Science Only Defines the Divine

Amongst a peer group of which the average age is the age I was when I first held that tumbled piece of Lapis; I have to constantly remind myself that Gemstones and Jewelry have been my constant focus for the last six years. The other students may have worked in jewelry stores or grown up in the family business, but none of them have read as much as I have. I may not have been in school, hell, I may not have even had a job, but I was certainly studying, and if you're not reading on the toilet, you're not reading enough. For many at my school, it is the passion of their parents that has brought them here. The passion will build for them though, I'm sure of it, just as it built for me. Many a time I have seen the sparkle in someones eye when they see the beauties of a gemstone for the first time. When they see a hue of blue they've never seen before, or the color change of Alexandrite...the impossible! The impossible beauty! The impossible phenomena! The impossible curiosity & shear wonderment...And there truly is a sparkle in the eye, just as I'm positive a sparkle was in my eye when I first held Lapis. It's that experience of seeing the gem, holding the gem....that alone is incredible. It's what makes this a business. But then there's the experience and the questions. What Is THIS??!!?? I could list all of the questions I could ask, but that would be boring. Of the questions, I will say this, Science Only Defines the Divine.

And so it begins....the long awaited, and long prepared for, Colored Stones and Gem Identification. With a minimum of 1,750 stones to identify, and a lofty personal goal of 3000 right out the gate....yeah, I'm feeling a little cocky, but why not make that my goal....to prove my arrogance justified!! Or at least my confidence. I can be humble too though...as a student I may (for once) be stellar, but seeing my instructors with 30-40 years experience under their belts. I have a long, long way to go....so at this point I'll be 61 to 71 years old when I reach their level. Why didn't anyone throw me a chunk of Lapis when I was 11?

Well, time to make some Raviolis....ya know, my family was built in the Pasta industry. My 3-Great Grandfather, Antoine Zerega started the first pasta factory in America - Brooklyn 1848. I'm not complaining, because I love pasta, but it'd be nice if it had been Emeralds.