Sano Tsikhano
Meet Sano Tsikhano—the first Gemologist among the Nagas
Vibizono Yhokha
Dimapur |April 29
Sano Tsikhano is the first Gemologist among the Nagas. She is currently based in the U.S at Syracuse, New York with her husband Miguel Ramos from Puerto Rico. She studied Fine Arts from the College of Art, Delhi University in the mid 1980s and progressed on to become a Jewellery Designer, something which she considers as “an extension of her art”. Finally she moved on to study Gemology from the Gemological Institute of India, Mumbai in the mid 90s. She is now working with a Company called the Collela Gallery- an Italian-American family-run business which deals with diamonds, estate jewelry, fine jewelry, custom-made design and contemporary design jewelry, appraisals.
Pointing towards her painting (oil on canvass) of a Naga man, she said, “Essentially this is me. My art is me”. Sano Tsikhano considers herself an artist first, a Naga and finally a Gemologist. She describes herself as “an independent person, free-spirited, forward thinking who needs space to manoeuvre and someone who is always open to challenges.” Sano Tsikhano is the daughter of Late ThinuovichaTsikhano-an Assistant Commissioner who was killed by the underground cadres and whose grave now lay in the middle of Kohima town. Sano is the first Gemologist among the Nagas- a rare profession and venture which Nagas are yet to take up. Indeed a road rarely taken.
On being an artist
Sano’s art is mostly on tribal Naga art. Being an artist she likes to keep her individuality and this individuality comes from her identity as a Naga, which can be clearly seen in her art. She is attracted towards the” savageness” and rawness of the traditional Naga, she does not like the “modern brushed up look” but what fascinates her is “the wild savageness of the ancient Naga Warriors”.
She has a passion for expressions and faces. “Faces intrigue me”, she says. She is detail oriented which –one must agree- makes her art look realistic. If one looks at her painting of a Konyak Chief (Oil on Canvass), it looks as if it had come straight out of a printed photo. Looking at her painting, she said, “There is something very strong and powerful about his face. He’s got the fire. The strength of character on his face drew me to paint him”. She has seen faces more wilder than him but none as dominating, regal and powerful like him.
Another painting of hers is a painting on the village scene (oil on canvass) which portrays the typical Naga village scene of young ladies weaving. She loves this painting because for her “it is very raw. There is no fabrication, no fuss and muss about the women”. The naturalness and rawness of the scene is what enthrals her. Her detail oriented traits can be seen in minute details like the meticulous work on the toes and nails of the women in the painting.
On being a Gemologist
When Sano first started her career as a Gemologist in Bombay in 1997, the laboratory where she worked was the only Gemological laboratory in India then. She visited the U.S in 1999 and again in 2001 she travelled to the U.S where she finally set up her career as a Gemologist. On being asked why she chose to work in the U.S, she feels that in India, Indians are very “clannish” in the sense that their business setups are usually family-controlled. As an outsider, she could not break into a traditional diamond business setup, so she felt that if she wanted to progress as a person and in her profession, she needed to move on. It was also in the U.S that she met her husband through her friend, Kati who is also based in the U.S.
For Sano, Gemology is a fascinating study if one is creative and artistically inclined. Diamonds are tested by its 4 Cs i.e Carat, Color, Clarity and Cut and the value of a diamond are always determined by these 4 Cs. Also the certificate of a diamond comes from the lab. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) is the most famous lab in the world and the GIA certificate of diamonds is highly valued. She says, “Honesty is a big factor in this profession because it involves lots of money”.
Her typical day in the office starts from 9.30 am till 5 pm where she stays in the lab studying gems the whole day. For Sano, there is never a day where she dreads her job. Even when she has a depressing day, the moment she goes to her lab and look at the gems, it just lightens her up. She sees the amazing beauty of God’s creation in each gem. Her favourite gem is the dark ophre.
On Kohima
10 years ago, before she left, Kohima was beautiful. “Cars were less, the air was clean, water was free, you could walk and take a stroll down the road” she says. But now there are traffic jams, dust, overflowing drains and garbage everywhere. She feels that despite our education and growing wealth, there is so much primitiveness and it’s going to take a long time to change. She compares the U.S with Nagaland and says that the infrastructure in the U.S is excellent and people there they care for their land but for Nagaland the infrastructure is zero and most frustrating of all she exclaims, “We come close to murdering the beauty of our land….it’s a pity”
On Young Nagas
For Sano, Technology is a growing phenomena and is good but the downside is that people are slowly withdrawing from interaction with family and society-something which she finds in youngsters both in the West as well as in Nagaland. One problem that Naga youngsters face today is public-speaking. She says, “Our schools and colleges lacks public speaking and that is one reason why we don’t get through interviews. It is important to bring socio-economic, political and civic issues into debates because it not only overcome shyness but also brings awareness among the youths”. For her, encouraging such public speaking forums is very crucial for development and progress on a society. It is the only way to spread awareness among the youths and improve and mobilise them.
In the near future Sano wishes to exhibit her collections in Nagaland. She feels that her creativity led her from one thing to another and developed her as a person.
Ask her what she likes best about her profession, her eyes beams, and with passion she would say, “The world of gemstones is very fascinating. When you look at a gem through a microscope, you feel like you are looking in the soul of a stone…The world of art and the world of gemstone-that’s where my soul is” Period.
