Rare Matched Pair of
Green Maine Tourmaline & Diamond
Earrings
As a kid growing up in Gorham, Maine, I was a rock and mineral collector. Fifty percent of all boys are collectors. I had read about the discovery, in 1820, of tourmaline in Paris, Maine, forty-five miles north. I lamented that I had been born 130 years too late and missed the great discovery. Never in my wildest dreams, at age 12, did I imagine that someday I would become the State of Maine’s premier purveyor of Maine tourmaline jewelry.
Most people don’t realize that there could be 100 Maine tourmaline cut in this size and shape, and only three pairs might be good enough matches within that group of 100 gems to qualify as a pair. This pair is bright, brilliant forest green, and the gems are a spot-on perfect match. This is why we call them rare.
Do we ever have 100 gems to choose from? Not really. This is a rare pair. Because they are special, we selected ten high-white, natural, earth-mined diamonds to surround each tourmaline, then set them into 14K white gold earrings. The earrings are friction-back style with our Cross triple weight ear nuts for strength and long-lasting wear.
If it were any other gem (other than ruby), we could easily make a dozen more pairs. Maine tourmaline earrings are some of the hardest earrings to make in a green color because the green tourmaline pairs are so hard to come by. We always feel fortunate when we are able to make a pair.
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.
