Boidie boide in da sky,
Why’d you do dat in my eye?
I’m sure glad elephants can’t fly.
All right all right. Cut the boos and hisses. I’m allowed once in a
while. no? A Labradorite is a form of Feldspar. It displays flashes
of iridescence when it’s turned this way and that way in reflected
light. making it rather attractive when used in jewelry.
But it has another quaint bit of lore attached to it which I am
suspecting only a few of you know. Till today that is. Oh Benjamin.
Please do share your knowledge with us. Do not keep us in suspense.
You know how we yearn for lore. Yeah yeah. I know. So…
We’re in France and England sometime during the 18th century. During
this period of time rings and pendants and bracelets and more were
often set with the first letters of which formed a motto
or expressed a sentiment. Labradorite was one of the stones used in
such a manner. Let us imagine a necklace strewn in linear fashion
with sixteen stones … the thirteenth of which is a Labradorite. The
are. in correct Uralian emerald. Cat’s-eye. Kunsite. - Garnet. Onyx.
Obsidian. Dendrite. - Labradorite. Unio pearl. Carnelian.
Krokidolite.
And the first letter of each spells out. GOOD LUCK GOOD LUCK. Ta-da.
Yes. Well. That’s how they did it in them thar days. The advantage of
doing things this way was that the public. as well I’m sure the
jeweler. and the readers of Tidbits. learned about the names of new
stones. As a quick test. did any of you know the names of all the
stones mentioned. Knowing all but one does not count. Or you know…
or you don’t know. So let me know. D’ya know?
Our bird has a labradorite body. a marquise-cut ruby eye… engraved
gold plumage tipped with round-cut diamonds and is mounted in 18
karat gold and platinum. It was created sometime around 1960 with
French assay marks and the jeweler’s mark for Sterl=e who was known
at the “Couturier of Jewellery”.
He was considered to have been an inspired innovator often influenced
by nature. a consideration to which our Labradorite Bird readily
attests. Collette – anybody out there ever read or see “Le Bl=e en
Herbe” - was fascinated by his work. He was commissioned by King
Farouk for a crown. The Begum Aga Khan became an habitual buyer of
his work. He was. in his field. a senstation. He was - alas - a poor
businessman and his destiny was to be one of financial disaster. I
strongly suspect that for more than just a few. the immersion into
one’s art often precludes the immersion into the world of finance.
This is not a universal truth. but I feel it’s perhaps more prevalent
than some might think. I could be wrong. Wouldn’t mind some comments
on this.
Anyway. you all know what’s coming. The visit to the image … also
known as the viewing experience. You know where to go. Home page.
http://www.tyler-adam.com. Scroll down. Left side. Tidbits. The old
wizard.
And there ya have it. That’s it for this week folks. Catch you all
next week.
Benjamin Mark