I don’t have a yacht. For a dozen years, we had a 13-foot Boston Whaler with a 30-horsepower motor and steering wheel. Whalers have a shallow draft, which means we could take it almost anywhere. My son and I explored the coast 20 miles up and down from where we lived. Up the coast, Casco Bay’s Jewell Island’s Cocktail Cove was one of our summer destinations. To my envy, sailboats and sloops would come up the coast from New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts and stay for an overnight at Cocktail Cove.
On many occasions, when we visited Jewell Island, we could see three, five, or seven sailboats tethered together floating in the cove with appropriate boat bumpers protecting their sides. The visitors would gather on the decks with gin and tonic, scotch and water, or red or white wine. It always looked so Newport to see them all gathered in their sunglasses, captain’s hats, and comfy chairs.
Cocktail Cove is a long, deep cove protected on three sides by rock cliffs and is appropriately nicknamed “Cocktail Cove” by the boating crowd.
The Design
The earring design is a bit more local casual than Cocktail Cove. We have a pink Maine tourmaline for port and a green Maine tourmaline for starboard. We have surrounded each with a lobsterman’s rope… a twisted gold wire. Proper placement in the ears is pink on the left side and green on the right, like running lights on your sailboat.
If You Like These….
Don’t Wait
This is a limited collection of pink and green Maine tourmaline made from gems found 50 years ago. Don’t wait; these are the last few gems of this size. They are likely to go quickly.
Why We Love These Earrings
We first introduced the Port and Starboard concept a dozen years ago. We thought we were being funny, that they were a joke, that we were just having fun. We made up the first pair and sold them the same day. We were surprised. We made another pair as a hoot… the same thing happened. We got serious and started making several at a time. They flew out of the store. We’ve sold hundreds of pairs. Apparently, there are lots of serious sailors.
Now, to present-day reality. Maine tourmaline doesn’t last forever. The pinks are from a find over 50 years ago. The Cocktail Cove at Jewel Island series was made with some of the last of our pink and green Maine tourmalines in this size. Cocktail Cove at Jewel Island with the Lobsterman’s Rope is new. These 21 pairs really are approaching the end of our pink and green Maine tourmaline collection in these sizes. Feeling tempted? Don’t wait; fine gems are finite.
One Last Thought
We just made the 4.5mm size earrings because we had ten sets of gems that would fit. While it may not seem possible, it took seven months to make this middle-size earring. Many could care less what we do to bring something to market. Truth is, we move heaven and earth just to make beautiful jewelry possible.
