Refractions in gems, reflections in life
I walked into what I thought was an artist’s studio to escape the midday heat from wandering the city’s myriad of winding streets. A shade of mysterious green appeared before me. On second look, it was a woman tastefully adorned in emeralds from head to toes. She must be about my age. She escorted me to the establishment’s inner section, where I learned that the place was actually a jewelry shop.
If you compare by density, there appeared to be fewer jewelry pieces in the shop than what the shop owner had on her. I supposed the owner deliberately de-sparkle her shop to disarm the unsuspecting passersby as she lay in wait in her den. She got me today.
I have always been fond of jewelry, studying, designing, and wearing them. It is a dangerous hobby as the stones you acquire will hit your bank like a comet, leaving behind a huge dent.
All jewelers know there are way more browsers than buyers. It was a hot day out, I was quite determined to stay out of the heat for a while. So I let the shop owner give me one of the most unusual sales pitches I’d ever heard.
Her name was Majorie. She brought out a sugarloaf from the showcase, set it under a microscope, then instructed me to look carefully inside — my first to use such a sophisticated piece of equipment for shopping.
“Welcome to the universe of mesmerizing gardens.”, Majorie said with a grin.
A burst of colors through the lens so powerful that sent my retina to work overdrive.
“Where did the colors come from? I thought emeralds are just green,” I naively questioned.
Majorie replied, “I played a little trick on the microscope. These are water droplets trapped inside the emerald during crystallization. When you look inside an emerald, you can see the full history of its being. The good, the bad, and the ugly, they are all lying bare, right before your eyes.”
“What was the trick you played?” I pursued.
She shrugged, “No biggie. Many jewelry photographers do it these days to capture the full glory of perfect imperfections.”
“These droplets remind me of the tears that I’d shed in my life, unhappy ones, and the occasional happy ones. Wouldn’t it be lovely to know that all our tears can turn into glorious rainbows if you can view them with the right lens?” continued Majorie.
I nodded slightly, said, “Well, that lens is called the hindsight. Unfortunately, people rarely appreciate tears, especially the unhappy ones, when their faces are still wet with them.”
Marjorie smirked, “It looks like I’m dealing with a rational buyer.”
“Jewelry is a representation of love and joy. Yet it’s also known to draw envy and abomination. And the emerald is the perfect embodiment of all of the above.”
“How so?” I asked
“We were born small and pure. Over time, as we amass abilities and strengths, we accumulate hurt and deceit along the way. Love and relationships power us through calm or turbulent waters. Those negative experiences in our lives left scars in our hearts and minds. They are not so dissimilar to the inclusions in an emerald, except that our scars are most likely not microscopic.”
“You may wonder why I’m telling you these things.”, paused Majorie.
I let out a smile, our eyes locked, “Yes, I suppose my confusion is written all over my face by now.”
“There’s no such thing as the perfect emerald. They are expected to come with inclusions. It is the inclusions that made the stone — kind of like our life journeys shaping us,” replied Majorie.
“You’re making a significant investment, so I want to give you the complete perspective, not just the specification from an institute. Let’s try to look at this side of the stone,” said Majorie as she repositioned the rock under the lens.
It was a bubble, I observed. My mind started to wonder what this would be in Majorie’s life thesaurus.
“Gemology speaking, it’s a two-phase inclusion, gas trapped in fluids. I personally dislike finding these in stones. To me, they are akin to trapped infatuation — very unnecessary.”
I liked her analogy this time and smiled in agreement that trapped infatuation is indeed a moot point.
“Now, look at this inclusion over here. It’s a three-phase inclusion containing a rare mineral that is indigenous to a particular mine. This type of inclusions give you clues to the origin of the rock. And can help a jeweler price the piece. These minerals co-existed with the emerald during its crystallization process, influencing its colors and qualities. They are like relationships in our lives. You surround yourself with the right people, your life will improve just like the right elements will enhance the emerald.”
I took another look at the emerald after Majorie dislodged it from the microscope. It was a glorious gem, not only hitting all the high marks demanded by the professional certification institute, it exuded an air of something more. Thanks to Majorie. I now began to see stones with lives and histories. Not ready to make an impulsive purchase, I returned the stone and bade her farewell.
I walked out of the shop, still trying to process all the ideas Majorie had just planted in my head. The sun was unbearably bright. As soon as I set foot under the glow, it felt like I was walking onto a well-lit platform ready for my own evaluation. All of a sudden, I was overcome with self-doubt.
“What are my inclusions?”
“How many do I have?”
“Do they enhance or diminish my qualities?”
My mind started racing.
On second thought, my crystallization process is still ongoing. I learned from the jeweler that there’s no point in dwelling on hurt, which would only enlarge the fissures, reducing your brilliance. Instead, we should spend our precious remaining time to surround ourselves with the right relationships. That way, you can turn into the gemstone your maker intended you to be.
