the star of the next Dorotheum jewelery auction scheduled for November 30, 2023. The gem is part of that small number of sapphires mined for a few years at the end of the 19th century in the Kishtwar district, India, at an altitude of 5000 metres. Soon the sapphire mines ran out. Kashmir sapphires are also particularly sought after for this reason: in addition to their exceptional quality, with a special shade of blue, they are the rarest in the world.

Furthermore, the sapphire up for auction at Dorotheum is particularly heavy: almost 14 carats. Set in a bracelet, it comes from the ownership of a family of high European nobility and is now being offered at auction for the first time. The appraisal carried out by the Swiss Gemological Institute in 2023 qualifies the color of the stone offered as blue of strong saturation. Its transparency is particularly impressive thanks to the simplicity of the cabochon cut. The auction also includes a wide selection of solitaires with high-carat diamonds and colored stones, for a total of 238 selected jewels, with jewels from brands such as Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels and Chopard.

Also interesting is the watch auction on 1 December 2023, in which over 300 pieces can be purchased. The standout timepiece of the auction is the Il Destriero Scafusia by IWC: an extremely rare and refined wristwatch with perpetual calendar and moon phase, double chronograph, minute repeater and tourbillon, with a gold case, estimated at between 60,000 and 90,000 euros . This flagship of the wristwatch auction was produced in 1993 to mark IWC’s 125th anniversary in a limited edition of 125 pieces.