Luke Johnson Viewpoint

Most intelligent entrepreneurs and executives desire to invest their work with meaning. They like the idea of improving the world while earning a living. And many of us who mostly shuffle paper secretly admire those in the Hard Industries, who manufacture things, in spite of all the obstacles. So true!

Useful links:
www.lukejohnson.org
www.riskcapitalpartners.co.uk
www.channel4.com

Living Climate Change

Living Climate Change is an open forum. It's also a place to show, discuss, and share compelling and provocative thoughts and ideas about the future.

Useful link:
http://livingclimatechange.com

Global Business BBC

Peter Day's viewpoints on the future shape of new media was interesting. Expect rule-breaking disruptive innovation.

Useful links:
www.telegraph.co.uk
www.mediatique.co.uk
www.buzzmachine.com
www.benkler.org
www.4ip.org.uk

David Sibley

If you're out in the park and you notice from 100 feet away a tree with unusual flowers or an odd leaf shape or interesting bark, these books require you to walk up to the tree, take a twig in your hand and go through a series of steps. It's at least five minutes until you come up with an answer. And immediately you lose sight of the whole tree and you lose sight of what attracted your attention in the first place. Taking a step back and looking at the whole tree, then looking at a few more trees and flipping through the pages of my book, you quickly start to see that all the maples have similarly shaped leaves and fruit and that all the oaks have acorns.

- David Allen Sibley

Useful link:
www.sibleyguides.com

Just like gem identification. Really.

Art And Politics In China

Katie Hill's viewpoints on arts and politics in China was insightful.

Mary Delany And Her Circle

A must visit show.

Useful link:
http://ycba.yale.edu
www.janewildgoose.co.uk
www.britishmuseum.org

Art Market Update

Check out a new collection of contemporary art galleries in Los Angeles. The place is full of colorful characters.

Useful links:
www.beneventolosangeles.com
www.khastoo.com
www.overduinandkite.com
www.circus-gallery.com

Petra Finds 507.55-carat Rough Diamond

It has been reported that a 507.55 carat white diamond has been found at the Cullinan mine in South Africa.

Useful link:

www.petradiamonds.com

Gold Loans

While pawning the family jewels would be a sign of distress in the West, trading gold for cash increasingly is viewed in India as the equivalent of taking out a home equity loan to expand a business or simply to buy things. It's true. It's easy. Period.

Useful links:
www.manappuram.com
www.muthootfinance.com
www.gold.org

Can't Remember What I Forgot

Can't Remember What I Forgot: The Good News from the Front Lines of Memory Research by Sue Halpern is a wonderful book for everyone. A must read.

Useful link:

www.suehalpern.net

Hedgeable

Hedgeable, an investment start-up has come up with a neat gimmick to draw attention to its launch: a nationwide contest to find the three investors whose portfolios lost the most value between October 2007, when stockmarkets began to tumble, and March 2009, when they hit bottom. I thought it was a brilliant idea. Hats off to Michael Kane!

Useful link:
www.hedgeable.com

Random Thoughts

In the past, we thought that the carbon dioxide in the bubbles just gave the wine an acidic bite and a little tingle on the tongue, but this study shows that it is much more than this. Glasses that encourage more bubbles to come up are going to be better. At the bottom of proper champagne glasses, they put a little bit of (rough) glass, which encourages the nucleation of the flow of bubbles.

- Dr Jamie Goode
www.wineanorak.com

It's good to know.

London Design Festival 2009

Old is new again. www.londondesignfestival.com

John Cassidy Viewpoint

John Cassidy's opinion piece in the New Yorker was spot on. A number of explanations have been proposed for the great boom and bust, most of which focus on greed, overconfidence, and downright stupidity on the part of mortgage lenders, investment bankers, and Wall Street C.E.O.s. According to a common narrative, we have lived through a textbook instance of the madness of crowds. If this were all there was to it, we could rest more comfortably: greed can be controlled, with some difficulty, admittedly; overconfidence gets punctured; even stupid people can be educated. Unfortunately, the real causes of the crisis are much scarier and less amenable to reform: they have to do with the inner logic of an economy like ours. The root problem is what might be termed “rational irrationality”—behavior that, on the individual level, is perfectly reasonable but that, when aggregated in the marketplace, produces calamity. So true!

Useful link:
http://hyunsongshin.org

Ornette Coleman

Ornette Coleman's 'Shape of Jazz to Come' is still as relevant as ever.

Useful link:
www.ornettecoleman.com
www.jalc.org

Grown In Detroit

Grown in Detroit, a documentary by two Dutch filmmakers was brilliant. Inspiring, really.

Useful links:
http://grownindetroit.filmmij.nl
www.grownindetroit.tv

Random Thoughts

It's the perfect time for Faberge to come back. In the eyes of customers, other brands have become devalued and suffered a loss of identity. Customers want uniqueness and provenance.

