As we begin our annual “May is Emerald Month” celebration we also find ourselves approaching the next adventure for Emeralds International and our founder Manuel Marcial and his wife Inge. In honor of this unique time in the history of the business, we would like to dedicate this May campaign to Manuel and Inge. We wish to share with you who Manuel and Inge are from the perspective of Marina and Carl, the ones who will carry the legacy of Emeralds International into the future, and we also invite you to share your stories of Inge and Manuel by creating a post on this Kudoboard. Grab a cup of tea or a coffee and join us on a brief journey to explore some memorable moments of Inge and Manuel from the perspectives of Marina and Carl.
The Next Adventure… a Reflection
Marina and I count ourselves among the fortunate ones who get to celebrate the lives and careers of family members in a family business that has endured and provided so much to those in its sphere. Anyone who has ever been involved in a family business knows how tricky and difficult it can be…often they result in ruined relationships and long built legacies disappearing overnight. Thankfully ours does not end that way!
Manuel J. Marcial (aka Mike to everyone in Hawaii, Papi to his children, and Abuelito to the grandkids) along with his better half, who we all know as the real Kahuna…Inge Marcial (aka Mima and Mamasan to the family) have built a legacy that has not only endured but enjoys a unique place in the gem world. It’s not every day that someone becomes world renowned for specializing in 2 rare gems–emeralds and conch pearls—with a history in the jewelry industry spanning over more than a half century.
The love story of these two shining orbs could fit into any romantic comedy. It all started in the Bahamas when a young emerald miner and adventurer trying to open the first all emerald store outside of Colombia, met a young shy British daughter of an army family, working at the Grand Bahama Port Authority, and, as Manuel fondly recalls with a twinkle in his eye, he knew she was going to be his wife from the moment he laid eyes on her. This resulted in many more visits in his personal single prop aircraft and a lot of shaking the plane’s wings as he flew over Inge’s workplace in a romantic dance of aerial courtship. An unexpected announcement to an entire party of guests one night, unbeknownst to Inge, of their upcoming marriage, has led to many adventures together. Whether it was navigating political unrest involving dangerous and daring flights to help a main opponent to the existing corrupt government get to a last minute meeting that ultimately led to his election, to emergency landings in Miami with a pregnant Inge carrying their middle daughter Luciana, to breeding Paso Fino horses, and not getting killed by a wanted murderer renting their farmhouse in Washington State, to experimenting with papaya farming in Belize, Puerto Rico, and Belize, life was never dull.
The opening of Emeralds International in Hawaii in 1964, after leaving Freeport, marked a new chapter for the couple, and their love and respect for the Hawaiian culture grew, as did their family as their youngest daughter, Nanea, was born on Maui. This love for Hawaii has influenced all their children to this day. It was also in Hawaii that they experienced an awakening of their spiritual journey in the discovery of the Baha’i Faith prompted by the utterance of a single sentence by a Hawaiian woman who came into the jewelry store and during conversation shared a quote from the Baha’i Writings: “The Earth is But One Country and Mankind its Citizens”. Later, a longing to go back to the warm waters of the Caribbean, stemming from fond memories where as a young child Manuel would go with his parents in their car on a ferry that operated between Cuba and Key West, led to their relocation and opening of Emeralds International in Key West in 1980. It was also later here in Florida that Manuel reconnected with his firstborn child from a previous marriage, Michael, who, with his wife Fabiola, has brought 2 amazing grandchildren, Manuel Jr. and Valeria, into their lives. These and other stories can be found in Manuel’s biography The Tears of Fura (available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other outlets).
After 41 years in Key West, Manuel and Inge are now about to embark on a new chapter in their journey in one of their favorite cities…Charleston, South Carolina. There they will enjoy all that Charleston has to offer with the family of their middle daughter, Luciana, and son-in-law, Chris. Although it’s bittersweet for Marina and I as we think of all the memories we have enjoyed in this business with Manuel and Inge (yes even the challenging ones that we can now laugh at); learning from two family members who have set such high standards for us to follow has been invaluable in our growth, not only professionally, but personally too. All the recognitions and bounties that we continue to receive today come from the reputation and standard that Manuel and Inge earned and created which allows us to build upon further.
Marina and I often laugh as we think back to the very first time I, a shaved-headed young South African man, came into the store here in Key West to meet her parents for the first time. As an immigrant who had nothing but 2 dogs and a ’78 Ford van called the “Cherry Roller” to his name, I experienced a welcoming and non-judgmental embrace that is a testament to their loving spiritual character. This was further exemplified when Marina and I decided to let them know we were getting married at a dinner one night, and I, somewhat nervously (but ready to accept whatever reaction) stated that even though I was broke, had no job, and didn’t know what the future held for me, loved their daughter and wanted to marry her. Well, the resulting reaction of tears of joy and Cuban cigars being lit to celebrate the occasion was certainly one of the greatest experiences and joys of my life and will never be forgotten. Marina was going to give up her role in the family business and we were going to travel the country in an RV but somehow that never happened – a guiding hand I believe – and that has led us to this moment in life. Having these 2 special souls in my life, especially a father figure I desperately craved all my life, and a motherly angelic figure of beauty, wisdom and grace that Inge is, has been the greatest blessing to me. Out of it, I have gained more than I could ever have imagined; from finding my spiritual home in the Baha’i Faith, being married to the most beautiful wife, inside and out, an amazing son, a career that has changed my life and given me an expressive outlet for my artistic and business capacities, to falling in love with spearfishing and the Keys waters in Manuel’s homemade (and patented) nearshore boat, the Mangrover, which also continues through his grandchildren, Manuel Jr., Kylan, Zen, Kalea, Santi and Romero – all avid fisherman and lovers of the ocean!
With stories and memories too numerous to recount here, we look to the future of this business with hope and thankfulness as we are reminded of how grateful we are to all the people whom we have met that have become more than just clients and acquaintances, but family and friends. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for coming into our lives and being part of this journey! None of it would be what it is without you. We wish and pray for a peaceful and joyful next adventure for Manuel and Inge and to all of you as we continue on in this great mysterious classroom we call life!
