“Who is this person? She’s everywhere!”
Before I
knew who Robyn Hawk was, whenever I would do a Google search for just about any
subject relating to gems, minerals, and jewelry I would see blogs, Facebook
feeds, and articles all over the internet by “A Fly On The Wall” (or @AFlyontheWall)
accompanied by a little green “fly” photo. I was intrigued and thought of her
as the mysterious and prolific gem show lady! Somehow later, I found out that A
Fly On The Wall was a woman named Robyn Hawk. Her sudden passing on July 16,
2019, has left a sobering sinkhole in our hearts, and at the same time Robyn
has left a dazzling display of sapphire colors in our memories of her.
Robyn
worked as a social content curator to gem and jewelry brands, businesses, and
artists. With a dozen blogs constantly in need of updating, Robyn was a
self-proclaimed "serial blogger." Writing with the goals of sharing
her love of colored gems and minerals with the public and promoting emerging
designers to jewelry stores, Robyn always reported from her unique viewpoint as
a metalsmith and gem cutter. Her blogs included Tucson Gem Show Live!, The
Daily Jewel, and Historic Gems & Jewelry.
Above all,
in the seven years that I knew Robyn she was simply a kind human being with a
giving heart of gold, an eye for beauty, and a penchant for friendship. And she
talked a lot; I often felt kind of bad when I’d have to interrupt her to get a
word in edgewise in our conversations. That was also Robyn.
Since 2013,
my company, Xpo Press, has been one of the fortunate beneficiaries of Robyn’s unique
skill set. She created all of our social media platforms, she was our “voice”
replying back to all inquiries on our Facebook (@GemShowEZGuides), and she
posted all the photos on our Instagram. Additionally, she was a staff writer
for Xpo Press’s printed gem show guides, and we published at least three of her
articles a year in our publications.
I first met
Robyn (digitally) in 2012 after I learned who this mysterious Fly on the Wall
was. I believe I introduced myself in an email and asked if she might be
interested in doing some writing for Xpo Press. She happened to be well aware
of Xpo Press’s work in the gem, mineral and jewelry show world and,
flatteringly, she informed me that she religiously used our EZ-Guides at
various shows around the country.
After our
first email exchange she went to work on coming up with brilliant article ideas
for our 2013 Tucson EZ-Guide, and we published her first … three! …
articles in that 2013 edition: “Rockhounding Arizona,” “Mineral Show 101:
Everything You Need to Know to Enjoy a Mineral Show in Tucson,” and “AGTA
GemFair Tucson: An Insider’s Look Behind the Velvet Ropes.”
We decided
to meet face-to-face at the 2013 Tucson Showcase, where, I recall, we had to
meet in my rental car because our schedules kept conflicting during the two
days that our time in Tucson intersected. But in that car meeting on a hot
February afternoon, I must have taken three pages of notes from the ideas Robyn
had for how we could improve our EZ-Guides, our website, and new ideas for
mobile apps and an email newsletter. That too was Robyn — endless ideas and
vision!
Every year
after in Tucson we would meet in the lobby of the Riverpark Inn at the Pueblo
Gem & Mineral Show, save for one year when we met at the Starbucks on
Broadway Blvd. between Country Club Rd. and Alvernon Way. More ideas, more
vision, more abrupt interjections by me to get a word into our focused
discussions. The last time Robyn and I met was this past April at the 2019
Colorado Mineral & Fossil Spring Show at Crowne Plaza in Denver. Xpo Press
paid for her flight and lodging to get her here (Denver is where our offices
are located, well, actually, Arvada) so that she and I could talk in detail
about Xpo Press’s new GEM-AD membership program, and what her role would be in
implementing it.
I certainly
couldn’t have guessed when I said goodbye to Robyn in that hotel lobby that it
would be the last time that I would ever see her again. And that’s the sobering
thought. Death can be so very sudden. It should make us pause for a moment to ponder
… and to value and appreciate the time we have with our friends and loved ones.
Indeed, we just don’t know when it might be the last time that we’ll be with
them.
Robyn’s
final entry on our Facebook page was July 16, the same day that she passed
away. Color was in her thought to the very end, as she wrote: “Montana sapphires
are as glamorous and dazzling as sapphires from Asia, but they are exceptional
and exclusive in their properties. These stunning stones feature high quality
radiance with a great range of color and saturation. These exclusive properties
create a dynamic beauty to your jewelry designs. Colors include blues to greens,
as well as combinations of green and blue. The rare colors are orange/yellow
and violet/pink.”
Robyn, I
choose to believe that in these words you were communicating to us on your last
day on Earth what your own spirit is like. You, dear, were glamorous, dazzling,
exceptional and exclusive in your properties. You were stunning, featuring high
quality radiance with a great range of color and saturation. Your exclusive
properties created dynamic beauty. Your color combinations were wide-ranging
and rare.
Be with God
now, sister, daughter and friend — with Him in whom all rare beauties
originated and to whom all true radiance dwells forever. You, friend, will be remembered
as an iridescent sapphire fabulously called away from the shadowlands down here.
We will see you again, in true Light and Color!