- Mark Dunhill
www.faberge.com

Spot on.

Project 10 To The 100th

Check out Google's new project '10 to the 100th', which is a call for ideas to change the world by helping as many people as possible.

Read My Pins

Read My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat's Jewel Box by Madeleine Albright offers a whole new side of Secretary Albright.

Useful links:

www.thealbrightgroupllc.com

www.albrightcapital.com

Diamond Market Update

Historically, Americans revert to their prior shopping patterns after a recession. And one fact is irrefutable: Americans are born to spend.

- Ken Gassman
www.kennethgassman.com

So true!

The World's Most Expensive Blackberry

Check out Alexander Amosu's most expensive BlackBerry with specially cut diamonds.

Useful link:
www.amosu.co.uk

Tyler Brule

I found Tyler Brule's viewpoints on culture and travels very interesting.

Useful link:
www.beingtylerbrule.com

Change By Design

Check out Tim Brown's innovative approach. www.ideo.com/cbd

Wine Buying

Jeffrey M. O'Brien writes: There's an oft-repeated bit of eno-philosophy that says the wine business is immune to recession because people drink in good times and bad. But it turns out there's a caveat: In bad times such as these, they mostly drink the cheap stuff. That means vintners who sell wine for $10 or less are raking in money, but everyone else is getting squeezed -- which can be a very good thing for the savvy wine buyer. From restaurants to tasting rooms, clearinghouses to supermarkets, high-end wines -- some of which were impossible to get a few years ago -- are suddenly within reach.

So true!

Luke Johnson Viewpoint

Humour and charm are a surprisingly powerful combination as a means of ascent in life. I have met a number of entrepreneurs who have built fortunes on the back of their wit and general popularity – and not much else.

- Luke Johnson

Useful links:
www.ft.com/comment/columnists/lukejohnson
www.lukejohnson.org
www.riskcapitalpartners.co.uk
www.channel4.com

Spot on.

Wildlife Finder

Check out Sir David Attenborough's favourite moments from BBC's famed natural history unit.

Useful links:
www.bbc.co.uk/wildlifefinder
www.davidattenborough.co.uk

Hope Diamond In New Setting

See footage of the Hope Diamond in its new setting, including an interview with winning designer Maurice Galli.

Useful links:
www.mnh.si.edu
www.smithsonianchannel.com

The Poetry Of Time

Check out The Poetry of Time, a visual anthology of Van Cleef and Arpels' contribution to watchmaking. www.vancleef-arpels.com

One Hundred Years Of Solitude

Gabriel García Márquez's seminal novel One Hundred Years of Solitude has been chosen by international writers as the most influential book. It's an amazing book. It's a masterpiece. Really.

Useful link:
www.wasafiri.org

Art News

Anyone who believes the art market has been felled by the financial crisis should have been in New York earlier this month for the seasonal auctions of Chinese bronzes, furniture and ceramics. The salerooms at Sotheby's and Christie's were overflowing with bidders, more than three-quarters of them from Hong Kong, mainland China and Taiwan. Extra Mandarin-speakers, all of them fluent and young, had been taken on specially to handle additional telephone bidding from Asia.

- Economist
www.economist.com

Useful links:
www.sothebys.com
www.christies.com

I guess confidence has returned to the market.

Random Thoughts

If you are intelligent the market will teach you caution and fortitude, sharpen your wits, and reduce your pride. If you are foolish and refuse to learn a lesson, it will ridicule you, laugh you to scorn, break you, and toss you on the rubbish-heap.

- Frank J. Williams

Spot on.

Synthetic Colored Diamond Market Update

I think synthetic diamonds in a variety of color ranges are catching the attention of price sensitive Indians. I hope dealers and jewelers disclose treatments and sell the stones with proper description/identification.

Useful link:
www.gjepc.org

Men’s Earrings

More and more men are wearing earrings. Sign of the times, I guess.

Bill Cunningham Viewpoint

On the Street / The Look. Shoes that make a statement is back. I liked it. Thanks Bill.

Art Market Update

Souren Melikian's viewpoints on Chinese buyers at the auction market was interesting. Stunning news, really.

Useful links:
www.christies.com
www.asia.si.edu

How To Lie With Statistics

How to Lie with Statistics by Darrell Huff is a great book that explains how experts use statistics to deceive consumers. The principles it puts forth are still valid today. Really. A must read.

L Prize

Philips is confident that the product submitted meets or exceeds all of the criteria for the L Prize.

- Rudy Provoost, Philips Lighting

Useful links:
www.lightingprize.org
www.lighting.philips.com
www.rpi.edu
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/ssl

Only a lot more time shall tell.

Maira Kalman Viewpoint

I always look forward to seeing what Maira has created. Her artwork creations are always outstanding, brilliant and inspiring. Thanks Maira.

