It all happened hundreds of millions of years ago,
during a time that was not yet defined an “Era,” with
a primordial explosion that burst an incandescent ball
and the entire galaxy of planets far into the cosmos.
Gravitational forces, tectonic landslides and numerous
other factors resulted in a mixture of minerals and
materials that was subsequently consolidated by the
cooling of the planet.
And then millenniums passed… until the creation
of unicellular beings, then animals, and then human
beings. This planet, our dear Earth, has become the
abode of an abounding and fervid humanity that has
evolved in its beliefs, habits, customs and technologies…but
that continues to depend on the planet. Still today,
just as at the dawn of its creation, the human race
feeds on all types of the Earth’s resources,
including energy and water, as well as others…
As ancient as man himself are his desire, drive and
willingness to unite with the pure elements offered
by the Earth and to find signs of power, beauty and
deep meaning in nature.
Since the beginning of time, man has had the knowledge
and desire to adorn himself with the skins, teeth and
feathers of the animals he kills in order to understand
their power.
And then he passed to the riches of the earth, such
as iron, gold, silver, diamonds, rubies…and
the list goes on.
And now we have arrived at present times. We live
a rational existence, and we are driven each day by
our occupations and work, which are often far removed
from the “Earth.” We delegate, to experts
or to the market, the job of suggesting how we should
nourish ourselves or how we can make the spaces we
occupy more liveable…far away from nature.
And yet this bond with nature still seems to be intact,
or maybe even greater, when we think of gemstones and
the riches that nature grants us from its depths. Coloured
gems adorn the bodies of our women and are witness
to this ancient link, even though we may not know why
we are attracted by the colour of one stone more than
by another. It may be due to an unconscious reflex,
a psychological preference or pure affinity. We may
feel good if a particular stone of a certain colour
accompanies our clothes – however classic, modern,
outrageous or sporty they may be.This is our world…
With this guide we hope to open a door, to give “novices” a
chance to learn and to reply to those curious enough
to ask for information on our stones in order to get
to know this world a little better. We will not change
the texts (numerous) that exhaustively explain the
subject and are geared for experts or those who work
in the industry. We just want to know that this manual
will be a learning aid for those who are newly interested
in the world of stones. |
