On The Fly

In this episode, Reclaim Curiosity–Through the Lens of a Diamond . . .   “Beauty is the illumination of your soul.” — John O’Donohue. As a young gemologist, I stood before diamonds as some might stand under the stars—quiet, attentive, drawn in by something that felt much larger than language. Remember that magical moment when you first placed a diamond under the microscope! If you haven’t experienced it, allow me to paint a picture. Tilting it back and forth, the light danced into vibrant colors, reminiscent of that magical rainbow from the previous blog post ( The Rainbows Promise ), revealing a beautiful secret before your eyes! I thought: This isn’t just about science. This is about wonder. But it wasn’t until I began teaching others to see that I truly understood the art of curiosity — and how easy it is to lose it. My colleagues referred to this as the Art and Science of Gemology. Most students entered my classroom expecting a technical lesson: grading charts, clarity scales,...

Raise your hand if you’ve heard of or remember the futuristic design of the 1950s dubbed the Googie architecture movement? Stay with me; you may be surprised. Entering Las Vegas, Nevada, from California on Arrowhead Highway/Highway 91, now called “the Strip,” you can still find remnants of roadside America from its motoring past. One of the not-so-ubiquitous treasures is the Diamond Inn Motel ,  built in 1940. While visiting Las Vegas at  Mandalay  Bay, I was delighted to discover two historic landmarks, “The Sign” and the Diamond Inn Motel. Well, to be honest, only the sign is designated as a historic landmark. But they are both worth a look just to get a glimpse of Las Vegas’s history. You can discover this quaint roadside business if you have the pluck to make your way from your room through the modern monolith hotel/casino maze and can actually get outside for an early morning walk.  Admittedly, I’m an early bird; I was out the door by 5:15 ...