Useful links:
www.mairakalman.com
http://kalman.blogs.nytimes.com

Random Thoughts

Our experience is that not everyone who undergoes our programme becomes an entrepreneur. The average is around 52-54%, and in states like Gujarat, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, it’s 85%. So everyone cannot do it. At one time, there was supposed to be an inverse relationship between a person’s education and his or her chances of becoming an entrepreneur. But things are now changing. In high-tech sectors like biotech and computer sciences, highly educated people have made a mark. If you have a big idea and the capability to execute it, you can be an entrepreneur. But if you have low tolerance level towards business upheavals or turbulence, entrepreneurship is not for you.

- Dinesh Awasthi
www.ediindia.org

Spot on.

Staffordshire Hoard

One-of-a-kind find, really. Check out the Anglo-Saxon treasure at the the Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery.

Useful links:
www.bmag.org.uk
www.britishmuseum.org

Room For Debate

Our spending is currently equal to the entire economies of China and India added together and then doubled.
- Fareed Zakaria
www.fareedzakaria.com

If Americans don’t start buying a lot of stuff again, can the world economy be saved? What’s the global Plan B? Check out the different viewpoints from these experts: Juliet Schor + Bernard Baumohl + Michael Pettis + Lawrence Glickman + Desmond Lachman.

Coral Conference 2009

Check out this upcoming conference on Coral in New York on October 30 - 31, 2009 at the Graduate Center, CUNY, Fifth Avenue at 34th Street.

Useful links:
www.tiffanyandcofoundation.org
www.thehenryfoundation.org
http://coralreef.noaa.gov
www.themagazineantiques.com

Chaim Even Zohar Viewpoint

Chaim's opinion piece was insightful. Gem shows bring more hype than action. More than half of the worldwide diamond jewelry retail sales are still finalized in the U.S. Hard to believe but true.

Useful links:
www.gfms.co.uk
www.diamondintelligence.com

The Art Of Deductive Observation

Amy Herman's creative thinking and unique teaching methodology was interesting.

Useful links:
www.frick.org
www.metmuseum.org
http://artfulperception.com

The Prince's Rainforests Project

There is no more important issue facing the world than the problem of carbon in the atmosphere. The rainforests are the major source of that carbon.

- Sir David Attenborough
www.davidattenborough.co.uk
www.rainforestsos.org

Random Thoughts

When compared to traditional technical and fundamental analyses, Behavioral Analysis creates significant value due to its inherent predictive--instead of reactive--nature. This is the first time this new financial theory has been applied practically to stocks, commodities and currencies. BAM was developed over a 20 years process of studying human social behavior and how it affects specific market prices. And now we want to be the first to share our predictions on Twitter to help everyone--not just hedge funds--while putting our model to the ultimate test.

- J.G. Savoldi
Behavioral Analysis of Markets
www.baminvestor.com

Another crash in 2-5 months? Not again.

The Making Of The Godfather Movie

Mark Seal's opinion piece in the Vanity Fair about the making of The Godfather movie was interesting. What a story! Really. I can't wait to see the re-release of a Hollywood masterpiece.

Global Business BBC

Peter Day shares some of the management secrets behind the WD40's top secret formula, and learns some lessons which other, much larger businesses could profit from.

Useful links:
www.wd40.com
www.interbrand.co.uk

Luke Jerram

Check out Luke Jerram's glass sculptures of deadly viruses and bacteria at The Smithfield Gallery in London.

Useful links:
www.lukejerram.com
www.thesmithfieldgallery.com

Diamond Bottle

Got US$2 million to spare? A diamond, pearl and gold Chambord Royal orb bottle, valued at more than $2 million has been unveiled in conjuction with the opening of 'Breakfast at Tiffany's,' starring Anna Friel and Joseph Cross at the Theatre Royal Haymarket London.

Useful links:
www.chambordonline.com
www.trh.co.uk

Grupo Corpo Collection

Check out H. Stern + Grupo Corpo Collection, a unique collection of jewelry pieces inspired by Grupo Corpo dance group, Brazil.

Useful links:
www.hstern.net
www.grupocorpo.com.br

Siggi Eggertsson

I really liked Siggi's high-resolution animated portfolios. Immersive. Really.

Useful links:
http://vanillusaft.com
www.bigactive.com

Green Living Technologies

Green Roofs + Green Walls. I think GLT (Green Living Technologies) has become a role model for the rest of the world. www.agreenroof.com

Shocking Ideas

The smart list via Wired was interesting. Some are controversial. Some are game-changing ideas. I hope they do the right thing.

The Valley Of The Piedra Lumbre

All the earth colors of the painter's palette are out there in the many miles of badlands.

- Georgia O'Keeffe
www.okeeffemuseum.org
www.ghostranch.org

Newsweek's Green Rankings

Check out the overall green scores of companies' based on their environmental policies, reputation, and industry-neutral metrics via Trucost.

Useful links:
http://greenrankings.newsweek.com
http://www.trucost.com/newsweek

Art Market Update

The Economist's review on Pop art collectors was brilliant.

