We’re just back from the sun-washed beaches of Sri Lanka and we’re reflecting on the rich tradition of gems on the Island of Sapphires. Gems have been a fundamental part of their world, large and small, since their forefathers first found magic pebbles of color in their island dirt. The profession is highly valued and greatly sought after by the younger generations.
There are often so many traders waiting that we are only able to spend a few minutes with each man who has come to share their gems. Sometimes all we know about a man is his name, which we poorly pronounce, and his gems. In Sri Lanka, this is sufficient. Gems are so much a part of their identity that they accept as a fact that the world – individual and cumulative – can “know” them simply by the gems they possess. Trust itself is transferred through gemstones.
We found a remarkable truth in Sri Lanka, since we could only share a few words with those we met. Gemstones don’t need words. They speak their own language. They stand on their own and they permeate everything else, shaping a tradition as rich today as it was centuries ago.
