I meet interesting people in airport smoking rooms. Two Americans admired my signature ring, which is from Khabul. One of them said that, when he was in Afghanistan, he bought a piece of kunzite and had it set as a ring for his girlfriend. He paid $650 for it. Unfortunately, his girlfriend eventually lost the ring.

I remember my faceted alexandrite stone, which Sarah Peck sent me when she herself was stationed in Khabul. I had it set in gold and is now one of my finest pieces of jewelry.