Tenting in the Mountains on a Rainy Day in September, Green Maine Tourmaline & Diamond Necklace

I’m in the western mountains of Maine. I’m in a tent on a platform. My tent-mate is an art student. That’s all I know about him. We are doing Dow, Zen, and the Maine woods. Our goal is to remain present at all times. No history, no future, nothing but right now. It rained all night. It’s morning, it’s cold, on one of the adjacent mountains it snowed. We have water dripping from the tent, it’s landing in a bowl making  a sound and circle waves. My goal, our goal, is to remain present. No future, no past, just now. The most exciting thing of this morning is this drip, this drop. Outside the tent almost everything is green and wet.

When I saw this necklace I was swept back to the tent 35 years ago and this bowl of water. The diamond is the rain drop, the tourmaline is the forest. The mind goes to curious places if you follow its path. None of this tenting and rain would naturally inspire you to say, “Yes, I want one of these necklaces.” But for some curious reason as I look at it, I see this moment of clarity on the side of a mountain in the rain.

The necklace is made with a forest green Maine tourmaline, found at a mine 50 miles north of our store. The big gem is a 6x4mm emerald-cut from Mt Mica in Paris, Maine. The diamond is from Africa. The diamond is the rain drop, as I look at it, it goes “plop” and makes a sound. The mounting is 14K yellow gold. The chain is 18 inches and is 14K yellow gold.