It’s Not the Stone, It’s the Story

Watching truck loads of alluvial gravel being driven out of a pit several hundred feet deep, a mine owner points to the passing vehicle and puts the tedious work of searching for gems into perspective.

“See that?” he says. “Each truckload of gravel may, that’s may, have one carat of sapphire in it.”

It’s not exactly the best yield in any accountant’s mind, but as a gemologist, the experience during a recent Alumni trip to Thailand took me to a whole new level of awe and inspiration. (See story, page 30.) All the sweat and physical work that goes into pulling just one carat of rough is incredible. It’ll definitely make me appreciate that $8-a-carat sapphire displayed at the paper-plate specials in Tucson. Just think of its odds to make it out of that hole in the ground, into the truck, through all the processing and finally onto that plate – all for the price of a gourmet hamburger.

It may not be the most beautiful and it may be small, but it is remarkable – which reminds me that when it comes to selling, it’s not always the stone; it’s the story. Our group visited many gem-related sites during our excursion through Thailand’s beautiful, lush landscape. These experiences only add to the mystique and tales that can be imparted into the gemstones that are found in that country.

Why? Simply because we were there to see it all!

Such was the case for a couple in our group who purchased an unheated stone from the mine where we saw the truckloads of gravel being processed. Though the husband wasn’t in the business, he knew his wife could sell the stone because they had been to its source and she could impart incredible passion and wonder into the stone’s provenance.

We work in a most remarkable world. Isn’t it time we bring back the excitement of gems? Whether they come from a mine in Montana, or the lush countryside of far away lands, the wonder of gems isn’t just in the stone, but in the story behind it.

Starla Turner, G.G.
We Are the Alumni!