Gursky is not simply a photographer fiddling around in Photoshop. You need to think about him as a classical painter and a master of the impossible perspective. That’s why he broke the ceiling of photography prices. When his works were selling for $100,000, I thought it was crazy, then when they hit a million, it didn’t seem so strange.
- Andrew Renton

The Israel Diamond Institute's Together Works Program

I thought IDI's (The Israel Diamond Institute) YouTube channel was interesting. Definitely an out of the box approach to promote the diamond sector. Hats off to IDI!

Useful link:
www.israelidiamond.co.il

Jewelers Ethics Association

Information. Education + mediation for consumers and the industry.

Useful link:
www.jewelersethicsassociation.com

The True Blood Jewelry Collection

Udi Behr's 'True Blood' jewelry line was intriguing. www.loveandpride.com

Symmetry

Symmetry by Hermann Weyl has great ideas addressing core issues in philosophy, math and markets. A must read.

Random Thoughts

According to the energy economist Phil Verleger, a $1 tax on gasoline and diesel fuel would raise about $140 billion a year. If I had that money, I’d devote 45 cents of each dollar to pay down the deficit and satisfy the debt hawks, 45 cents to pay for new health care and 10 cents to cushion the burden of such a tax on the poor and on those who need to drive long distances. Such a tax would make our economy healthier by reducing the deficit, by stimulating the renewable energy industry, by strengthening the dollar through shrinking oil imports and by helping to shift the burden of health care away from business to government so our companies can compete better globally. Such a tax would make our population healthier by expanding health care and reducing emissions. Such a tax would make our national-security healthier by shrinking our dependence on oil from countries that have drawn a bull’s-eye on our backs and by increasing our leverage over petro-dictators, like those in Iran, Russia and Venezuela, through shrinking their oil incomes.

- Thomas L Friedman
www.thomaslfriedman.com
www.pkverlegerllc.com

Spot on.

Precious

Precious has won the main prize at the Toronto Film Festival. It tells the story of Harlem teenager Precious, who is illiterate and expecting her second child. Don't miss.

Useful links:
www.weareallprecious.com
www.tiff.net

Random Thoughts

Publishers of all types, from news to music, are unhappy that consumers won't pay for content anymore. At least, that's how they see it. In fact consumers never really were paying for content, and publishers weren't really selling it either. If the content was what they were selling, why has the price of books or music or movies always depended mostly on the format? Why didn't better content cost more? A copy of Time costs $5 for 58 pages, or 8.6 cents a page. The Economist costs $7 for 86 pages, or 8.1 cents a page. Better journalism is actually slightly cheaper. Almost every form of publishing has been organized as if the medium was what they were selling, and the content was irrelevant. Book publishers, for example, set prices based on the cost of producing and distributing books. They treat the words printed in the book the same way a textile manufacturer treats the patterns printed on its fabrics.Economically, the print media are in the business of marking up paper. We can all imagine an old-style editor getting a scoop and saying "this will sell a lot of papers!" Cross out that final S and you're describing their business model. The reason they make less money now is that people don't need as much paper.

- Paul Graham
http://paulgraham.com

So true!

Guide To Painting

Learn how to paint. Meet your tutors. Chris Ofili. Nigel Cooke. Peter Doig. Tomoki Kashiki. Dexter Dalwood. Trenton Doyle Hancock. Yoshimoto Nara. NS Harsha. Cicily Brown. Tony Swain. Gideon Rubin. Ian Davenport. Peter Mcdonald. Emilia Izquierdo. Yun-fei Ji.

Souren Melikian Viewpoint

The success of the downmarket sales is rarely trumpeted as such by auction houses. Marketing teams don’t like to boast about how well they sell mediocrity. These sales prove beyond doubt that there is considerably more cash around, ready to be spent, even at the more modest levels of society, than is generally realized. It is all a matter of psychology, and somehow there is nothing like the competitive lottery atmosphere of an auction to whip it up.
- Souren Melikian

Useful link:
www.christies.com

Great review. Thanks Souren.

Bill Cunningham Viewpoint

On the Street / Catwalk. Fashion Week in New York was brilliant. Thanks Bill.

Why We Travel

Readers' photos via the New York Times was stunningly beautiful.

The Illusionist

I enjoyed the movie. Complex characters + superb acting. The ending was fantastic.

Useful link:
www.theillusionist.com

Montana World of WearableArt

The Montana World of WearableArt, which goes by the acronym WOW is a fabulous event. Check out the link www.worldofwearableart.com

Inspiring Thirst

Meet Kermit Lynch, winemaker, and author of Adventures on the Wine Route.

