Several years ago, Arizona jewelry designers Randy and Janie Polk faced financial hardship. Randy, a gemstone trader, described his dealings with fellow traders in hotel rooms to Anthea Disney. He was drawn to the vibrant colors, or "gumdrop colors," of gemstones.
Randy, unaware of the stone's nature, was nonetheless intrigued by its beauty. The purple and lavender hues proved popular, quickly selling. This spurred his interest, but also underscored the urgency of his situation. His four-year-old daughter had been seriously injured in a car accident, and mounting medical and care expenses were overwhelming him.
As Randy worked to cut and polish the purple rock, he envisioned its potential: "It possessed all the qualities we seek in a gem: beauty, durability, and rarity." He made a significant decision. To secure the necessary resources, Randy sold everything he could: his wife's engagement ring, their stereo, and his gun collection. The proceeds allowed him to travel to a manganese ore mine in South Africa.
At the mine, miners had extracted the colored rock, often taking it home in their lunch boxes. Randy, however, went further, filling his suitcases with what would later be valued at $20–$30 million worth of gem-quality stones.
Upon returning home, Randy established a price for the mineral, which he named Royal Lavulite. This represented a significant gamble.
The gamble paid off. The mineral, a rare variety of sugilite, a "freak of nature" found only in one South African mine, was classified as a rare gem in 1980. Randy had secured approximately half of the world's supply, with an estimated value exceeding $50 million before its peak price.
Despite his newfound prosperity, Randy expressed profound sorrow. His daughter had died the previous year, and his ten-year-old son missed his sister. He reflected, "I've learned that fairytales do not always come true. Sometimes I think I've lost more than I've gained... Perhaps there is no such thing as a happy ending."
