At age 10, in 1959, I found an old radio script book in my grandfather’s attic. It was a ½ hour radio program from the 1920s. It contained the story of two kids who found tourmaline crystals in Maine in 1820. I sat under a bare lightbulb in the attic and read the story a half dozen times. I brought the book downstairs and asked my grandfather why he’d never told me gems had been found in Maine. And, what was tourmaline?
I was a rock and mineral collector, and yet, he said it had never occurred to him to mention it to me. He asked if I would like the book and said I could have it, which felt like I was an archaeologist and had just been offered the Dead Sea Scrolls. I peppered him with questions, and he told me about Cross’ founder, my great-grandfather, and his cutting machine and how he and two other men worked to develop modern gem-cutting machines. I learned I was a descendant of gem-cutting royalty.
I learned that Cross Jewelers had made hundreds of pieces of Maine tourmaline jewelry. He spoke about his participation in the Maine Gem Mining Society. My head was spinning. He showed me green Maine tourmaline gem crystals. I was astounded. He didn’t offer to give me one, and I didn’t ask. Just to have the radio script was treasure enough. I didn’t realize at the time that Augustus Choate Hamlin, the son of one of the two kids who first found the tourmaline, wrote the book on the history of Mt. Mica when his grandfather first found tourmaline.
It would be a dozen years later that I would see an original copy of this history of Maine tourmaline book. The book had hand-colored illustrations of tourmaline discovered at Mt. Mica in Paris, Maine. I now own several copies of Hamlin’s History of Maine Tourmaline. I also still have the original radio script book. That Saturday morning in my grandfather’s attic, a jeweler was born, and my destiny over the next 65 years was set. Which leads me to this ring today.
If some entity in that attic or a voice had whispered over the next several weeks that a dozen years later, there would be a world-class discovery of gems in Maine’s western mountains, and I would play a major role in bringing the gems to market… I probably would have dismissed it as crazy talk. And yet, in 1972, precisely that occurred. 3 ½ million carats, two metric tons, of pink and green tourmaline were discovered on Plumbago Mountain in Newry, Maine. The gem world was delighted. The mine is 80 miles north of Portland. It’s up in serious ski country. We bought gems aggressively but very carefully. We chose exquisite color, breathtaking clarity, and world-class cutting; in other words, really nice gems.
In 1981, Reagan assumed the presidency of the United States. The economy was good, and Ronald and Nancy dressed well. They wore fine jewelry, and for eight years business boomed. Maine tourmaline was a best seller. We made many pieces containing gems of 8, 10, 15, and 20 carats. We decorated them with diamonds. When 1989 transitioned into 1990, and Bush came into the White House, the wild years of big, big jewelry ended abruptly. To freshen stock and make room, we retired a dozen pieces from the Reagan Era to our archives.
The big pink tourmaline is an emerald cut and weighs 19.90 carats. We completed the ring in 1990 and entered the details in our registry book, in which the year matched the weight of the center gem. We didn’t notice at the time, but now think it’s an interesting coincidence.
Here is an additional touch of irony: We completed this ring and booked it in on May 23, 1990. May 23rd is day number 142 of the year. The diamond weight of the 28 surrounding diamonds is 1.40, close, not a perfect match. This was not intentional. I thought it was interesting without trying to have the big gem for the year to be spot on and the diamond weight for the month and day of looking to be so close. And yes, the calculated weight of the diamonds was 1.40. The actual weight, if they were all weighed together, is likely different. Could it be 1.42? Possibly.
It’s now 24 years later. We have recovered this early piece of jewelry from our archives. In the last 14 years at the SparHawk mine, they found two good-sized pink Maine tourmaline crystals. I saw the gems cut from this most recent discovery. They are nice. This Plumbago gem is better; it’s clearer, the color is pure pink, and the clarity is crystal clear. Our big pink tourmaline wins. We have framed it with 28 high white natural Earth-mined diamonds. The diamonds are flawless. The setting was handmade by a master craftsman 24 years ago in all 18k yellow gold.
Why Did We Call It
“Cat In The Hat”
Take a good look at the Dr. Seuss and The Cat in the Hat bronze sculpture. The cat’s hat is big and tall. It’s a stovepipe hat with essentially straight sides. The gem is one of the finest pink tourmaline to ever come from the 1972 discovery on Plumbago Mountain. The gem is clear, pure pink, and it’s big. It’s an historic piece of jewelry. It’s a serious part of Maine’s gem mining history. And one family gets to own it, perhaps for 100 or 200 years.
Why Is This Ring Still Around
Periodically, we clear out our showcases. We started the creation of this piece after Reagan left the presidency. We had no idea the influence Reagan would have on significant pieces of jewelry. Even in our registry book, we entered this ring and did not put a selling price on it. We simply put the ring into the Cross archives for some day. This is some day, 34 years later. Even we are astounded by its beauty. The ring was never shown until today.
We will sell it to someone from Texas. We will consider someone from one of the other 49 states. We guarantee we will be fair.
Secretly We Thought…
Secretly, we thought there would be more spectacular pink tourmaline discoveries in Maine. It’s now over a half-century later. Thousands have looked. Tourmaline has been found. Nice gems, some really nice gems have been discovered. At the SparHawk mine, they found two pink tourmaline crystals. They were very nice. I saw the cut and polished gems. They were lovely. Our 19.90 is better, much better, The purity of pink is exquisite. This is a legacy gem. A piece that belongs in a family that can keep it for generations. You know if you belong to a family like that.
If You Decide To Adopt
If you and your family are the winner to the title of this piece, there is what we’ve written. Do save and protect this information. I invite you to call me to chat about the 1972 tourmaline discovery. We can set up a time, preferably in the morning, and plan on an hour or two to talk by phone. We do this with important pieces of jewelry. I’m Ralph Pride, 4th generation of the Cross family. My number is 1-800-433-2988.
