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Exotic Go Stones
reviewed by David
Frankel
Shortly before my birthday last
March, I saved a link on my wife's computer to an exotic go stones link that had
appeared in the E-Journal. Of course, I had no ulterior motive, but to my
delight and amazement, my lovely bride came through and bought me a set of jade
and lapis stones.
The stones were ordered
before my birthday, but they weren't in stock. They are produced in China, and
one shipment that came in was rejected by the vendor because of poor quality.
But after five months, the stones finally arrived. The wait was worth it.
Although the pictures on the web site are accurate, they simply cannot convey
the sheer beauty of these stones. Light glimmers from them, especially the
subtle, translucent green of the jade. And the lapis stones - from deepest
midnight blue to royal blue - are veined with white and gold. The feel of
actually holding these heavy, smooth beauties in your hand is one of the
pleasures of life.
I had three concerns
about ordering the stones without actually seeing the real thing. One was that
the actual article wouldn't live up to the images on the web site. As indicated
above, that was not a problem. The second was that jade and lapis is an
unconventional combination, and I wondered how they would appear on a go board.
On this point, I was also very happy. There is plenty of contrast between the
two without any garishness, and they complement each other nicely. Finally,
there was the purely commercial question of arranging the monetary transaction
with an unknown vendor. However, Jean Tantra, the self-described 3 dan (not AGA
ranked), who sells these stones, was unfailingly helpful and reliable.
So for you go-players who can afford a bit of
extra luxury in your life, (or whose spouse can afford it), I unhesitatingly
recommend the exotic go stones. However, if you get them, you should probably
plan on getting a pair of crystal bowls to display them in.
See the exotic stones at: http://www.algorithmicartisan.com/gostones/
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