Deep blue and other colored sapphires evolve in faraway places they like Ceylon, today known as Sri Lanka, the island nation of Madagascar, the mysterious Kashmir. So it does come as somewhat of a surprise to learn that they are also found in the great American western state of Montana, and in the streams of the very volcanic Auvergne region of central France, precisely in the region known as Issoire. The sapphires from the Auvergne possess a variety of colors ranging from blue to blue green and even yellow. One of the more dashing colors is a unique teal blue color, and all are prized for their purity as they have practically no inclusions. Only eight miners, trained geologists and gemologists,  are officially licensed to extract them. They are found in very small quantities and are mined exclusively by hand. The French house of Skander LB has just brought out its Étoile Filante collection which means Shooting Star, bringing together French mineral heritage with French craftsmanship. Each piece of the Shooting Star collection is made with platinum 950 set with teal blue sapphires from Auvergne and crafted by hand in a workshop just outside of the French city of Bordeaux. 

The house chose platinum, a rare and lasting metal,  which is much more difficult to work than gold. The eye-catching sapphires from the Auvergne region are not very well know and are somewhat of a newcomer to the wild world of gemstones. Skander LB brings out its pieces in unique pieces or in very limited series. Corundum is the mineral species that includes both sapphire and ruby as varieties. Red corundum is known as ruby and all other colored corundum (including colorless, or white sapphire as it is known in the trade) is sapphire, although blue is the most well-known, according to the GIA Gem Encyclopedia. The GIA is the acronym for the Gemological Institute of America. Platinum stamped 950 indicates that there is 95% pure platinum in the alloy and the metal remains the hallmark of longevity for rings and jewelry. ©Trish Valicenti for The Gourmet Gazette https://skanderlb.com/