1775 Lantern,
Old North Church Necklace
Golden Light Citrine and
Great Northwoods New England Tourmaline*
“One if by land, two if by sea” these, the agreed upon signals to alert the patriots in their defense of America. And yes, we know Paul Revere saw two lanterns that night and rode to alert the countryside. Today we have three Revere lantern necklaces, one has a much bigger tourmaline than the other two. If these sell before you get to buy one, we can make others, call us.
*Yes, in 1775 Maine was a part of Massachusetts. 45 years later, tourmaline was discovered and Maine and we became our own state.
1775 Lantern,
Old North Church Necklace
Golden Light Citrine and
Great Northwoods New England Tourmaline
Necklace
Orange and green, two gems with a powerful color contrast. Yes, these colors will be noticed, will be commented on, and will be remembered.
1775 was the lantern’s warning. 1176 was our Declaration of Independence.
The Pumpkin Patch
Green Maine Tourmaline & Orange Citrine Necklace
My staff will say no. But here’s the thought. Every time I look at one of these Green Maine Tourmaline Citrine Lantern necklaces, I see a pumpkin patch. I’ve been to several up-country. I’m driving along, come around a corner, and there on a gently sloping hill in October are a thousand orange pumpkins before harvest, among monster green leaves. I will admit to being a city kid, and seeing pumpkins in a grocery store, stacked high, beautifully ribbed with a stem on one end. It sends me back to age 7 in the kitchen, a sharp knife and cutting triangles for eyes, scooping out seeds, the smell, the pumpkin smell, then the triangle nose and a big smile with teeth. A black candle for the front stairs. It’s a perfect kid moment.
Now back to the city kid, up-country. There is the field. I’ve never seen a farmer or anyone out and about in one of these fields. Here’s my admission, 5 or 6 times I’ve pulled off to the side of the road and walked the patch – not to take, borrow, or steal, just to walk among the basketball and beachball sized pumpkins. It seems unreal that nature could create such a huge orange thing from a gathering of green leaves.
We’ve made a few of these Pumpkin Patch necklaces, the green tourmaline is big, it’s 2 carats. That’s a big gem. The big gem is from the SparHawk tourmaline mine, just 28 miles north of our store. There are dairy farms with black and white Holsteins along the road leading to the mine. The orange citrine is from Africa. Its shape is triangular, like the eyes and nose of your 7-year-old’s jack-o-lantern. For my staff and our customers with a more refined sense of fine jewelry, visit our website for the deeper historical story on this 1776 necklace and Paul Revere.
Maine Tourmaline, A Maine Story
An American Gem
First discovered in 1820 and in subsequent finds over the years, these early discoveries put Maine on the world map as a source for high-quality tourmaline gems. A major discovery in 1972 on Plumbago Mountain in Newry, Maine established Maine as a significant world source of fine tourmaline gemstones.
Cross recognized the historical significance of this find and began working closely with the miners of these magnificent gems. The close partnership continues today with the ongoing discoveries in Maine’s western mountains.
100% Natural
We go to Maine’s gem mines. We know the miners. We know the gem cutters. We guarantee our tourmaline to be from Maine and is 100% natural. Cross maintains the largest collection of fine Maine tourmaline jewelry in the world.
Window of Opportunity
Fifty years have passed since the major 1972 tourmaline find in Newry, Maine where they found 3.5 million carats of tourmaline crystals. Over the years we bought more than we sold knowing that gem finds don’t last forever. There are now colors, sizes, and shapes that are extremely rare and, in some cases, no longer available. If you see something you love it’s best to act quickly. There’s no guarantee another gem like this one exists.
Case in point: In 2007 there was a find of tourmaline in Newry, Maine called Eureka Blue. People loved the color. The gems sold quickly, but the find was small and the mining only lasted a few seasons. Within three years of the discovery, all the large Eureka gems had sold. We still get calls from people who are now ready to buy. What they want, however, simply no longer exists from that find in 2007.
Gem finds are rare, especially in North America. Maine tourmaline is a piece of Maine and American history, it’s a connection to a place we all love, an exquisite creation of nature. Today, there is a rare opportunity to own a bit of Maine/American pride and heritage, and history in choosing a piece of Maine tourmaline jewelry.