Useful links:
http://blog.kermitlynch.com
http://www.ft.com/arts/columnists/robinson
www.jancisrobinson.com

One Minute To Save The World

The great thing about a one-minute film is that it can be as pure and passionate as an idea. It does not need to be polluted by becoming an enterprise, a complexity or the desire to make it a work of art.
- Shekhar Kapur

I've jumped in front of whaling ships and gone on demos, but I realised that instead of being in a crowd of 100,000, film was the most powerful thing I could do.
- Franny Armstrong

The deadline for One minute to save the world international short film competition is October 5, 2009. www.1minutetosavetheworld.com

Thanks to Bruce Parry. http://www.bbc.co.uk/tribe/bruce

Aztec Exhibition

The latest Aztec exhibition held at the British Museum was educational and insightful. A must visit.

Useful link:
www.britishmuseum.org

Real Diamond Stories

We relied on diamonds, and they betrayed us.
- Vilas Khoyani

It is possible to pull too many diamonds out of the ground and cut and polish too many of them and try to cram them down the gullets of the American customer. It’s like making foie gras. You wind up with a very unhappy goose.
- Christopher Ellis

This wasn’t just a bubble, this was a balloon, a hot-air- balloon explosion. We were living a fairy tale for the last 10 years or so, and you can’t do that.
- Jon Bridge

We are deeply in this -- in a recession -- and it’s going to take a long time to get out of it.
- Warren Buffett

We took a cash cow and turned it into a credit pig.
- Martin Rapaport

There is a growing realization that the government won’t be able to spend at the levels it has. Everyone knows that diamonds are not forever.
- Razia Khan

People are reluctant to be seen purchasing luxury goods. Previously we relied on the feel-good factor. Now even people with the money have the feel-guilty factor stopping them from buying.
- Johann Rupert

Useful links:
www.diamondwww.com
www.gjepc.org
www.consensusadvisors.com
www.awdc.be
www.igcgroup.com
www.debswana.com
www.debeersgroup.com
www.jewelersboard.com
www.benbridge.com
www.helzberg.com
www.diamonddistrict.org
www.oroalexander.com
www.antwerpen.be
www.diamantkring.org
www.diamonds.net
www.jcklasvegasshow.com
www.vibrantgujarat.com
www.suratmunicipal.org
www.labourandemployment.gov.in
www.kimberleyprocess.com
www.afdb.org

Vo Trong Nghia

Vo Trong Nghia's beautiful/sustainable bamboo designs were brilliant and inspiring. I liked it.

Useful links:
www.votrongnghia.com
www.chi-athenaeum.org/intarch

Bioenergy Projects

The Economist report on ethanol from rubbish, the latest biofuel was interesting. I hope there will be more innovation to fuel efficiency without raising food prices globally.

Useful links:
www.epa.gov/OMS/renewablefuels
www.fulcrum-bioenergy.com
http://greenhouseintl.com
www.microfueler.com

Luxury Market Update

The Economist report on LVMH, the world’s largest luxury-goods group was insightful.

There are four main elements to our business model—product, distribution, communication and price. Our job is to do such a fantastic job on the first three that people forget all about the fourth.
- LVMH
www.lvmh.com

Useful links:
www.bernsteinresearch.com
www.bain.com

Random Thoughts

Many traders feel they need to play the market all the time. Rea­sons vary. Some crave the excitement. Others see it as a crutch to prop up their hopes. If you are out of the market, you cannot look forward to its providing financial gain.. When everything else in your life results in disappointment, the trade or invest­ment serves as something on which you can pin your hopes. In such situations, the trader or investor is using the market to compensate for his frustrations. For others, the motivation of con­stantly being in the market is nothing less than pure greed. In all these cases, the motivations are flawed so it is not surprising that the results are also.

- Martin J. Pring
www.pring.com

So true!

Open House

I thought London's annual Open House weekend where the public get a chance to see inside some of the capital's architectural gems was brilliant.

Useful link:
www.openhouse.org.uk

The Informant

Check out Steven Soderbergh's take on corporate malfeasance in modern-day America via The Informant! http://theinformantmovie.warnerbros.com

Visualization Symposium 2009

New ideas about how to make data easier to interpret and act on. Check out experts discuss new ways to connect the dots. www.zib.de/eurovis09

Installation Art

Sign of the times, I guess. More buyers are scaling back. They have become inert. It was intriguing to watch newcomers pay crazy prices to break into the art world’s inner circles to build instant credibility. Now they are in state of shock and awe. The art business is not for everyone. Really.

Useful links:
http://tanyabonakdargallery.com
www.arcangelosassolino.it
www.jamescohan.com
www.hauserwirth.com
http://inglettgallery.com
http://deitch.com
http://worldclassboxing.org
www.gagosian.com

Diamond Market Update

Greg Campbell's viewpoints on the ever-changing diamond marketplace was interesting. It's a strange business. Many do not understand the distribution pipeline and the actors in the industry. Consumers have also changed. No matter what the design/quality, first of all they’re looking for the sweet price. Period.

