Perpignan Garnets - Gemstone of southern France!

Perpignan

Our quest for rare and unusual gemstones has taken us to many interesting places around the world. So when our friends Nigel & Karen kindly offered us the use of their villa in the south of France for a welcome break after our summer shows, we were naturally only too delighted to accept! You see some of the finest garnets in the world have been extracted from the eastern Pyrenees in southern France and used in Roussillon jewellery since the 18th century - they are known as "The garnets of Perpignan" ... and the city of Perpignan is located not twenty minutes drive from our friends' holiday villa in St. Cyprien-Plage - what an opportunity to find these rare gems while exploring southern France!

Banyuls-Sur-Mer

As luck would have it our day trip to the most southern seaside village in France, close to the border with Spain, coincided with the Fête des vendanges à Banyuls-sur-Mer. This is a popular wine festival celebrating the later-than-usual wine harvest from which a unique wine is made in this region of France. The entire town congregates on the beaches with barbecued food washed down with plenty of wine and musicians abound with various colourfully dressed Jazz bands playing triumphantly at full blast. The ’barques catalanes’ finally sail into full view symbolically carrying with them the grapes that originate from vineyards that cover the slopes of the Alberes and the Baillaury Valley at the foot of the Pyranees. These late grape harvests are vinified according to the traditional methods developed by the Knights Templar and the resulting wine is like no other found in France.

Arrival of the ’barques catalanes’ in the bay of Banyuls-Sur-Mer

Carcassonne

A visit to the south of France would not be complete without exploring the fortified and double walled city of Carcassonne. Once the capital of the county for over 400 years Carcassonne was the main communication route between the Mediterranean and Toulouise.

Entering this amazing fortified town, on the banks of the River Aude, is like being transported back to the middle ages. It is the largest fortress in Europe, with the outer ramparts containing fourteen impressive towers. It has been on UNESCO's world heritage list since 1997 and is really well worth visiting.

We marvelled at the medieval streets and building which have remained intact to this day. Finally, having worked up an appetite sufficient to 'eat a horse', we stumbled across L'écurie located on Boulevard Barbes. These magnificent old stables have been converted into a luxurious restaurant where each of the original horse stalls forms a private dining area. Many of the original brass fittings and stable features have been cleverly retained adding to the charm and character of the popular establishment. The food of course was out of this world and the local speciality is a Cassoulet containing pork, duck and lamb stewed in a rich sauce with white haricot beans. Delicious!

Collioure

This charming fishing village on the Cote Vermeille is picturesquely set against the backdrop of the Alberes foothills. The two most notable features, a fortified church and a spectacular Castle, seperate two lovely little fishing ports with brightly coloured Catalan boats. The narrow cobbled streets, with boutique shops and colourful floral balconies, all add to the beauty of Collioure. Painters through the ages have been attracted by its charm, character and colourful beauty - the most famous of which include artists such as Matisse, Picasso and Foujita.

A local sculptor has created outdoor bronze 'picture frames' mounted on stands around the town oriented in such a way to quite literally 'frame' the most beautiful views of this seaside resort!

Paul & Wendy in Collioure

... And as for our quest to find 'Perpignan Garnets' I can now confirm - first hand - that the colour of these special gemstones is truly unique. They have a rich hue that varies from a fine French claret to a soft pink Rosé wine. Finding a direct source for these beautiful gems will certainly prove to be a valuable addition to our unique silver and gold jewellery designs!

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Finally dont forget to have a look at our fantastic Silver Daisy Jewellery collection and the great new Diamond Wedding Rings we have to offer!