Sable And Russian Ermine: Furry Twins?

Sable and Russian ermine fur coats are both luxurious and highly prized garments. Sable fur is known for its silky texture, lightweight warmth, and unique sheen, while Russian ermine, with its white winter coat and black-tipped tail, has been associated with royalty and aristocratic fashion since the medieval period. Both types of fur are sourced from animals in the weasel family, but they differ in their specific characteristics and historical usage. So, while they share similarities as luxurious furs, the two are distinct in terms of their specific attributes and cultural significance.

Sable fur is the most expensive fur in the market

Sable fur is the most expensive type of fur in the world. Russian sable fur, in particular, is the most valuable, luxurious, and lavish fur globally. It is incredibly soft, dense, and silky, with a beautiful sheen. A sable fur coat can range in price from $4,000 to six figures, depending on the colour and length. In 2015, a sable fur coat sold for one million euros, making it the most expensive fur coat ever sold.

Sable fur is known for its use by royalty and high-status individuals throughout history. Its luxurious qualities and elegant appearance have made it a symbol of wealth and luxury. The ancient Greeks called sable the "golden fleece", and it was reserved by law for royalty. Historical figures such as Henry VIII of England, Marie-Antoinette, and Russian royalty wore and gifted sable fur as a token of friendship and devotion.

The characteristics of sable fur set it apart from other types of fur. It combines the sheen of mink with the suppleness of chinchilla. The keratin-rich guard hair reflects light, creating a jewel-like effect. The underfur is dense and supple, providing exceptional warmth. Sable fur is also lightweight and breathable, making it ideal for extremely low temperatures. Its free-moving hair creates a silky-smooth motion when the wearer moves.

The colour of sable fur also contributes to its value. It comes in a variety of earthy tones, such as light cinnamon brown, sandy yellow, and dark brown. The most valued type of sable is the Barguzinsky Sable from a specific region in Russia, which has a brown colour with silver-grey tips. White sable, a natural mutation, is the rarest and most expensive type, but it is extremely rare to find in the market.

The high price of sable fur is due to its limited supply and high demand. The breeding cycles, geographical limitations, and small size of the animal restrict the availability of its pelts. The process of transforming raw sable pelts into a coat also requires skilled craftsmanship, driving up the cost.

In summary, sable fur is the most expensive fur in the market due to its rarity, exceptional qualities, and the expertise required to create luxurious garments. Its historical association with royalty and high-status individuals has further contributed to its reputation as a symbol of luxury and opulence.

Russian sable is the most prized fur in the world

Sable fur is marten fur, sourced from the sable, a member of the weasel family native to America, Asia, and Europe. Sable fur is synonymous with Russian fur, and the best sable fur comes from the Barguzin Valley in Russia. It is silkier and denser than the sable from Canada, and the fur is known for its distinctive dark brown shades, illuminated by silver streaks. Russian sable is also incredibly lightweight, and its keratin-rich guard hair reflects light to provide a "jewel" like effect.

The Russian government has a monopoly on high-quality sable fur, and the Russian trade organisation, V/o Sojuzpushnina, holds auctions for furs only three times a year, in January, July, and October. The proceeds from these auctions go directly to the government coffers. During the czarist era, a large portion of the imperial family's income came from the sale of sable fur, and the finest Barguzin sable was reserved for the Russian imperial family. This is why it was known as imperial or crown sable.

The most expensive fur coat ever sold was a Russian sable fur coat designed by Karl Lagerfeld, which sold in 2015 for one million euros. A little sable jacket starts at about $16,000, and a top-quality silvery coat can run upward of $150,000.

Ermine was historically the status quo fur for royalty

Sable and Russian ermine fur coats are not the same. Sable is today's uncontested king of luxury furs, but historically, ermine was the status quo fur for royalty.

