ARCHIVE I.
The Founding Seven.
Each of these sapphires and emeralds were sourced in uncirculated form from Kashmir and the greater Himalayan region. Their refinement was entrusted to Qadir Shah, an Afghan master lapidary based in Dubai, known for his work with collectors and high-end private commissions, and Ken Harrington, a senior British Master lapidary with over six decades of experience across heritage jewellery and museum-grade stones. These are not commercial cuts. They are legacy interpretations.
While some of these sapphires may appear “new to market,” they are anything but. Traders in Namak Mandi — one of Asia’s most historic gemstone markets and the primary hub for origin stones from Kashmir, Swat, and Afghanistan — report they have not seen a true blue sapphire in over ten years. The blue-bearing vein of Batakundi is believed to be long depleted also.
These stones do not represent a resurgence.
They are what remains.
Noorān.
Batakundi, Kashmir (Pakistan-administered)
0.62 ct | Cushion cut | Unheated
Faceted from virgin rough by Qadir Shah and Ken Harrington, Noorān is the archive’s smallest but most precise voice. She proves that rarity lies not in carat weight, but in origin, integrity, and clarity — each held in balance within her frame.
The Last Rani.
Batakundi, Kashmir (Pakistan-administered)
1.87 ct | Cushion cut | Unheated
Cut from untouched rough in the folds of Batakundi, The Last Rani is not a rediscovery — she is a resurrection. Her glow is the quiet return of a sovereign line thought extinguished. She is proof that colour and clarity still rise from forgotten ridges.
Zarqā.
Batakundi, Kashmir (Pakistan-administered)
1.48 ct | Pear cut | Unheated
First shaped in Namak Mandi and then reworked by hand in the UK, Zarqā is a bridge between bazaar and curation. Her radiant blue and teardrop form speak not only to colour, but feeling — she is a thread between place, trade, and memory.
Dilband.
Batakundi, Kashmir (Pakistan-administered)
3.04 ct | Heart-shaped (carved) | Unheated | Carved, not faceted
A heart not for sentiment, but for sovereignty. Dilband is a carved relic from Batakundi — shaped by hand to preserve terrain, not trend. She is an emblem of Kashmir’s internal geography, rendered as reverence.
The Emerald of Uddiyana.
Swat Valley, Pakistan
2.57 ct | Pear cut | Minor oil
Faceted by Ken Harrington with the option to one day become a cabochon, The Emerald of Uddiyana is a vivid, minimally treated emerald named after the Buddhist kingdom once hidden beneath modern Swat. She is bright, jardin’d, and historically alert.
Yāshmān.
Panjshir Valley, Afghanistan
1.30 ct | Trillion cut | Minor oil
Named for the ancient Persian word for green stone, Yāshmān is a Panjshir emerald of geometry and fire. Bluish-green, clean, and untreated, she stands apart not only for colour, but for the resistance and balance held within her sharp cut and ancient origin. Valley, Afghanistan
Curator’s Note.
Each gemstone in this archive has been selected with the utmost care and historical awareness.
While many in the trade fail to distinguish origins, this curation proudly clarifies provenance.
Indian Kashmir sapphires are labelled as such, and sapphires sourced from Batakundi — within Pakistan-administered Kashmir — are identified accurately.
This clarity is not only ethical; it is essential to the legacy of the pieces and the integrity of the collection.
Rani Kohistān.
Batakundi, Kashmir (Pakistan-administered)
3.07 ct | Oval cut | Unheated
A sovereign stone of stature and scale, Rani Kohistān carries the poise of royalty and the depth of mountain shadow. Her 3.07 carats were cut from virgin rough — untraded, uncirculated — with her origin clearly mapped to the western edge of the Kashmir divide.