New Yorker Festival 2009

Meet today’s most talked-about personalities from the worlds of literature, politics, music, and film. www.newyorker.com/festival

Random Thoughts

Coke is relentlessly focused on in-store marketing and packaging. They really know how to look after the brand.

- Jez Frampton
www.interbrand.com

Spot on.

Masters Of Design 2009

Talent profiles via Fast Company = David Butler + Lisa Strausfeld +David Rockwell + David Adjaye + Alberto Alessi +

Useful link:
www.fastcompany.com/design/2009

Frankfurt Book Fair 2009

The Frankfurt Book Fair 2009 (world's biggest book fair) will take place from October 14-18, 2009. Don't miss.

Useful link:
www.buchmesse.de

The Power Of Images

Images from some of the world's finest nature and wildlife photographers will be on display at the Saatchi gallery, London on September 18/19, 2009. Don't miss.

Useful links:
www.conservation.org
www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk

D*Face

Check out Dean Stockton, also known as D*Face debut exhibit in New York. It's a mashup of superheroes, rock icons, political figures +++++

Useful links:
www.dface.co.uk
www.jonathanlevinegallery.com

Aappaluttoq Ruby Project

Check out the latest development in Aappaluttoq Ruby Project in Greenland.

Useful links:
www.mth.com
www.truenorthgems.com

Chaim Even Zohar Viewpoint

Chaim Even Zohar's viewpoint on legal rough diamond marketing issues confronting Debswana, Botswana Government, and the international rough dealers was educational and insightful.

Useful links:
www.debeersgroup.com
www.dtc.com
www.debswana.com
www.diamondintelligence.com

Global Gem Hub

According to Commerce Minister Porntiva Nakasai, the government is moving ahead with plans to make Thailand the world's trading and manufacturing hub for gems and jewelry by 2013, and extend loans to operators over the next two weeks to improve their liquidity. According to Commerce Ministry statistics, Thailand exported gems and jewelry worth US$8.27 billion or about 274 billion baht last year, a rise of 53.7% from the year before. The sector was the country's third biggest export earner, behind computers and automobiles. Let's hope for the best. Really.

Useful links:
www.bangkokgemsfair.com
www.moc.go.th

How To Define Hits And Niches

The Wharton researchers viewpoints on the Long Tail effect was interesting. The key difference between the opinion of Chris Anderson, author of The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More and the study by Wharton researchers was how they defined hits and niches. Stay tuned.

Useful links:
www.netessine.com
www.longtail.com

Souren Melikian Viewpoint

It was interesting to know that European porcelain is one of those few areas of the art market still immune from financial speculation. Thanks to Souren for the insightful report.

Useful link:
www.bonhams.com

No Marketing Money

Check out Jessie Paul's ideas and thoughts in 'No Money Marketing'. www.jessiepaul.com

Lie To Me

Lie to Me, a compelling drama series, is based on the real work of Dr Paul Ekman and the real study of body language. Don't miss.

Useful links:
www.fox.com/lietome
www.paulekman.com

Chad Hagen

I think Hagen's infographics provide a starting point for an immersive experience and it warrants real study.

Useful links:
www.chadhagen.com
www.20x200.com
www.mjt.org

Radical Innovation in Hospitality Awards 2009

Inspiring eco-friendly design concepts.

Useful links:
www.radicalinnovationinhospitality.com
www.hdboutique.com
www.pixelhotel.at
www.watg.com
www.hksinc.com
www.cagleyandtanner.com

Applied Materials

Thomas Friedman's article on Applied Materials operation was insightful. The world is on track to add another 2.5 billion people by 2050, and many will be aspiring to live American-like, high-energy lifestyles. In such a world, renewable energy — where the variable cost of your fuel, sun or wind, is zero — will be in huge demand. So true!

Useful link:
www.appliedmaterials.com

Astro Boy

Check out Imagi Studios creation, Astro Boy, a much beloved '60s Japanese anime series on the big screen on October 23, 2009.

Useful links:
www.astroboy-themovie.com
www.imagi.com.hk

Global Business BBC

Professor Simon Johnson's discussion with Peter Day on financial industry reform was educational and insightful. Let's hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

Useful link:
http://baselinescenario.com

Ipsos Mendelsohn Report 2009

Ipsos Mendelsohn's annual report on the affluents in the U.S was interesting. As always good value for money becomes more important than price. They say old habits die hard.

Useful link:
www.ipsosmediact.com

Photoatlas Of Inclusions In Gemstones, Volume 3

The third and final installment of Photoatlas of Inclusions in Gemstones a.k.a the gemstone inclusion bible is available now. A must have book for gemologists.

Useful link:
www.microworldofgems.com

New Languages Festival

Our idea is to have a few bands each night that might bring a cross-current of different listeners. It's not just a musical event. It's a party where people are listening intently.

- Aaron Ali Shaikh
www.newlanguages.org

Don't miss.

The Crimson Wing

The Crimson Wing is a beautiful movie about flamingos living on Lake Natron in Northern Tanzania. Don't miss.

