Each designed as a baguette-cut diamond surmount, to a stylised lily-of-the-valley motif set with a brilliant-cut diamond, suspending a cushion-shaped sapphire weighing 26.66 and 20.88 carats respectively, post and hinged back fittings. Length: 3.35cm. 20.34 grams
Accompanied by SSEF report no. 69008 and Gübelin reports no. 13050112 and no. 13050113, each stating that the sapphires are of Kashmir origin, with no indications of heating, each with appendix letters expressing the rarity of these sapphires.

Note:
The Richelieu Sapphires were given to Odile de la Chapelle de Jumilhac de Richelieu (1879-1974) as a wedding gift on the occasion of her marriage to Count Gabriel de la Rochefoucauld, Prince de la Rochefoucault, in 1905. They have been remounted only three times since then, their current design is a contemporary creation by Cartier incorporating their famous lily-of-the-valley motif which the house first used around the time the sapphires were originally given as the handsome wedding gift. Sapphires from the Kashmir region were first discovered only roughly thirty years before this pair had made their way to France. Unearthed by accident during a landslide during 1879 - 1882, they were immediately admired for their now famous rich and velvety blue hues. Despite the mining operations being restricted to a maximum of 10 weeks a year due to the inaccessibility of the location, the original deposit was practically exhausted by 1887. Whilst a new mine was established nearby following the closure of the ‘Old Mine’, a comparable source has never been found in the region and the new mine was abandoned by 1908. As a consequence Kashmir sapphires, especially of this size, are some of the rarest gems in the world.

SSEF: "The two gemstones form a perfectly matching pair in size and shape, combined with an attractive velvety blue colour and a fine purity. The inclusions found by microscopic inspection represent the hallmarks of sapphires from the reputed historic deposit in Kashmir, located in a remote part of the Himalayan Mountains in India. The velvety blue of these sapphires is due to very fine and subtle inclusions and a combination of well-balanced trace elements in these gemstones, typical and characteristic for the finest sapphires of Kashmir. In addition to these qualities, these sapphires have been spared exposure to heat treatment and their clarity and colour are thus all natural. A matching pair of natural sapphires from Kashmir of this size and quality is very rare and exceptional."