Pink Maine Tourmaline Butterfly Necklace

Ten, twenty, thirty feet above where the crystals rest in natural caves of solid rock for 250 million years, butterflies – real butterflies – fly in the western mountains of Maine. I find myself going back to this reality, marveling at nature’s roll of the dice, the atoms of elements lining up perfectly to produce crystals the size of Pepsi cans, thousands of crystals with a pink core – one of the greatest gem finds in the world.

We’ve offered this year and last – tourmaline butterflies of the world. Not one of them came from Maine. This pink butterfly is from Plumbago mountain and the 1972 discovery of gem tourmaline that rocked the world. The wings are big, the piece is big – almost the size of a real fairy. This piece was actually acquired years ago, it was in our archival reserve. The frame and bug body are 14K yellow gold. The chain is a classic 1980s rope, 18” long, and is attached and part of the piece. The pink tourmaline crystal wings have many small natural growth inclusions.

One. Just one butterfly, not duplicatable (a great value).

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.