The blue sapphire is one of the most enticing precious stones on the planet. It lights up a piece of jewellery with a radiance that only an experienced craftsperson can give it. We speak to the founder of heritage Mumbai jewellery brand Anmol, who tells us about combining sapphires with other stones to get a colour-blocked look, and the stone’s rising popularity in India.

Cuff by Anmol crafted in 18 k gold and set with blue sapphires and diamonds (Meraki Collection)

For three decades, Mumbai-based jewellery maison Anmol has been dressing up Bollywood actors, industrialist wives and daughters, and lovers of fine beautifully crafted jewellery. It’s one of the go-to brands for the glamorous set when it comes to wedding jewellery. In fact, Bollywood stars like Shilpa Shetty Kundra and Lara Dutta Bhupathi, have chosen to wear Anmol for their wedding day. An Anmol trademark is artfully combining various precious stones with diamonds to create rich, refined pieces. Anmol’s founder Ishu Datwani tells us about the vivid-hued and majestic sapphire that is widely used in his various collections, such as the new ‘Meraki’ line for 2020, which blends blue sapphires and tanzanites.

Are the sapphire pieces part of a special collection?

Sapphires are a mainstay of our contemporary cocktail and bridal jewellery collection.

Earrings by Anmol crafted in 18 k gold and set with blue sapphires, pearls, and uncut diamonds Ishu Datwani, Founder, Anmol

What is special about using sapphires in fine jewellery-making? Is it easy to work with?

Sapphires add much-needed colour to jewellery, and make it vibrant. It is not a very hard stone to work with. Our craftsmen are of good calibre and have a lot of experience, so they don’t find it difficult to work with the sapphires.

Where do you source your sapphires from?

We source our sapphires from Mumbai itself, and the cutting and polishing of the stones is done in Jaipur. The origin of sapphires is multifarious. The best-quality blue sapphires actually are from Kashmir. Sri Lanka is well known for the fine quality and broad range of colours of the sapphires found there, predominantly yellow sapphires and blue sapphires.

Bracelet by Anmol crafted in 18 k gold and set with coloured gemstones, rosecut and round brilliant diamonds (Meraki Collection)

What are the best determining factors of a sapphire's purity?

The colour is the most important factor for determining the purity and value of a sapphire – the more intense and uniform the colour, the more valuable it is.

Do you use yellow and pink sapphires – where are these from?

Yes, we use yellow and pink sapphires in our jewellery. Pink sapphires are found in Madagascar and Sri Lanka, and yellow sapphires are found in Sri Lanka.

What are the other stones that go well with sapphires, such as citirines and yellow diamonds?

We never use citrines with sapphires. We do a lot of interesting jewellery with multicoloured sapphires.

Pendant set collection by Anmol crafted in 18 k gold and set with blue sapphires, emeralds, rosecut diamonds, and round brilliant diamonds (Wisteria Collection)

It's unusual to see blue sapphires and emeralds together in one piece – as in the necklace and the 'Wisteria' pendant set – what made you use these together?

We thought of using the concept of colour blocking with contrasting hues of emeralds and blue sapphires to add a unique dimension to the design.

Who designs the pieces – how big is your design team – and where are the pieces made?

We have an inhouse design team which comprises of two jewellery designers, and most of our jewellery pieces are manufactured in our workshop. I personally like to supervise each and every design and jewellery piece which goes into production.

Ring by Anmol crafted in 18 k gold and set with blue sapphires, yellow diamonds, and marquise cut diamonds (Meraki Collection)

Do you think blue sapphires are becoming more popular in India?

Although blue sapphires are gradually becoming popular in India, unfortunately some people are wary of buying blue sapphires because of its perceived astrological significance. A lot of people still have a superstitious belief that blue sapphires don’t suit everybody, but compared to earlier times, there is a better acceptance of blue sapphires nowadays.

How do you do the pricing for a blue sapphire?

The price of a blue sapphire depends on the size and the quality. The smaller blue sapphires can be quite inexpensive if they are normal average quality. But if you go for bigger sizes and gem-quality Kashmir sapphires, the prices can be astronomical. Kashmir sapphires are avidly sought by collectors who are paying almost an astronomical price for it.

Which are your most popular blue sapphire pieces?

The contemporary blue sapphire jewellery pieces from our latest ‘Meraki’ collection are our most popular pieces.

Necklace set crafted in 18 k gold with emeralds, diamonds, and yellow sapphires by Anmol