Discover: Montana Sapphires
The beauty of Montana Sapphires: I can't get closer to #knowyoursource than this, unless I mined them myself. Most of the sapphires I source hail from a mine in the Missouri River bank owned and operated by a husband and wife duo. To be able to shake the hands of those who dug these gems up and out of the ground is what I strive for. Truly, the gratitude I have for this is poured into these pieces.
Montana is the only U.S. state with any significant production of gem-quality sapphires. Sapphires have been actively mined in Montana for over 100 years, initially spurred by the gold rush of the 1860s. In the search for gold in the Missouri River gravel, these little blue pebbles were tossed aside. That is, until Ed “Sapphire” Collins discovered and forwarded a sampling of these pebbles to Tiffany & Co. in 1895.
Montana Sapphires are found in a variety of shades, including pink, peach, green, blue, teal, yellow, purple, and silver. More abundant, and more identifiably Montanas, are the pale green, teal, and denim blues.