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 Dear Jewelry Lover,
After a
summer hiatus, our Jewelry News is back!
Here are
stories of some recent jewelry purchases.
A client
just picked up a small heart-shaped locket, and had it engraved with an
initial and a date. It is to be given to an infant on the occasion of the
celebration of her adoption. What a special piece of jewelry this will be for
her to treasure as she grows up and, maybe, gives to her own daughter some
day.
Two
different clients have had creative ideas for special birthday gifts for
friends: they are creating unique charm bracelets. Each guest invited to
the party brings one charm, either gold or silver, representative of their
relationship with the recipient. In the end, this charm bracelet will be an
absolutely personal piece of jewelry, reminding the wearer of each friend
at the party. Not only that, as each charm is unwrapped, the guests can
hear a bit more about the different friendships and why a particular charm
was chosen. What a nice way to create something very special for a friend
or relative! There are thousands of different charms; you can find what you
want in our in-stock selection, or we can let you browse through the
catalogues in our store in order to find exactly the right one.
One of my
favorite jewelry projects happened a few years ago, and involved a very
special birthday gift. A client organized a group of friends to help
celebrate another friends’ 50th birthday. As the gift, they found a classic
gold bangle bracelet, and had it engraved inside with all their names, and
the phrase “May you always be surrounded by a circle of friends.” This
bracelet is part of the recipients’ everyday wardrobe now, and is a
constant reminder of her wonderful friends.
These
three tales represent the best of what jewelry can do: be a lifelong
reminder of a very personal occasion, whether it be an adoption, a
birthday, an anniversary, or “just because.” Every piece of jewelry has its
story, and every one becomes part of the recipient’s personal history.
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Honors
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I recently had the honor of being inducted into the National Jeweler
Magazine Retail Hall of Fame! The award was presented at a beautiful
black-tie dinner, held in New
York City during the summer trade show, and it
was truly an honor to be recognized. National Jeweler is one of our
mainstay trade journals, celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, and
established its Hall of Fame 18 years ago. I look at the names of past
winners and see some true giants in our industry, and am thrilled to be
included.
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Events
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Gleim the Jeweler will once again be a sponsor of Palo
Alto’s Black and White Ball, to be held October 7 at the Lucie Stern Center.
We will be donating a diamond, to be discovered in a glass of champagne
purchased by a lucky attendee. This is always a fun Palo Alto event which raises money for
the Palo Alto Recreation Foundation and Palo Alto Partners in Education.
Don’t miss this must-attend event! You can learn more at www.paloaltoblackandwhiteball.com.
Gordon
McCall’s Motorworks Revival
Gleim the
Jeweler had the recent honor of participating in Gordon McCall’s
Motorworks Revival, a grand party held at the Monterey
Jet Center
during Concours Week in Pebble
Beach. We were
invited to partner with Breitling, presenting their Bentley Collection.
It was an awesome event, showcasing fine motorcars, jets both new and
historic, and, of course, Bentley for Breitling.
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World’s largest carved emerald
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Did you know that the world’s largest carved emerald is housed at our
store on University Ave?
At 32 lbs., or 86,000 carats, this emerald is truly a museum-worthy
piece. What is it doing in downtown Palo
Alto? The emerald originated in Brazil.
A local gem dealer with whom we had partnered for some years persuaded
the mine owner to sell it; he then took it to Hong
Kong to have it carved. Four artists worked on the carving
for an entire year, and the result is a beautiful Taoist heaven motif
with 27thirty figures representing various gods and aides. There are
animals, houses, trees, and a waterfall which courses the height of the
carving. The detail and quality are remarkable. The carving is housed in
a special case in our store at 322
University Ave.; come in a take a look!
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Birthstone of the month - Opal
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October’s birthstone is the opal. This is the only gem which has all the
colors of the rainbow in a single stone, and the finest opals show
flashes of red, blue, green, orange, yellow, glinting back and forth in a
beautiful array of color. The finest qualities are found in Australia,
and can be breathtaking.
There
is a persistent tale that opals can bring bad luck if they are worn by
someone born in a month other than October; this started from a story
written by Sir Walter Scott, in which the heroine was presented with an
opal and then suffered several misfortunes. Queen Victoria tried to dispel this myth by
presenting opals as royal gifts, although her motives may have been
suspect, as she also owned rights to several opal mines.
Designers
of the Art Nouveau era favored opals, as it was a delicate feminine gem,
reflecting their love for natural motifs. Top-quality opals today can
command prices into the thousands, and they hold an almost magical power
over their fans. Opals are a bit more delicate than some other gems but,
worn with the proper care, they can give a lifetime of individual beauty.
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What is in this picture?
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An
extraordinary selection of elegant handbags by Bagteria.
Each
bag in this collection is made by hand, with beautiful fabrics, beading,
silver accents, and silk linings. The designer’s goal is to make heirloom
quality handbags, inspired by nature. Each one is named after a flower
native to her South Pacific country, and presented in a lovely silk
velvet bag.
We are
one of fewer than a half-dozen outlets in the entire country, and while
it is unusual for us to carry accessories such as these, these jewel-like
handbags show a jeweler’s sensitivity to color and workmanship.
The
collection is available exclusively at our Los Altos store, at 350 Main Street, 949- 1122. Stop by
and ask to visit the entire collection.
View
the Bageria collection online
Please use this newsletter as a way to keep us informed and on our toes! Your
Thoughts...Your Questions...
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