|
V
|
||
|
|
||
|
Sapphires in My Life
AT about this
time my parents received an offer from an important firm of dealers in
precious stones in London, and thus gained an exclusive buying agency
for Austria-Hungary. This meant, of course, that a certain amount of
preliminary business had to be done in England. Who should go, father
or mother? There was much argument about the matter. Finally it was
decided that my mother should make the journey. Not only had she the
better business head of the two; she had also a fair knowledge
of—French. It was after her return from England that she decided she
would have to learn English. But of that decision, more later.
The
point here is that on her return I made my first acquaintance with
sapphires. She had brought back a large quantity of small sapphires
which had to be graded according to size, tint and lustre. It was a
prentice task and she showed me how to do it. Her patience, never
great, often failed her during those days, for I had six thumbs on each
hand and all of them got in the way. But this is how I was taught to work:
34
|
||
|
|
||