Useful link:
http://disneynature.co.nz

The Capodimonte Museum

The Capodimonte is filled with masterpieces from the world famous Farnese Collection, some 800 paintings by such artists as Titian, Raphael, Masaccio and Mantegna. Caravaggio’s searing 'Flagellazione' stands out among the dramatic pictures in the Neapolitan Galleries. A must visit.

Useful link:
http://en.museo-capodimonte.it

A Perfect City

I pretty much agree with David Byrne's viewpoint. A perfect city isn't fixed, it doesn't actually exist. It's evolving and ever changing, and its laws and structure allow that to happen.

Useful link:
www.davidbyrne.com

Georgios Ignatiou

Georgiosi's honeycomb-like designed lamp made up of recycled copper rings was brilliant. I liked it.

Useful link:
www.georgiosi.com

Jim Reed

Jim Reed's extreme weather photography was stunningly beautiful. He is one-of-a-kind storm chaser.

Useful links:
www.jimreedphoto.com
www.corcoran.org

The September Issue

The documentary is on Vogue + Anna Wintour, British-American fashion editor and the editor-in-chief of American Vogue, a position she has held since 1988. Fashion is an interesting + complex business. A must see documentary. www.arp.tv

Techcrunch50 2009

Techcrunch50 has become one of the prime spots for aspiring millionaires to launch their tech startups. Check out the link www.techcrunch50.com

Pantone Fashion Color Report 2009

New York’s fashion designers encourage hopeful attitudes with lively colors, while sophisticated, grounded hues address the need for stability in times of economic uncertainty.

- Leatrice Eiseman
www.pantone.com
www.colorexpert.com

Spot on.

Rita Grosse-Ruyken

Rita Grosse-Ruyken's Rays of Light at the Museum für Angewandte Kunst was inspiring.

Useful links:
http://rita.grosse-ruyken.org
www.angewandtekunst-frankfurt.de

Middle East Film Conference

Check out the upcoming Circle Conference in Abu Dhabi, which is aimed at boosting the emirate's media industry.

Useful links:
www.film.gov.ae
www.thecircle.ae
www.meiff.com

The Museum Of Velvet Paintings

Take a peek at Caren Anderson/Carl Baldwin's marvelous collection of velvet paintings at Velveteria, the Museum of Velvet Paintings in Portland, Oregon, US.A. They have a connoisseur’s eye for this neglected art form. A must visit.

Useful link:
http://velveteria.com

Norman Borlaug

Norman Borlaug has died at his home in Dallas, Texas at the age of 95. Known around the world as the father of the Green Revolution, he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for his work to stop world hunger. May his soul rest in peace.

Useful link:
www.normanborlaug.org

Merry

Merry's designs were cute and interesting. I liked it. www.merry.es

Bill Cunningham Viewpoint

On the Street / Happy Trails. Bicyling to work. It was marvelous. Thanks Bill.

Richard Feynman's Caltech 1974 Commencement Address

The first principle is that you must not fool yourself — and you are the easiest person to fool.
- Richard P. Feynman
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Feynman

His speech still rings true today.

Random Thoughts

We learned quickly that the most important predictor of success is determination. At first we thought it might be intelligence. Everyone likes to believe that's what makes startups succeed. It makes a better story that a company won because its founders were so smart. The PR people and reporters who spread such stories probably believe them themselves. But while it certainly helps to be smart, it's not the deciding factor. There are plenty of people as smart as Bill Gates who achieve nothing. In most domains, talent is overrated compared to determination—partly because it makes a better story, partly because it gives onlookers an excuse for being lazy, and partly because after a while determination starts to look like talent.

- Paul Graham
www.paulgraham.com

Spot on.

Bill Cunningham Viewpoint

On the Street / Boiling Point. It was simply wonderful. Thanks Bill.

Anish Kapoor At The Royal Academy

Where does my art happen? It's a good question. I like that. My art is elusive, intentionally so. There's no avoiding one's own psycho-biography, it's unavoidable. The question is, where does one put the emphasis? What interests one is what an object can do rather than what it can say.

- Anish Kapoor
www.anishkapoor.com
http://royalacademy.org.uk/exhibitions/anish-kapoor

Don't miss.

African Wildlife Photography

Nick Brandt's wildlife photography was brilliant. www.nickbrandt.com

Rapaport Diamond Conference 2009

The annual Rapaport International Diamond Conference (IDC), which took place on September 10, 2009 in New York City was educational and insightful. www.diamonds.net

Useful links:
http://www.diamonds.net/news/Files/Docs/2009/9/11/Des_Kilalea.pdf
http://www.diamonds.net/news/Files/Docs/2009/9/11/christopher-ellis.pdf
http://www.diamonds.net/news/Files/Docs/2009/9/11/Rob_Broedelet.pdf
http://www.diamonds.net/news/Files/Docs/2009/9/11/Venkat.pdf
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/2136022
http://www.diamonds.net/news/NewsItem.aspx?ArticleID=27950
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/2137687
http://www.diamonds.net/news/NewsItem.aspx?ArticleID=27949
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/2137800
http://www.diamonds.net/news/Files/Docs/2009/9/11/Hertz_Hasenfeld.pdf
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/2137800
http://www.diamonds.net/news/NewsItem.aspx?ArticleID=27951
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/2137800

Jancis Robinson Viewpoint

Interesting wine review. Thanks Jancis.

