Love Discovered and
The Know-it-All Jeweler
This ruby has a back story about
a jeweler who thought he knew it all….me.
Thirty years ago, a young guy came to our store and told us he had just spent three years in Madagascar, a big island off the east coast of Africa. He said that the island was rich with precious gems. He was back in the States with gems from this island, and Cross was his first stop in Maine because we were the best. I sensed he was just trying to butter me up with his island and our importance.
In my wealth of gem knowledge, I had never heard of fine gems being found on Madagascar. I dismissed his sincere overture. My gemological training had never covered anything about Madagascar and gems. I did not take him seriously.
I Was Given a Second Chance
One day, my wife and I attended a writer’s conference at a palatial estate by the sea. Because the place had seemed so pretty, I was feeling smug with wine and hors d’oeuvres, standing on a stone plaza overlooking a grand field that swept a quarter mile to a cove. I remember a fellow who came up to me, introduced himself and said his brother had spent three years in Madagascar and was selling gems. I remembered the fellow from a couple of years earlier and started to dismiss the whole thing. He said his brother had written a book about his time on the island, and he had a copy and would like to drop one by. I agreed. He dropped the book off. I read a chapter, didn’t like the style of writing, and dismissed it.
Madagascar Rising
A decade later, I heard they were finding new serious gems in Madagascar. Twenty years after first hearing of Madagascar gems, the story was getting louder. Five years ago, I was visiting a primary sapphire source in Southeast Asia and saw displays of Madagascar rubies. I had grown up on Burma rubies: pure, blood-red rubies, the standard of excellence in red, a super rare, awesome color. I knew the value of ruby gems from Burma.
Some of these new Madagascar rubies looked awesome, and the prices were half or a third of the Burma rubies. I bought four gems and we mounted three of them into our Love Discovered necklace design. Sometimes, thinking you’re smart and living in a land of absolute certainty allows little or no room for discovery. Yes, here I am, 20 years later, with beautiful rubies from an island I didn’t know existed. I am humbled by this new discovery of gems from Madagascar and have perhaps learned a lesson about listening. Our Love Discovered necklace is a great jewelry design. The ruby center is awesome.
