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The birthstone for September is blue sapphire. It has been a popular gemstone since the Middle Ages and, according to folklore, will protect your loved ones from envy and harm. Medieval clergy wore sapphires to symbolize heaven, while commoners thought that the gem attracted heavenly blessings. Blue sapphires range from very light to very dark greenish or violetish blue, as well as shades of pure blue. The most prized colours are a medium to medium-dark blue or slightly violetish-blue. Sapphire is a variety of the gem species corundum and occurs in all clours of the rainbow. However, the red variety of corundum is known as ruby. Corundum ranks # 9 on the Mohs hardness scale (0-10) and as such is very durable. Only diamond at #10 is harder. Sapphires are found in many countries. The finest ones have historically been found in Kashmir. Today that source has been virtually depleted; Sri Lanka (Ceylon)is known today to be the source of some of the finest qualities available. Lady Diana was given a beautiful sapphire diamond ring for her betrothal.
So we now have a nice collection of Montblanc product in at our Polo Park location: writing instruments, men’s jewellery, leather, and refills, with a lot more product coming.
Also, at our Notre Dame location, we have a nice selection of Tag Heuer watches at 30% off. Ask the staff which ones are on sale.
Congratulations to Kayla, our winner of a pair of SK Cobalt wedding bands for her and her fiance.
For those of you who had signed up through our FaceBook ad, thank you! Keep your eyes peeled for other promotions coming in the near future.
Some good news for people who enjoy a nice writing instrument: we are finally putting Montblanc into our Polo Park location. Coming in the next couple of weeks, we will have a full selection of Montblanc products to choose from. Having used the Montblanc StarWalker Platinum and Rubber for the last couple of years, I can say that these writing instruments are fantastic.
And for all you collectors (or collectors-to-be), we have the Mark Twain Writer’s Edition on order and should be here sometime in September. We have one or two left that haven’t been spoken for, so if you’re interested, give me a shout (774-5544).
30 minutes ago we got a shipment of Rolex watches. And in this shipment we got the new Rolex Submariner.
These watches are beautiful to say the least. There are two versions (both in 904L stainless steel): one with a black dial and a black ceramic bezel, and my personal favourite, one wtih a green gold dial with a green ceramic bezel. You can see the green version here, and the black version here.
Some of the changes from the out-going version to the new version:
We only received 1 green version and 2 of the black versions, so if you are interested, please come down soon to check them out. If you would like to know more, call (204)774-5544.
P.S. We have a few of the older model’s (with date) in stock for those interested.
August has traditionally had two birthstones: Peridot and Sardonyx. The former has been predominant in modern times; the latter not so much.
Peridot has had numerous magical powers and healing characteristics ascribed to it. Presumably, it will protect against nightmares and bring its owner power, influence, and good fortune. Peridot is a gemstone formed deep within the earth, often being brought to the surface with volcanoes. One country of origin has been Hawaii where peridot symbolizes the tears of Pele, the goddess of fire and volcanoes. Today, most peridot comes from Arizona, China, Myanmar, and Pakistan. This lovely gemstone comes in several colour variations ranging from yellowish green to brown; most consumers however are attracted to the bright lime greens and olive greens.
Sardonyx is a form of onyx and is recognized by its layers of reddish brown and white banding. It was popular with the ancient Greeks and Romans who carried into battle talismans of sardonyx engraved with images of heroes such as Mars or Hercules, believing that this would bring courage and victory. Sardonyx has also been used to fashion cameos (carved raised figures) and intaglios (the reverse of cameos). It has been sourced in many countries including India, Czechoslovakia, Brazil, Uruguay, Germany, and the United States.
So I feel I need to at least tell you of my trip. I was recently in Washington D.C. for the Independent Jewelers Organization’s (IJO) tradeshow (you might be thinking I spelt “Jewelers” wrong, however, that would be the American way of spelling it, and IJO is an American organization).
IJO is a fun tradeshow for a number of reasons. They usually have it in a nice place (we have been to Philidelphia, Tampa, Charolotte, Fortworth, and now Washiongton D.C. since we joined), the hotel’s they choose are usually pretty sweet, but most of all, the people are amazing! Every jeweller there is essentially a small business owner (most of them American, but lots of Canadian’s involved too), and often times they will bring their family. It is a very casual environment, and you can literally strike up a conversation with anyone at any point.
Going to these shows are helpful in many. They have an educational aspect to them that no other show I have been to has – they take a whole day and offer different seminars you can attend and learn about different topics within the industry. Also, just talking to other jewellers from across the continent, learning about new and upcoming brands, and learning about the state of the industry itself has been extremely valuable.
The suppliers are also incredible to deal with. We have taken up a number of differnt lines since we have joined (Sarah’s Hope Jewelry and Pandroa for example) and have been fortunate enough to make a few friends along the way.
Next tradeshow: Bangkok and Hong Kong. No, I won’t be going (this is where I would put a “frowny” emoticon), but my father Ernie and brother Jeremy will be attending. I will make sure they post updates to this blog while they are out there.
We have just received a new brand of jewellery called Scott Kay. This jewellery is incredible and it spans many different areas. We have men’s jewellery, engagement rings, wedding bands, and a new type of wedding band that is called SK Cobalt. Cobalt is a new metal on the market that is pure white and hypoallergenic.
 
I am a little bit obsessed with the men’s jewellery myself and have picked out the next three or four pieces that I will eventually own (pendant, cuff links, bracelet, more cuff links). I currently wear one of Scott Kay’s rings and have gotten numerous comments on it. The men’s jewellery is all sterling silver, very heavy, and all finished by hand.
 
Looking for a wedding gift for your husband to be? You gotta check out Scott Kay’s men’s jewellery.
Congratulations to Emily and David, this year’s winner of our Love Stories contest. The prize: $500 Gift Certificate to Independent Jewellers. They submitted a beautiful story about how David proposed, good work! You can find the story here.
Thanks to all the other couples who submitted their stories. They are all beautiful!
If you have a story of your own, please submit here and you will be automatically entered to win a $500 Gift Certificate to Independent Jewellers.
So, as the title of this post suggests, we are having a little contest to win your wedding bands. To enter, click here and fill out the required information.
The bands that we will be giving away are SK Cobalt wedding bands (SK standing for Scott Kay). Cobalt is a new metal in the world of jewellery. Some benefits of Cobalt are that it will never tarnish, it is a pure metal, relatively light, and hypoallergenic.
Good luck!
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Birthstones | Ernest September 2, 2010 | 
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