Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Afternoon at the GIA


Today I went to the GIA in Carlsbad, California for a tour of the library and related areas. Wow! What a fantastic place. As you approach the center, you see the Tower of Brilliance, which displays the world’s largest crystal octahedron, made by Swarovski. It gleams like a beacon.

After going through two levels of security I met up with my GIA friend Paula who walked me around room after room of stunning gem displays – everything from old gem cutter equipment to glittering faceted gemstones and micron photographs of crystals that looked like paintings by O’Keefe. I was completely bedazzled and almost overwhelmed with the energy. Some areas of the building were buzzing with crystalline energy to the point of making me dizzy. The rare book vault was profoundly still and peaceful.

Of interest was a large chrysocolla; longer than my arm, and just the right size to be a wing:



And many intricate patterns of crystals – these social rocks fascinate me more than the cut stones. They sit in attendance one on the other....like friends around a campfire...





There were also fossilized sea creatures who became jeweled in death:



The library and the rare archive room blew me away. I could have spent a week there and barely emerged for food and air. There are more than 38,000 volumes on everything you can imagine having to do with gemology, including a couple of sections on the metaphysical aspects of stones. Woo hoo witchy woos!



You can bet I'll return - there is much magic and lore to uncover there.

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