Thunder, Wind, Rain
Leaves Blown Everywhere
In August, the clouds build up in the white mountains. They are smoky white, pure white, curling, swirling a mile, two, three high to the very top. On the farm we could see them building. They would become so big that the undersides would go dark, charcoal dark. The sun in the late afternoon would cast deep shadows on the east side. They were like Everest mountains moving to the sea.
You could smell the storm coming. You could hear it miles away. As it got closer, it created a deep roar coming across the hills. It was night within, no rain yet, with bolts of lightning flashing in the west. Mother would run through the house shutting windows. One of us kids would take the laundry off the clothesline. We’d close the lawn umbrella and lay it on the lawn, roll car and truck windows up, try to get everything loose in and secure before the wind and rain. Some storms were pure fury. Usually it was a half-hour, felt like the Earth was shaking. After the storm, there were leaves everywhere wet, plastered on the car and driveway going every which way.
This is an August green SparHawk Maine tourmaline. Brilliant quilt-top faceting. Leaves, wet leaves, in gold going every which way across the surface of the ring. Smooth, all surfaces solid, it can’t be blown away.
We have one ring. It takes an exact size cushion-cut gem. The twin dilemma, if you needed a second one it could be months. The gem size must be exact. Even though the gem mine is still active, they laugh if I say I want a gem in exact measurements because they know the crystals are too valuable to cut on demand. Rare fine gems will always be cut to the biggest, best size from any crystal.
This is is a bigger ring, a ring of substance and presence like those magnificent powerful summer storms. This is a rare, beautiful ring.
