Have you ever heard of Cleopatra’s famous Emeralds? What most people don’t know is that many of them were really Peridot!
They were actually extremely fine Peridot from the legendary mines on St. John’s Island (Zabargad) in Egypt. This is believed to be the oldest site for Peridot as a gem material and has been mined since antiquity. The island, located 35 miles off the Egyptian coast, was mentioned by Pliny the Elder in his Naturalis Historia (circa 79 AD) and was well known as a mining location in the Hellenistic period (circa 100 BC). In the 19th Century, the mines on Zabargad Island produced millions of dollars’ worth of Peridot. After 1905, production of the gems peaked, but by the late 1930’s the mines were pretty much finished. It’s easy to see why Cleopatra thought her stones were Emeralds: This type of Peridot is known as an “Evening Emerald’ under artificial light, the stone glows a brilliant green.
From the underground vault of a prominent Gemstone Family in Thailand, locked for over 30 years, comes a treasure of a 10ct. (minimum) fine Peridot Ring J268963 mined on the fabled St. John’s Island in Egypt. Peridot of this size and color are extremely rare today and unheard of coming from Egypt.
These rare Peridot Gemstones are just one of the amazing Vault Discoveries for Gem Day, a day defined as showcasing gems considered : Rich & remarkable, hard-to-find gemstones, and only available in limited quantities. Each unique piece was selected from the vaults of extraordinary gemstone cutters from around the globe & placed into our collection.
The largest and most magnificent Morganite Ring we have ever had is set with TWO carats of Champagne diamonds. Morganite of this color, quality, and size are difficult to find today. Most of the rough gemstones we are seeing are much smaller and have a brownish tone. J264413 is limited to 14 pieces and each one is a true treasure.
Want to own 70-88 carats of fine cabochon Amethyst from Africa? The first we have ever had, and definitely the largest carat weight amethyst, is bracelet J27421, set in 14k gold, and we only have 7 units. Gem dealers will tell you the finest amethyst comes from Africa, mainly from Zambia in southern Africa. The Zambian amethyst tends to be a highly saturated deep purple, sometimes with blue or red flashes.
There are so many great Vault Discoveries featured on the day. I have to mention a few more: a 50 carat single stone Uruguayan Amethyst pendant (J261333) with that flash of pink that is so sought after, a 38-43 carat Aqua tennis bracelet (J319137) where the stones were originally mined in Nigeria but have been in a vault in Thailand since 2004, and a Neon Blue Apatite ring (J268972) from the closed mines in Madagascar, held in a vault in Hong Kong since 2008.
I should also mention a couple of the diamond pieces: an 18k Affinity Diamond Tennis Bracelet (2.8-3.3 cts) (J319038), with graded diamonds of H color and VS Clarity, and a first ever, magnificent 98 facet Affinity Diamond Ring (J319139).
There are many more beautiful and rare pieces so please tune in for the stories behind each one. There is a great story about our discovery in Tucson of a large bucket of Sleeping Beauty Turquoise that was used for the TSV, a large single piece of Sleeping Beauty Turquoise set in sterling silver for under $100. Wow! The Vault Discoveries are only a small percentage of the day. There are gemstone pieces in every color, style, and price point.
A very happy and healthy New Year to you all!
Take care, Peyton
