The Andaman sapphire is a 44.47-carat cushion-shaped gem from Burma of a captivating color. Its deep hue inspired the design of an elegantly simple necklace presented in 2015 as part of the Étourdissant Cartier High Jewelry collection.
This cushion-shaped sapphire comes from Burma and weighs 44.47 carats. Its splendor suggests that it was found in the legendary Mogok valley, where the finest rubies and sapphires in the world were mined for centuries. The stone’s transparency and harmoniously dark, rich, delicate color make it a highly sought-after “royal blue” sapphire. Inclusions of thin needles of the mineral rutile, which experts call “silks,” glimpsed at the heart of the stone, are a supplementary indication of the sapphire’s origin.
Inspired by the origins and deep hue of this sapphire, in 2015 Cartier designed an elegantly simple necklace that evokes the sea. It was named “Andaman” after the sea off Burma’s southern coast. The sapphire hangs as a pendant from one of the treasures of the sea, namely a natural pearl in the shape of a button, weighing 20.40 grains, whose slightly silver “orient” (iridescent shimmer) is a perfect match for the sea-blue sapphire.