While Kashmir may have been a hotbed of unrest for several decades now, such turmoil is yet to taint the reputation of the region’s stunning sapphires, famous the world over for their rich deep blue colouring. Now a truly fine example of these most precious stones, as featured in the Peacock Necklace – a stunning sapphire-and-diamond necklace – was just auctioned by Christie’s Hong Kong. The piece, which originally featured an estimate price of between US$12 million and US$15 million, did not disappoint when it went under the hammer last week. The Kashmir sapphire and diamond necklace’s final sale price stood at a staggering US$14.96 million. 

All originally mined from the remote Padder region in Kishtwan district, some 21 dazzling shards of Kashmir sapphires, together with an array of brilliant diamonds, adorn this unique necklace, with the gems said to total some 109.08 carats. The centre stone alone weighs an astonishing 10.56 carats, which makes it extremely rare and valuable among sapphires, as finding a single stone of such quality and weight is almost unheard of. And when you also factor in the masterly craftsmanship behind the entire suite of gems, it’s no surprise that the attention of the whole haute joaillerie world was focused on this most luxurious of lots.