The Queen’s Gambit
Pure Honey Gold Citrine Gem
Framed in Diamonds Necklace
Did Beth ever wear a necklace like this? Probably not; she could have, though. It is a necklace fit for a queen. Big, bold, six-sided Honey Gold Citrine gem, surrounded by a glittering frame of pure white diamonds. The chess move of the Queen’s Gambit is 1. D4, D5 2. C4. Andy, our shop foreman, plays chess.
Your first move in life is always to control the center.
The Queen’s Gambit
and Cross’ Shop Foreman’s
Bee Hives and Honey
Andy’s our shop foreman. He’s one of two beekeepers on staff. He lives on his farm ten minutes from our store. He has fields, vegetable gardens, a serious river that runs adjacent to his property, and bees…beehives, 2 of them, and 50,000 bees. As our shop foreman, he’s patient, methodical, and accurate. Knowing him, I’m sure he’s careful and deliberate.
He says nonchalantly, “I don’t get stung very often.” Last year he harvested 10 gallons of honey, purified and put it into 8oz jars with a prepared label. Here is a photo of two of his 100 jars of honey.
When I ask Andy about his weekend and bees and beekeeping, I get a detailed report, like from the 6 o’clock news. Andy is serious. Andy is committed; Andy is enthused. I’m interested. I’m curious. So, I have lots of questions. Apparently, honey comes in different colors according to the time of year. Early spring-summer, it’s lighter gold; late summer-fall is a deeper, more amber gold.
A Bee’s Life’s Work
is a Tea Spoon of Honey
Sweet. Sweet. Sweet. Our ancestors had no other pure sugar source until someone tapped a maple tree, prior to that the focus of the sweet tooth was the honey comb pulled our of an old tree. The honey hunter was a village hero. There were no penny candy stores, no Mars Bars, lolly pops, Life Savers, Orange Crush. It came down to bee’s honey and later, maple syrup.
If you have a sweet tooth and adore a dash of sugar, you know how awesome a spoonful of honey really is. Three bees work an entire lifetime to make a table spoon of honey.
Beeswax Magic
Our Queen’s Gambit is a beeswax honey cell – the white diamonds are the wax wall, the amber-colored citrine is the honey. Beeswax candles are the healthiest choice of candles. Made from the caps of bee honeycombs, beeswax candles burn clean, are very long burning, and give off a natural fragrance as they burn. Beeswax candles are dripless when burned properly and release negative ions, which help clean the air in a room.
Why We Love This Piece
There are small and hidden details. On the left side of the gold chain, there is a tiny 6-sided honey cell shape in gold built into the chain. The designer didn’t have to do this, but she did. What does it mean? She loves her work and loves this piece. She cared enough to design this detail. For those who see you wearing the Queen’s Gambit necklace, they will look twice – trying to understand this asymmetrical detail.
Look closely into the heart of this gem. You can see a curious pattern of the structure showing through. Now look at the back, which shows a full honeycomb pattern. Again, this is a detail no one is likely to ever see, but knowing it’s there, you will know how exquisite this necklace really is.
Real queen bees in the hive have so much figured out. Because of keeping it all straight, they really are in control. Queen bees have mastered the center move.
