February's birthstone is the regal purple amethyst. Amethysts are a member of the quartz family, The name comes from the ancient Greek ἀ a- ("not") and μέθυστος méthystos ("intoxicated"), a reference to the belief that the stone prevented drunkenness. Medieval European soldiers wore amulets made out of amethyst into battle, believing that it would keep them cool-headed, and Tibetans consider amethyst sacred to the Buddha and make prayer beads from it.
Amethyst "Cityscape" ring by Alex Sepkus
In the Old World, amethyst was considered one of the most precious gems until large deposits of it were found in Brazil. Amethyst can also be found in Siberia, Sri Lanka, Austria, Canada, and even the United States, where it is the official state gemstone of South Carolina.
At Fox's, we think the perfect February birthday gift is this gorgeous amethyst necklace by Ray Griffiths:
If you don't like purple but still want to be protected from intoxication, you can still wear amethysts. These gemstones can be heat treated to become citrine and prasiolite, which are yellow and green in color, respectively. You may also find very pale amethysts, which are called Rose de France. Whatever shade you prefer, we can find it for you at Fox's!
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Santa stopped by Fox's yesterday, and he says you're on the naughty list! Shop our gift guide to get yourself back on the nice list with your sweetie. Hours this week are 10am to 6pm Monday to Friday, and 10am to 3pm on Saturday, December 24th.
Under $500:
Gurhan sterling silver and 24k gold "Willow" bracelet, $330
Gurhan sterling silver and 24k gold square stud earrings, $475
$500 to $2,500:
Suwa diamond octahedron and 18k yellow gold pendant, $700
Sethi Couture baguette diamond and 18k rose gold stud earrings, $1,320
$2,500 to $5,000:
Arman Sarkisyan diamond, sterling silver, and 22k gold station necklace, $4,510
Kwiat 18k white gold and diamond line bracelet, $5,000
$5,000 to $15,000:
Todd Reed 4-stone multicolored sapphire and 18k rose gold ring, $7,710
Dream gifts over $15,000:
Alex Sepkus platinum and diamond link bracelet, $17,735
Todd Reed custom green tourmaline, onyx, and 18k gold tassel pendant, $35,950
Gifts for men:
Todd Reed black diamond band, $1,650
Nomos 1st Edition Neomatik Orion Wristwatch, $3,700
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Welcome to our first annual Fox's Holiday Gift Guide! We've compiled our most wonderful items in every price range. Don't forget, this weekend is the last full weekend of shopping before Christmas! In addition to our usual hours, Monday - Saturday from 10-6pm, we'll be open Sunday December 18th from 12-5pm. On Saturday December 24th, we will be closing early at 3pm. We wish you all a very happy holiday season!
Under $500:
Gurhan sterling silver bangle bracelet, $395
$500 to $2500:
Nomos Glashutte Ludwig 33mm stainless steel wristwatch, $1,700
Kwiat diamond and 18k white gold "Sunburst" earrings, $2,050
$2500 to $5000:
Arman Sarkisyan opal, sterling silver, and 22k yellow gold locket, $2,950
Ray Griffiths labradorite and 18k yellow gold drop earrings, $4,895
Todd Reed diamond, 18k yellow gold, and oxidized sterling silver cuff bracelet, $7,920
Alex Sepkus hessonite garnet "Little Windows" ring, $10,380
Dream gifts over $15,000:
Alex Sepkus 18k yellow gold and diamond bracelet, $21,865
Gifts for Men:
Todd Reed sterling silver, palladium, and black diamond band, $3,410
Nomos Glashutte Metro Neomatik Nachtblau 35mm stainless steel wristwatch, $3,960
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Day 3 in Las Vegas starts out with a glowing golden circle in the sky, and glowing golden circles at Gurhan in the form of these stunning 24k gold hammered disc earrings.
Gurhan is best known for his mastery of pure 24k gold, but several years back, he started mixing in sterling silver, and the result was incredibly fun and versatile. Below, Zoey stacks a Gurhan bracelet made of sterling silver, 24k gold, druzy quartz, and onyx with her platinum link Alex Sepkus bracelet.
Gurhan also does stunning work with gemstones, particularly opals. This incredible necklace of opal, kyanite, blue topaz, and moss aqua set in 24k gold came home to Seattle with us!
The next stop is at Harry Kotlar, another 3rd generation family-owned business like Fox's. Kotlar is best known for their signature - and incredibly beautiful - Kotlar cushion diamond, but this lovely oval really caught our eye.
Kotlar is also known for their artisan pave and meticulous craftsmanship. So many engagement rings to choose from!
We can't resist snapping a few pictures to remember these classic pendants by when we are back home.
Our last appointment of the day is with our friend Ray Griffiths. We had the pleasure of having Ray at our store a few months ago, and he is such a wonderful person with a great sense of humor. He couldn't resist getting silly with Zoey's baby bump!
We couldn't resist this row of beautiful blues! Aren't the tassels fun?
We love all of Ray's work, but turquoise mixed with his signature 18k yellow gold crownwork is such an eye-catching combination.
The last event of the day is the Couture awards, to honor the pieces of jewelry from the show that are particularly noteworthy in design and workmanship.
We head home early to compare notes and rest up for our last day at the show.
Continue readingWe had the pleasure of having one of our newest designers, Ray Griffiths, in the store for a trunk show last week. Ray is charming, talented, and has an Australian accent, which makes him pretty irresistible!
He also has a very interesting backstory. Ray is the son of a shoemaker and grew up making shoes. As a teenager he grew interested in making jewelry and became an apprentice at an old jewelry restoration house in Melbourne. As Ray puts it, "I started filing and hammering and turned out to be good at it!"
After that he ran away from Australia and saw the world for 4 years, seeing many of the places and buildings that would later become inspirations for his jewelry - Greco-Roman ruins, Gaudi cathedrals in Barcelona, and Moorish architecture in Spain - before returning to Sydney and becoming a partner at a jewelry business for 18 years. He then packed his entire life - including all of his gold, gemstones, and jewelry making equipment - into a shipping container and moved to New York to seek his fortune, only to arrive to find that the shipping container had been stolen. He had nothing but the 2 suitcases of clothing he carried onto the plane. He worked at a clothing store until a generous friend gifted him her jewelry making equipment and he was back in business!
He spent the next 10 years making and selling jewelry at the late, great Fragments in NYC before launching his own label, which is when we found him. If you love architecture, antiques, gorgeous gemstones, and 1920's flapper necklaces, you will love Ray's jewelry. We hope you will stop by and take a look!
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