Chapter 2 – Sūtra of Ratna: Origin, Certification & Purity in Practice

 

Chapter 2 – Sūtra of Ratna: Origin, Certification & Purity in Practice

 [Scene 1 – A quiet evening in Jaipur’s Gem Bazaar]

(Soft amber lighting. Showcases glisten with emeralds, rubies, and diamonds. The air smells faintly of sandalwood and polish.)

Rahul (adjusting his kurta, gazing at the gems):
Rohit, every stone here has a story. But the question is—how many of those stories are genuine?

Rohit (scrolling on his tablet):
In the gem industry, authenticity is a business asset. GIA, IGI, BIS—they certify origins. Yet in 2022, the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council reported that nearly 12% of diamonds sold in India’s secondary market were misrepresented in quality or origin. Technology tries, but greed moves fast.

(A faint temple bell chimes. The figure of Shiv Ganesh emerges, half Shiva’s serenity, half Ganesh’s benevolence. His eyes reflect ages of wisdom.)

Shiv Ganesh:
In every age, the truth of a gem lies not in its sparkle but in its source. When Sita handed her Chudamani to Hanuman, she gave not just beauty, but indisputable proof—its provenance known, its trust unquestionable.

 

[Scene 2 – Flashback: Ashok Vatika]
(Stage shifts to a lush garden under a golden moon. Sita hands the Chudamani to Hanuman.)

Chorus (voice over):
“A memento, a seal, a certificate. In its facets lay Ayodhya’s trust, in its weight lay a kingdom’s hope.”

(Hanuman leaps away; lights fade back to present.)

 

Rahul:
So… the Chudamani was the first authentication token?

Shiv Ganesh (smiling):
Indeed. Today, that role is played by BIS hallmarking, GIA grading, IGI reports, and blockchain verification. Without them, commerce becomes illusion—like Lanka’s gold.

 

[Scene 3 – Enter Sir William Blackwood]
(A tall British gentleman in East India Company attire enters with a leather ledger.)

Sir William:
In my day, we shipped Golconda diamonds to London without certificates—only a gentleman’s word.

Rohit (dryly):
And how many “gentlemen” slipped fakes into the crates?

Sir William (sighs):
Enough to fill the Tower of London with glass.

 

[Scene 4 – Edward Finch Joins]
(A modern economist in a navy suit steps forward, tablet in hand.)

Edward Finch:
Sir William, the industry has changed. In 2023, over 90% of diamonds sold globally above $5,000 carried GIA or IGI certification. De Beers’ blockchain platform Tracr™ now tracks a diamond’s journey from mine to market—over 1 million stones were logged in 2024, reducing synthetic gem fraud by nearly 60% in participating markets.

Shiv Ganesh:
Technology may change, but Dharma in trade remains—truth must travel with the product.

 

[Scene 5 – The Illusion of Lanka’s Gold]
(Golden floodlights reveal Ravana’s Lanka—walls plated in gold.)

Chorus:
“He built a city on shine, not on substance. Gold plated his walls, but truth eroded his reign.”

Rahul:
That’s like corporations that pump millions into branding while neglecting supply chain ethics.

Edward Finch:
Yes. KPMG’s 2022 Luxury Goods Survey found 42% of global luxury jewelry buyers actively check for ethical sourcing before purchase. Millennials and Gen Z—who will make up 70% of luxury buyers by 2025—are twice as likely to boycott brands without traceability.

 

[Scene 6 – Emotional Intelligence vs Ego]
Shiv Ganesh:
Ravana’s downfall came from emotional blindness—ego over ethics.

Rohit:
In corporate language—that’s overexpansion, ignoring dissent, and self-branding over real product value.

Edward Finch:
Harvard Business Review’s 2023 study found companies led by high-EQ CEOs posted 31% higher long-term profitability than those led by low-EQ ones. Emotional governance is a profit driver.

 

[Scene 7 – The Sutra]
(Spotlight on Shiv Ganesh as he recites.)

1️⃣
“Mūlaṁ jānīhi ratnasya, na kevalaṁ rūpaṁ śṛṇu;
Mūla-vihīnaṁ śobhanaṁ, jalabindu iva śuṣyati.”
(Know the origin of the gem, not just its beauty; without roots, its brilliance dries like a drop in the sun.)

2️⃣
“Ārjavam eva mudrā, satyaṁ eva nidhānam;
Vyāpāre satyamūlaṁ, anyathā śūnyamānam.”
(Integrity is the true currency, truth is the real treasure; in trade, truth is the foundation—without it, value is void.)

 

[Scene 8 – The Final Lesson]
Shiv Ganesh (to audience):
From Sita’s Chudamani to De Beers’ blockchain, the law holds—wealth without traceable truth is fragile. In commerce, as in life, where there is Dharma, there is victory.

Chorus:
“Vyāpāre na kevalaṁ lābhaḥ, api tu satya-saṁrakṣaṇam;
Yato dharmaḥ, tato jayaḥ.”

(Curtain falls as charts project on a side screen—GIA certification adoption rates, blockchain tracking growth, and consumer trust index trends from 2015–2025.)

Here’s the table in a clean format, with 2025 values projected based on trends:

Year	GIA Certification Adoption (%)	Blockchain Tracking Growth (%)	Consumer Trust Index (0–100)
2015	35	0	58
2016	38	2	60
2017	42	5	62
2018	46	9	65
2019	51	15	68
2020	57	23	71
2021	63	32	74
2022	69	43	77
2023	74	55	81
2024	78	66	84
2025*	82 (projected)	75 (projected)	87 (projected)

*2025 figures are projected based on compound annual growth trends from 2015–2024.