- Joined
- Jul 31, 2014
- Messages
- 19,441
Gosh LightBright this is so poetic! It’s funny how a piece of jewelry can inspire such imaginings, but we obviously aren’t the only ones to feel this way. I’ve been reading through Richard Wise’s Secrets of the Gem Trade, and the earlier chapters have a brief history of ancient cultures’ relationships with coloured gems. I guess humans have been gazing and getting lost in the depths of colored gems since they first dug them out of the earth.
I was drawn to the idea of a star gem in part because I imagine that asterism must have been especially meaningful to our ancestors. Like magic. And like you said, royalty must have coveted these gems as well. Wearing this gem makes me feel connected to those people’s and makes me think about the enormity of human history, which has always been a favoured subject of mine. My ancestry is Celtic, and this gemstone is from modern day Sri Lanka, but the Germanic tribes migrated all the way to the north of India. I’m sure there was trade happening, especially of riches like these, between the Germanic tribes and the Mughuls in the Middle Ages. Anyway, I enjoy thinking about those connections and history when I think about this gemstone. Thank you for leading me to ponder this!
It is exactly a visual reminder! I also chose to wear it in my middle finger for symbolism — in some ways, the road to getting to this position was incredibly difficult and I often flip the bird at the memory of those times to ward off the negative emotions I sometimes feel about it. And also, becoming a full professor, and becoming middle aged, really, has led me to a place in life where I no longer have any f**ks to give lol So yes, this ring is very symbolic to me!!
I didn’t know you were a professor too! Congrats on tenure, that is a biggie for sure. What is your field of study? I am a psychologist.
I'm also a psychologist!!!!