SRINAGAR: In an interesting development, a very rare and big Kashmir sapphire once worn by Napoleon’s adopted daughter will be auctioned off in Geneva soon. Maureen Constance Guinness, the heiress of the aristocratic Anglo-Irish brewing dynasty, died in 1998 with the sapphire.
“After their discovery in the early 1880s, the exploitation of Kashmir sapphires lasted only five years, between 1882 and 1887, making these gemstones some of the most coveted on the market, according to Sotheby’s. The Kashmiri sapphires have a rich cornflower blue hue with a soft, velvety texture, and retain their lustre in any light,” reads a news item from India Times.
