I love references to gems and jewelry in popular culture–my love of the “ruby slippers” is already widely known. I find myself listening and watching carefully for the objects of adornment when I watch movies or check out the outfits on Oscar night. This extends to song lyrics as well, which brings me to today’s popular culture reference–one by Nobel Literature Prize winner Bob Dylan.
The prolific Dylan falls at number three on the list of most covered lyricists, and with good reason. His music was widely interpreted as protest music, and while he denied being a protester or the “voice of a generation,” his melodies and lyrics remain the keystone of any serious study of lyrical poetry. His selection for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016 cements his status as one of the greatest living American poets, and his failure to show up to collect the prize in person only solidifies his reputation as a bucker of convention.
In his masterful classic, “A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall,” Dylan pens, “I saw a highway of diamonds with nobody on it.” Recorded in the summer of 1962 in a single take at Columbia Records’ famed Studio A, “Hard Rain” was made up of all of the first lines of songs that he “thought he would never have time to write,” according to Dylan.
This brings me to the point of this blog post….our new location!
Our longer-term New Gild Jewelers family remembers our first location, a boutique-y storefront on the edge of the Linden Hills neighborhood of Minneapolis, MN. We loved that little building, and our beautiful gold logo gleaming always filled us with a feeling of belonging. We had plenty of space, and with our unique touches throughout, it felt like an excellent home. Attracting walk-ins was always a challenge, and we did our share of sidewalk chalk and sandwich boards to direct traffic. We were happy and incubating.
Each day, walking around the village for coffee or lunch or to visit our wonderful neighboring storefronts, we would pass a magnificent corner location at Linden Hills’ main intersection, S Upton Ave and W 43rd Street. We watched as the space that had been a charming but aging storefront was upgraded with beautiful floor to ceiling windows, hardwood flooring, and a brand new bathroom built in. This transformation took a number of years, and we heard much speculation about who might be moving in to such a glamorous and wonderful spot. It was….a highway of diamonds with nobody on it.
So, we reached out to the property owners. It turned out that they were waiting for just the right independent business–someone with a commitment to the “small village in a big city” values that make Linden Hills so great, a store with local business owners passionate about the community and passionate about the neighborhood’s beauty. We took a tour and were in love, and New Gild Jewelers’ commitment to exceptional quality in everything was just what they were looking for, too; thus began our transition to our current home.
Although we moved in April 1st of 2019, this has been our first winter here, and the change of seasons brings the light in at new and different angles. In the afternoon, we get a second period of sunshine, when the sun reflects off of the condo building behind us into our space. During all daylight hours, the space is filled with gorgeous ambient light that makes diamonds, gemstones, and precious metals just sing in our custom designs. Our clients love the openness, our cases fit just right, and our work area is visible to visitors and beautifully lit as well. We love it here!
So, change is good. If you see a highway of diamonds with nobody on it, you should try to hop on to it yourself! You never know what sparkly things can come your way when you try for the things that might seem unobtainable, but are just waiting for you. Dylan, being from Duluth, might stop in one day–we can dare to dream. What can we make sparkle for you?
