Appointment Only.
Your Account
Page Content Top
Page Content
Blog CF - Fine Jewellery & Antiques
Peridot, The August Birthstone - 2016-08-02
Peridot, August's Birthstone
Shopping for Antique or Vintage Peridot Jewellery?
If you're shopping for a beautiful piece of antique or vintage peridot jewellery you will enjoy this brief post on what makes peridot so sought after.
(Link open on new pages)
August in North America is a time of heat and sunlight. It seems only fitting that August's birthstone was once known as the 'Gem of the Sun' for the glowing golden tones of its green. Peridot is the gem variety of the mineral Olivine and this gorgeous, transparent stone can be found in shades from Pistachio to Deep olive green. Peridot's hardness falls at a 6.5-7 on the MOHs scale.
Peridot is a stone with a long and rich history. In Ancient Egypt the stone was discovered and mined on the island of Zabargad in the Red Sea. Cleopatra draped herself in these gems, and it is often argued that her vast collection of Emeralds were in fact Peridots. The Romans were fascinated by the way this gemstone did not change colour in artificial light and dubbed it the 'Emerald of the Evening'. In Germany's Cologne Cathedral three 200 carat Peridot stones still mark the shrine of the Three Holy Kings, to the delight of tourists. Napoleon gifted Josephine a Peridot as a symbol of his undying love and admiration. Owners of vintage or antique peridot find themselves in good company with a rich and interesting cast of characters.
The name Peridot claims its origins from several languages. From the Greek 'Peridona' it translates as 'to give richness'. In Arabic the word for gem 'Faridat' is given credit as the root of the word Peridot. In French the root of the word Peridot is the word 'Peritot' which means gold, and may have reflected the golden tones of these green gems. Peridot has also been called Chrysolite from the Greek for 'gold stone'.
This stone of lightness, beauty and spirituality also has an intriguing connection to the extraterrestrial. While Peridot more regularly occurs in volcanic basalts and areas where lava flows and molten rocks have disturbed the earth's crust it has also been found in several meteorites that have crashed into the earth (Eastern Siberia in 1749 for one). Could the glow of green peridot in meteorites be where the rumours of 'little green men' started?
The clarity of Peridot is excellent, and allows for beautiful, large accent pieces that sparkle on the finger, the ear or the neck. New caches of high quality Peridots were located in Pakistan in 1990 and their quality is so excellent that they are often referred to as 'Kashmir Peridots'. Since the nineties the peridot has enjoyed a steady popularity and is often featured in spring fashion lines for its vibrant, golden-green tones.
Legends claim that a Peridot set in yellow gold will actually protect its wearer from the terrors of the night. The invigorating tones of peridot pair beautifully with yellow gold in delicate antique pendants and necklaces. Edwardian and Victorian pieces combine dainty details or seed pearls with popular peridot in timeless elegance. Peridot pendants accentuate any neckline, proving that some legends were made to be followed.
Searching for the perfect piece of antique or vintage peridot jewellery? Peruse an abundance of beautiful Peridot pendants, earrings and rings at Cynthia Findlay's.
Antique & Vintage Gifts & Presents For Your Father - 2016-06-10
Antique & Vintage Father's Day Gifts & Presents
Give your Dad the Gift of a Unique Vintage or Antique Present
Father's Day is almost upon us. That one day a year when we recognize and celebrate the men in our lives who helped to raise us. The father in your life may be a Grandfather, an Uncle, a close family friend or even the father of your own children. He may have coached your sports teams, cheered you on in your life endeavours, taught you to whistle, been your rock in hard times, taught you the value of hard work, been your willing personal banker, or he may have been your hero. Fathers do so much for their children (biological or not) and they deserve to be celebrated not just on the Third Sunday in June but every day.
Now you're probably thinking 'Who can afford to celebrate their dad every day?'. Buying a gift every day would not only wreak havoc on your bank account it would also make the special into the mundane. So now that we've narrowed celebrating our Dads back into a single day and a single gift given the question arises: what do you buy for a Father's Day gift? The perfect gift should be unique and intriguing, or as steady and sturdy as the man of the hour.
Is your Dad the hardworking businessman in the family? If he spends his days networking chances are he has a lot of business cards in his pocket at any given time, but he could probably use a nicer place to store them than the worn old wallet in his back pocket. Pulling out a stunning sterling silver or silver plated card holder may be just the touch of high class that makes your father stand out in his new contact's mind. As an added bonus with a card holder your father can kiss goodbye to the days of business cards with stains or folded edges from poor storage.
(Links open to new pages)
For the quirky, mustachio'd fathers out there why not try something out of the box to keep that manly lip jacket dry while drinking? Moustache cups date back to Victorian times and have built in moustache protectors near the rim of the cup for a perfectly dry moustache with every sip of coffee, tea or even cappuccino.
At the end of a long day providing for the household your dad may enjoy a cocktail or a good scotch as he relaxes with his family. Whether your dad is a casual sipper or an unparalleled bartender who often ends up the life of the party, chances are he would enjoy some nice bar accoutrements. For the whiskey or scotch man some handsome rocks glasses or a stately cut crystal decanter transform his favourite label into a decadent treat for display as well as for taste. If your father fancies himself as a Tom Cruise type from the movie 'Cocktail' he would be extremely pleased to find himself in the possession of a fanciful vintage cocktail shaker or a unique ice bucket. For the wine aficionado vintage corkscrews are a whimsical and practical way to celebrate a great bottle of red or white.
