Att: SoCal gemlovers!

[widget]

Ooh, I wish I could figure out a way to go!

There''s an exhibition of the Michael Scott Collection at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana. It''s said to be the finest private gem collection in the US...among the best in the world. It''ll be there for a year, so maybe I''ll make it somehow...

As a teaser, check out this Parrot brooch...Brazilian Paraibas. (The eye is a seven carater!)

WOW!!!!

widget

 

[chrono]

I wonder if cameras are allowed and how much the entrance fee is. I''d love to go. You just HAVE to go sometime within the 1 year timeframe. It is your duty as a Pricescoper.

 

[simplysplendid]

It is jaw-droppingly magnificent.. sigh..

 

[poshpepper]

Date: 7/12/2007 11:39:33 AM
Author: Chrono
I wonder if cameras are allowed and how much the entrance fee is. I''d love to go. You just HAVE to go sometime within the 1 year timeframe. It is your duty as a Pricescoper.

LOL!

Santa Ana isnt too far from me... I will have to drag FI down there.

And that parrot brooch is amazing!!!!!

 

[CaptAubrey]

I saw it when it was at the Bowers Museum a few years ago, and have seen a number of pieces from his collection over the years (including that parrot brooch). It''s definitely worth seeing if you''re within a day''s drive of LA.

 

[Skippy123]

beautiful! Where's Kaleigh, she loves that stone!!!! Oh, Kaleigh!

 

[Love in Bloom]

Holy gemstones! That teaser is M A G N I F I C E N T

 

[Art Nouveau]

I saw the Michael Scott Gem Collection at the Bowers Museum several years ago. It''s definitely worth seeing. Michael Scott was the first President of Apple Computer.

AN

 

[twodoor2]

I wish I could see Laurence Graff''s collection. It''s reported to be the finest collection of gemstones in the world.

 

[singingbell]

I just came home from seeing the Scott collection at the Bowers Museum. My friend, sister-in-law and I were trying to decide on a favorite gemstone or sculpture, but it was just too hard to choose! (We of course wanted one of everything!

)

The "Paraiba Parrot" was just as dazzling as advertised, but the stones that formed the feathers looked even more beautiful in person because you could see a more varied mixture of greens and purples (compared to the photograph showing mostly blues).

Another favorite of ours was "the skating mouse." If I remember right, the mouse was carved out of agate, with eyes of sapphires, little skates of 18kt gold, and the ice surface was a piece of aquamarine. Adorable!

The collection of demantoid, tsavorite, and spessartite garnets was also pretty amazing (some pictures can be seen at the Bowers Museum Web site). I never really paid much attention to spessartites before, but there was one particular "orange gum drop" from the exhibit that had me drooling...

Thanks, widget, for the information about the exhibition!

For folks who were wondering earlier, cameras were not allowed into the exhibition area, otherwise I''d be posting tons of pictures.