Arizona jewelry designers Randy and Janie Polk faced financial difficulties years ago. According to a 1982 Observer Magazine article by Anthea Disney, Randy traded gemstones with other dealers in hotel rooms, favoring stones with bright, "gumdrop colors."
Randy said that when "some young hustlers brought him a bag full of purple rock" from South Africa, he "just thought it was pretty."
Randy recalled that when "some young hustlers brought him a bag full of purple rock" from South Africa, he was unaware of its nature, simply finding it aesthetically pleasing, like "grape juice." He noted that jewelry made with purple or lavender stones sold quickly, sparking his interest.
Randy was also under pressure due to his four-year-old daughter's critical injuries from a car accident, which led to mounting hospital and care-home bills. As he cut and polished the purple rock, he began to hope, recognizing that it possessed the qualities of a gem: beauty, durability, and rarity.
Following his intuition, Randy sold all his possessions, including his wife's engagement ring, stereo, and gun collection, to afford a ticket to the manganese ore mine in South Africa. Disney wrote that the miners had been taking the colored rock in their lunch boxes. Randy emptied his suitcases and filled them with what would later be valued at $20-$30 million worth of gem-grade stones.
Upon returning home, he named the mineral Royal Lavulite and set its price, acknowledging that he was taking a significant risk.
His gamble paid off. The mineral, a rare form of sugilite found only in one mine in South Africa, was classified as a rare gem in 1980. Randy had acquired half the world's supply, estimated to be worth over $50 million before its peak value.
According to Disney, Randy was overjoyed with his newfound wealth. However, his daughter passed away the previous year, and his 10-year-old son missed his sister. Randy reflected that he had learned that fairytales do not always come true and that he may have lost more than he gained, questioning the existence of happy endings.
