Manya has been fond of amethysts since her youth. In fact, her very first purchase of an artisan-made craft was a cast sterling ring with an amethyst in it! She says some babysitting money made it possible. Believe it or not, she still has that ring today!
MaJe Gallery master faceter, Bill Booze, recently purchased a collection of amethysts mined from the Four Peaks mine in Arizona. This mine produces some of
the highest quality amethysts in the world! They are famed for their deep purple color with vibrant flashes of red and magenta. The paler, more lavender hued amethysts have bright flashes of pink.
One source describes the color as rivaling amethysts from the Ural Mountains,
"which were used to depict the best color of amethyst." Those amethysts are not mined, leaving us with the Four Peaks mine as the only source for the top quality amethysts.
What's so unusual about this? Since 1997, all amethysts from this mine have gone to a single location which cuts, sets and sells them exclusively. Our lucky Bill Booze purchased them from a man who had mined them before 1997, and we are the fortuitous recipients of Bill's talented faceting, which makes these gems just gleam.
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| 7.5 carat Four Peaks mine amethyst, by master faceter Bill Booze. |
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The above ring above features a 7 carat Four Peaks amethyst. The hand-faceting by Bill Booze brings out the maximum depth of color and takes great advantage of the flashes of magenta and red in this stone. It's set in sterling silver with a square shape, which is quite comfortable. This ring is currently a size 7. It can be expanded about a half size, but due to the particular nature of this ring, it cannot be re-sized more than that.
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| 7 carat Four Peaks amethyst, top quality stone. |
This ring, shown above, is the absolute highest quality and displays a deep rich purple hue. The flashes of magenta and red in this stone are superb. It is set in a charming prong setting with a decorative bottom, and is on a wide, fairly thick, sterling band. It is currently a size 7, but could be made in any size. Just let us know.
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| This is a large, 8-carat cushion cut amethyst set in sterling silver. |
The amethyst in the ring above features a
cushion cut, which is a classic shape for a gemstone that is somewhere between a rectangle and an oval. It's very pleasing to the eye. Due to the size of this stone, the sterling band is quite wide, giving it the appropriate proportions. It's a big ring, and you definitely know it's on. It's a real show-stopper! The amethyst itself is of a lighter hue than the other two rings above, and has flashes of vivid pink.
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| 15-carat Four Peaks amethyst on handmade sterling neck ring |
The simplicity of the setting of this neck ring is very striking and bold. The Four Peaks amethyst is a wopping 15 carats, and features the wonderful deep purple hue along with the flashes of red and magenta the Four Peaks mine is so famous for. Bill Booze did the sparkly faceting, with lots of little facets down below that simply dance in the light. Also a silversmith, Booze created this interesting setting himself.
Even if you are not a fan of amethyst, we hope you'll enjoy the delightful beauty created by nature itself, and enhanced by a master gem faceter with over 30 years experience and expertise. Should you find yourself in Edmonds, Washington, stop by to see these amazing pieces of art in person!
Jeff and Manya
MaJeGallery.com
