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Remembering

What better way to carry on the memory of a loved one, then by creating a custom made piece of jewellery in their honour.
There are many different options for creating a custom piece of jewellery, anything from simply finding a design that best represents that person or place to bringing in jewellery and/or stones that can be reused in a new design.

From our team of gemologists, goldsmiths and qualified staff, anyone can assist you with this process and from the initial conception of the design we strive to make everything as simple and easy as possible. A hand carved custom made wax can be created for your approval, and if necessary any changes can be easily done.
Items can even be recast using gold from rings or pendants of loved ones, to keep all of the original piece as a part of the new creation.

Honour loved ones or memories with a custom made piece of jewellery from Poag Jewellers!

The Crown Jewels

Prince Charles is currently here in Canada, on his16th official visit, and to honour Canadian ties to the Monarchy, we took a look into some of their most famous jewellery!

The Crown Jewels were originally displayed in Westminster Abbey, but after a great robbery, they were moved to the Tower of London in 1303. The crown jewels are a collection of crowns, orbs, swords and other regalia worn by the Monarchy during state functions or coronations. There is a large variety of items on display and we have decided to focus on two very interesting crowns and the gems they hold.

St. Edward’s crown was originally created in 1661 and was crafted from gold. His crown consists of over four hundred precious stones, four crosses pattee and four fleurs-de-lis. The crown has two complete gold arches that intersect and are a symbol of independent sovereignty. St. Edward’s crown was known be extremely heavy and “awkward” to wear. It is the official crown used in the coronation of a new monarch.

The Imperial State Crown was created in 1937 for King George VI and is very similar style to Queen Victoria’s. The crown was designed in gold and set with two thousand eight hundred and sixty eight diamonds, seventeen sapphires, five rubies, eleven emeralds, and two hundred and seventy three pearls. The Imperial State crown has many of most famous gems of the crown jewels set into it including the Cullinan II diamond, the Black Prince’s Ruby as well as two pearls previously worn by Queen Elizabeth I.

The Black Prince’s Ruby actually isn’t a ruby at all! It is actually a large red Spinel weighing 170 carats (the size of a chicken’s egg!) It is one of the oldest of the Crown Jewels, with history dating back to the 1300’s when it was presented to Edward of Woodstock, who was also known as the Black Prince. The reason he was given the name is unknown, but it is thought to be garnered from the dark armour he wore in battle or his explosive temper.

The Cullinan II is one of the largest polished diamonds in the world - being cut from the largest piece of rough ever found, the Cullian. The Cullinan II weighs 317.4 carats and is set into the front of the Imperial State crown, it can also be removed and set into a brooch.

Gemstone of the month

The gemstone for the month of November is Imperial or Precious Topaz. It is a stone that has been known for over 2000 years. There is some uncertainty linked to the name of the stone. Some gemstone historians say it originates from the Sanskrit word meaning “fire.” Some others believe it has ties to an island in the Red Sea known as “Topazios” (modern day Zabargad or St. John’s Island)
The Egyptians believed that the golden colour of topaz was endowed by the sun god. Legends say that topaz has the power to disperse all enchantment and can also help to improve eyesight. The ancient Greeks believed that it had the power to increase strength and make its wearer invisible in times of emergency.

To the general public, topaz is known as a yellow gem, often confused with citrine and smoky quartz. Both citrine and smoky quartz are sold using misleading terminology such as “golden topaz” and “smoky topaz.” The terms “imperial” and “precious” topaz are often used to differentiate between true topaz and its quartz look-alikes.
The first record of the name “imperial” topaz being used dates back to 19th century Russia, where the Ural Mountain mines were an important source of the gemstone. Another account is that the pink topaz mined in the Urals was restricted to be used and worn only by the family of the Czar.

This beautiful gemstone is mined in locations across the globe, from Brazil and Mexico to Africa, Sri Lanka and China.
So if you or someone you love is celebrating a birthday in November, come in to see our selection of topaz today!

Feature product of the month

This month we are featuring a pendant that was hand crafted at Poags Jewellers by our creative goldsmiths to represent the “Support our troops” campaign.

It is a 14K white gold polished cross pendant with an 18K yellow gold ribbon wrapping around the cross. This month we want to remember those lost in battle as well as support those who are still fighting. The yellow ribbon is a sign of respect, loyalty and appreciation for our friends and family in the military.

Did you ever wonder why it is the colour yellow we chose to represent support for our troops? There are a few different variations on the story, some say it comes from the movie “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon” in which the female lead character wore a yellow ribbon to show her love for a cavalry officer. Another variation is that the yellow ribbon was chosen from the song "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree". Regardless of the origin, the gesture of the yellow ribbon signifies a home front support for all of our brave military personnel all over the world.

Brittanys Blog

November Dates

Hello my name is Brittany and I am honored to be apart of the Poag Jewellers team! I have been since Christmas of 2004. I first started working at Poags China & Gifts which was located across the street and eventually moved my way into the jewellery store. As I became more and more familiar with the inventory and gained more responsibilities I quickly became interested in the gemology aspect. As of the beginning of October 2009 I am enrolled as a distance education student at the Gemological Institute of America or GIA. Right now I am enrolled in two classes called Diamond essentials and Coloured stone essentials which I am quickly moving my way through, and proud to say I have passed all my tests with 100%! I have two more assignment to finish for my diamond essentials course and then on my way to the final exam…In next month’s blog I will be sure to keep you posted on my final results!

In the month of November there are many important dates to remember!

November 8th - We will be more than happy to assist you with choosing your favorite pieces from the store to add to your Christmas wish list, as it is Dear Santa letter week, so come in and start looking!
November 11th - Remembrance Day, a day to commemorate the sacrifices made by those in the armed forces.

November 19th - Strathroy’s Downtown Dollars are on sale today! Head on over to the Royal Bank to purchase them and save 15% on your purchases
November 21st - Family Volunteer day, a day for focusing on helping others by sponsoring meals for the homeless, cleaning and tidying the communities visual appearance, or even entering a charity program

November 27th - Black Friday, its one of the busiest shopping days of the year! It’ s a fast paced, fight for the deals kind of day that officially starts the shopping season!