Is there a special occasion on the horizon for your father? A special anniversary or the tear soaked giving away of his little girl at her wedding? A perfect Father's Day gift that will carry meaning forward to each of these special occasions is a pair of unique cuff links. Every time your dad 'suits up' he will be reminded how much you love him. The selection of cuff links at Cynthia Findlay's is vast and ranges from quirky to historical to gem studded elegance. Pair those cuff links with a handsome, understated tie pin for a look that makes snappy dressing an every day occurrence.
The Dad's in our lives deserve something special with a history as rich and interesting as their own. If these gift giving ideas left you inspired with thoughts of the World's best Dad or Grandad then come on by Cynthia Findlay's Antiques for an astonishing selection of unique 'Mantique' presents. And to all the Wonderful Dads out there: Happy Father's Day!
June Birthstones - 2016-06-09
June Birthstones
June's Birthstones are Pearls, Alexandrites and Moonstones!
Sunny, warm June marks the beginning of Summer, and lucky June babies also recognize it as the month of several Birthstones! Shimmering, iridescent Pearls share this month with the elusive Alexandrite stone and the lesser claimed Moonstone.
Never heard of Alexandrite? You're not alone! This intriguing, rare stone is known as a colour changing stone because it shifts from shades of blue green in daylight to deeper tones of red and purple under incandescent light. The exact natural circumstances that must happen to create Alexandrite with its prized colour changing property are quite rare, so the stone is highly prized and valued. While wildly popular during the Victorian era and with Russian Tsars Alexandrite is rarely found in modern jewelry because of the stone's scarcity.
Alexandrite was named for Tsar Alexander II of Russia when it was discovered in Russia in 1834 on the same day as the future Tsar's coming of Age. Alexandrite enjoyed a comeback in the 1980s when new natural deposits were discovered, after which its popularity died down again due to the difficulty of procuring one of the rare stones. Because of Alexandrite's unique traits this stone is believed to inspire creativity, inspiration and imagination in its owner. Alexandrite makes the perfect gift for the Artist in your life; with the same unique and ever changing dynamic energy of an artist encapsulated in a single stone.
For Earthy June babies who are searching for an inner calm the shifting silvery tones of the Moonstone mimic the ethereal moon itself and claim tranquil properties. Romans and Greeks honoured the stone and associated it with their beloved Lunar Deities. The enchanting milky shades of light within moonstones appear to the eye to move and shift like clouds across a luminescent moon or the tides that naturally rise and fall in the pull of the same. Moonstones enjoyed popularity during the Art Nouveau period as their natural, earthy feeling suited the tones of the movement. Moonstones can be found in many natural colours, all of which claim different healing properties. Dreamers and lovers can find a perfect match in a piece of Moonstone jewellery.
In 1916 the Pearl was declared the official birthstone of June, and has quickly outpaced Alexandrite and Moonstone in popularity as a June gift ever since. Pearls have a long standing history dating back to their earliest discovery in the Sarcophagus of a Persian Princess who was laid to rest in 520 BC.
Pearls are the only organic jewel created by a living creature. Mollusks react to an irritant inside their shell by coating it in layers of protective, iridescent Nacre until a Pearl is formed. The colour of a Pearl mimics the shade of the inside of the shell from which it was created so pearls come in tones of white, cream or champagne, and from soft grey to inky, iridescent black. Every Pearl is unique, with no two identical stones in existence. What a darling way to tell that special someone that they are one of a kind, and utterly irreplaceable in your life!
Natural pearls are rare and were once very dangerous to dive for so the Pearl gained popularity as the 'Queen of gems and the Gem of Queens' - anonymous. Methods for reliably farming pearls began around 1916 and pearls became more accessible to consumers worldwide, sparking the movement for women to drape themselves in 'ropes and ropes of pearls' - Coco Chanel. In cultured freshwater and saltwater pearls a small 'bead' composed of shell or other material is placed inside the oyster or mussel which becomes the Center of a Pearl.
Pearls have found their way into the necklaces we all know and love, as the accent or the centre in rings and also into a variety of intriguing earrings. Droplets that demurely glow against the lobe of your ear or dangle enticingly innocent at the nape of your neck, pearls are a perfect earring for any occasion. Pearls are proper ladies and prefer to avoid the lavish scents, creams, and fragrant waters that we often apply to our necks and hands. The pearl earring becomes the perfect location to display and protect those radiant, classic pearls.
As written in People & Pearls: The Magic Endures; 'When a woman wears pearls, it is she who shines. Pearls complement a woman in whatever she is doing. They become part of her, not something worn by her'. Pearls are a timeless stone which have enjoyed a storied love affair with fashion, fame, and royalty; but they can still gracefully take a backstage role to the beauty of the woman wearing them.
Intrigued by the thought of this enchanting stone that symbolizes Friendship and loyalty? Or perhaps you're dwelling on the thought of Artsy Alexandrite or Mystical Moonstones? Come on in to Cynthia Findlay's for a wonderful selection of June birthstones, and enjoy the lovely weather with the knowledge of the perfect gift tucked away for that special June Event!
RVP
Cynthia Findlay Fine Jewellery & Antiques
284 King Street West, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 1J2
Contact | 416.260.9057 | 1.855.260.9057