The Gifts of Forever
The jewelry business is an event driven business. Often jewelry is given as a gift from one person to another or as a token of some special event in a person, couple or family’s life. Some of those gifts will be special enough to be passed from one family member to another through generations. They will become the heirlooms of the family.
Sometimes an heirloom can be a particular diamond or wedding set that will be passed along. It could be a special piece of jewelry that was custom made for a special event. Most of the time it will be a piece that is timeless. It will be an item that, because of its craftsmanship and beauty, can be worn throughout generations and never be out of style.
The cameo is one of those timeless pieces of jewelry. Artisans have been hand-carving cameos for centuries. At Gray’s, we try to keep cameo pins and necklaces as a normal part of our inventory. We currently have a 1920s era “hand carved from shell” pin/pendant cameo. This piece is a woman’s portrait with a necklace and earring added, which is very unusual. We also have 1940s era smaller cameos carved from coral and shell. These are made more collectible because they are set in fourteen karat gold mountings.
A 1940s era, one of a kind, platinum charm bracelet we have is unlike most modern bracelets. These charms were generally made by hand and were often very specific to the owner. There is a charm with blue sapphires and two diamond chevrons, which looks to be a 1920-30s element, later attached to the 1940s bracelet. The others appear to be approximately the same era as the bracelet. Notables include a bird whose body is a grayish star sapphire, an enameled Christmas tree, a commemorative diamond sailboat and a diamond and gemstone clown.
Our collection also includes a gent’s baguette diamond and Trapiche emerald ring. A Trapiche is a natural grown formation that occurs only (and rarely) in Columbian emeralds. Trapiche means “wheel,” as the stone resembles the wheel that was used to process grain.
As with all other aspects of manufacturing, there are certainly counterfeits and replicas. It is our responsibility at Gray’s to make sure the items we sell are genuine in both the materials and the era they represent.
Over the fifty-six years Gray’s has been in business, we have had the honor and privilege to sell and custom make pieces of jewelry we believe will be the heirlooms of the future generations. Buying heirloom gifts for the special people in your life will be a decision you’ll never regret. Our continued wish, during this special giving season, is to help with all modern and vintage gift giving needs. 