Ermine, the winter coat of the stoat (a species of weasel with white fur and a black-tipped tail), was once the most sought-after fur for royalty and court presentations. Its use by royalty was entrenched in Western European courts due to a symbolic legend stating that an ermine would "rather die than be defiled", translating from Latin to "potius mori quam foedari". This representation of "moral purity" was especially appealing to royalty.

The white ermine with its trademark black tail-tip became so popular with the aristocracy from the medieval period onwards that it found a place in heraldry. For example, the coat of arms of Bretagne (Brittany), in France, features ermine markings in its design. Ermine was also used in coronation robes, such as that of George V, and in crowns, such as the Great Imperial Crown created for the coronation of Catherine the Great.

The association of ermine with royalty was also reflected in official portraiture. For instance, Leonardo da Vinci's "Portrait of Cecilia Gallerani (Lady with an Ermine)", painted between 1483 and 1490, depicts the subject with an ermine.

Today, ermine remains exclusive and rare, with Russian summer ermine (golden) and winter ermine (white) being particularly expensive furs, costing between $30,000 and $60,000.

Russian sable is known for its softness and lightness

Sable fur is widely regarded as the finest, lightest, and most luxurious fur available. Russian sable, in particular, is known for its exceptional softness and lightness. It is a natural material that was once reserved for royalty, and its softness and lightness make it perfect for crafting exclusive and luxurious real fur coats.

Russian sable fur is sourced from the Barguzin Valley in Siberia, specifically the area around Lake Baical, and is the most valued type of sable. It is characterised by its silky texture, lightweight feel, and unique sheen. The fur's softness and feather-weight quality provide unparalleled warmth, making it ideal for cold climates. The suppleness of Russian sable fur allows for a multi-layered effect, creating a stunning and visually entrancing look.

The softness of Russian sable fur is due to its dense and supple underfur, which combines the sheen of mink with the suppleness of chinchilla. The keratin-rich guard hair reflects light spectacularly, creating a "jewel-like" effect. The free motion of the hair in any direction, even against its grain, gives the fur a silky-smooth appearance when worn. The length of the hair typically ranges from 3 to 4 centimetres, and the density is approximately 15,000 hairs per square centimetre.

The lightness of Russian sable fur is a defining characteristic that sets it apart from other furs. It is comparable in weight to mink fur, with a 40-inch coat weighing around 7 to 8 pounds on average. Despite its warmth and volume, Russian sable does not create bulkiness in garments. The lightweight nature of Russian sable fur makes it highly versatile, suitable for both casual and formal occasions, and it can be styled in various ways, from casual day outfits to evening attire.

Russian sable fur is highly prized and sought-after, renowned for its softness and lightness, making it the perfect choice for those seeking luxurious, exclusive, and lightweight garments to protect them from the cold.

Ermine is a type of tincture in heraldry

Ermine became associated with Western European royalty and courts due to its symbolic association with purity. The white winter ermine was the favoured fur, and it became entrenched in aristocratic fashion from the medieval period onwards. Ermine was used to line the robes and coronation cloaks of royalty and nobility, and it also found a place in heraldry. For example, ermine markings can be seen in the coat of arms of Brittany, in France.

In heraldry, ermine is considered a separate class of tincture, or pattern, that is neither metal nor colour. Ermine is usually depicted as a white field with black spots, known as "ermine spots", though the shape of these spots has varied over the centuries. Ermine spots can also be used as charges, or discrete motifs, in heraldry.

There are several variants of the ermine pattern in heraldry, including:

• Ermines (or counter-ermine): a field of black (sable) with white (argent) ermine spots.
• Erminois: ermine with a gold (or) field instead of silver (argent).
• Pean: the reverse of erminois, with a black (sable) field and gold (or) ermine spots.
• Erminites: similar to ermine, but with red lateral hairs on each spot. However, this variant may be a fictional invention of former heraldic writers.

These ermine variants are considered separate tinctures in their own right, rather than charged fields. The ermine pattern is also combined with other tinctures, for example, "black ermine spots on a gold field".

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