Local woman wins jewelry contest

A Coolville woman won a nationwide contest and was rewarded with more than $13,000 in jewelry.

Mary Ann Gideon of Coolville entered a contest sponsored by Eternity Natural Emeralds to name a gem-quality emerald of 50 carats. She entered at Buttermore & Son Jewelers on Murdoch Avenue, calling the stone the "Freedom Emerald."

"I felt it represented America," Gideon said.

She submitted three entries, all of which related to patriotic themes.

"I wanted to think of a name for the emerald to pay respect to America," Gideon said. "I thought those fit best."

Gideon’s entry was selected as the store winner by Dick Buttermore, owner of Buttermore & Son. As store winner, Gideon won a $2,500 emerald necklace.

Buttermore than submitted Gideon’s entry and nine other local entries to the contest’s national pool.

Buttermore said he was convinced he had a winner when he selected Gideon’s entry for the national contest, which started in 2004. However, as time passed, Buttermore said he all but forgot about the contest.

"I wasn’t sure it had won, because it had been so long since the contest I forgotten about it," he said.

In May, Buttermore was notified Gideon’s entry had been selected as the contest’s national winner. Her entry was chosen from more than 200 other entries from more than 50 jewelry stores nationwide.

The grand prize is a platinum ring with a 2.38 carat emerald guarded by two princess-cut diamonds worth more than $10,000.

The contest featured the 50 carat emerald and numerous emerald pieces in a traveling exhibit around the country. The display of emerald stones and jewelry was on display at Buttermore & Son for three days in November 2004 and was the most successful event ever at the store, Buttermore said.

Buttermore said the store continued to sell emerald pieces for two months after the promotion.

"It was the single-biggest promotion in the history of the store," Buttermore said.

The Freedom Emerald is worth $2 million and will be on display at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C., this fall.
Source: newsandsentinel