Kennebunkport – Twilight
Burgundy-Pink Maine Tourmaline & Diamond Ring
This is an exceedingly rare gem. More than likely the only large pink Maine Tourmaline ever cut in the twilight style. The crystal was discovered on Plumbago Mountain in Newry, Maine in 1972 and cut by Sean Sweeney in 2016. The twilight cut is a jewelry cubist delight…crisp, bright, angular flashes of pink-burgundy light traveling up and down the length of the gem. Set in Platinum with two round-cut diamonds and two tapered baguettes in a ring style we call “Kennebunkport”. All Platinum, hand-made mounting.
Kennebunkport – Twilight
This gem has a curious history. Originally cut as a long, shallow oval with a brownish peach color. It was mounted in a yellow gold ring with accent diamonds. The ring was traded by the original Maine gem miner for a leather couch. It was held for 40 years, never worn, then came back on the market. We purchased the ring, removed the tourmaline and had it recut in the twilight style. Interestingly, the brownish peach color went away, leaving a lovely pink color. We chose to mount this twilight-cut gem into our Kennebunkport ring, all platinum with two round Ideal-cut diamonds and two tapered diamond baguettes. This ring is likely to be the largest pink twilight-cut gem ever to come from the 1972 gem find on Plumbago Mountain.
This is a Trip
Through the Light Fantastic
Cross’s Twilight Gem and Jewelry Collection
Any gem superbly cut is breathtaking. Twilight-cut gems enter into another dimension. It’s a gem that you don’t simply look at and see the color; it’s a gem you develop a relationship with. There’s an intimate light performance that’s being produced just for you.
In a twilight-cut, it’s as though the gem is playing music, touching and connecting with the observer on a deeper level. A twilight gem has the juxtaposition of two different blocks of color side by side, another color above, and another below. In some places, you’ll get a flash of black or white, and then everything in-between in an assortment of color tones.
The minute you start to move the gem, these little cubes of light flash on and off, and as they flash, the colors are playing with and against one another. Hold the gem still and the performance settles. With the slightest movement, the light show begins again.
Depending on where you are, the performance will be different… Lamplight, sunlight, moonlight – a quieter show, but the gem will still softly perform even under the glow of a full moon.
The colors wink on and wink off. Like listening to the sound of a babbling brook, you’ll never hear the same sound twice… the notes of a twilight-cut gem are different in every performance.
These gems are brilliant, beguiling, and bewitching. They have a way of pulling you into their depths. In our video you can see the slightest touch or movement creates a dazzling array of cubic light… a shimmering dance of shadow, light, and color that moves to its own secret, melody, rhythm, and charm.
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.