Useful links:
www.jancisrobinson.com
www.ft.com/arts/columnists/robinson
www.r-w.co.uk

British Art Fair 2009

In a recession collectors are reluctant to take risks on unproven or challenging artists, and seek the reassurance of big names, works by the established icons of 20th-century British art. So exhibitors at the fair are playing safe. Spot on. As always dealers will be very keen to – well – deal.

Useful link:
www.britishartfair.co.uk

Random Thoughts

The only way to figure out how much you can spend is to know how much money you actually have.

- Marcia Tillotson
www.wellsfargoadvisors.com

Spot on.

Toothpick City

Stan Munro's Toothpick City was a brilliant work of art. Stunningly beautiful, really.

No Impact Man

Hats off to Colin Beavan. I really liked the project. Fast-life vs Slow-life movement. Living in the moment. Awareness. We're in a gigantic crisis, a difficult one. No doubt about it. The question is whether we have the collective will. Are we doing anything about it?

Useful link:
http://noimpactman.typepad.com

Pioneers Of Change

A festival of Dutch design, fashion and architecture on New York's Governors Island is to celebrate 400 years of Dutch-American friendship. Don't miss.

Useful link:
www.pioneersofchange.com

Bill Cunningham Viewpoint

On the Street / Buttoned-Down. Fashion always mirrors the time we are in. Bill was spot on.

Fabergé's New Jewelry Line

Faberge is relaunching its first high-jewelry collection since 1917. The pieces will be sold via an online flagship store, Faberge.com

Useful link:
www.pallinghurst.com

Jewelry Consumer Opinion Council Report

JCOC's research study of today's Internet jewelry consumer was interesting.

Useful link:
http://jcoc.info

Heard On The Street

I'm fascinated by financial bubbles and crashes. They have all the theatrical elements: stupidity, enthusiasm, greed, madness, drama, fear, despair, and deception.

Diamond Of Jeru

Louis L'Amour wrote many adventure stories of faraway lands. I think The Diamond of Jeru is one of the best. It's an adventure story in Borneo in search of diamonds.

Useful link:
www.louislamour.com

Tejo Remy

Tejo Remy's rag chair made from bags of recycled rags was brilliant. Art + design. I really liked it.

Useful link:

www.remyveenhuizen.nl

Random Thoughts

In a bull market, one must avoid the error of the preening duck that quacks boastfully after a torrential rainstorm, thinking that its paddling skills have caused it to rise in the world. A right-thinking duck would instead compare its position after the downpour to that of the other ducks on the pond.

- Warren Buffett
www.berkshirehathaway.com

Spot on.

Butterfly World Project

I love butterflies. Butterflies are also barometers for our environment. I have also learned a lot about colors watching butteflies. Hats off to Clive Farrell for building the world’s largest butterfly dome in St Albans, Hertfordshire. Someday I would like visit the dome to learn more.

Useful link:
www.butterfly-world.org

Jadeite And Ruby Reminder When Traveling

Please be aware of the restrictions now in place if traveling with your jadeite or ruby jewelry as found in the Tom Lantos Block Burmese JADE Act. Rubies and jadeite of non-Burmese origin are not restricted, but questions may arise upon re-entry to the U.S. from abroad.

Useful links:
www.agta.org
www.uscib.org

Creation

Creation tells the story of how Charles Darwin wrote his seminal work The Origin of Species - and familial issues.

Useful links:
http://creationthemovie.com
www.tiff.net
www.hanwayfilms.com

Crude

Joe Berlinger’s 'Crude,' is a new documentary on the terrible cost of extracting oil. The documentary also investigates local issues like cancer, contaminated water, and cultural degradation. A must see documentary.

Useful link:
www.crudethemovie.com

Enough

Enough: True Measures of Money, Business, and Life by John C. Bogle provides brilliant insights on money and values that we should treasure in busines and life. A must read.

Useful links:

http://johncbogle.com/wordpress

www.vanguard.com

Environmental Photographer 2009

Bolucevschi Vitali's picture was stunningly beautiful.

Useful link:
www.ciwem.org

Human Enhancement

Nick Bostrom's views on human enhancement — a term that is growing to include genetic, pharmaceutical and technological ways to improve our physical and mental abilities and even dramatically extend human life was interesting. If done correctly, maybe it's a good idea.

Useful links:
www.nickbostrom.com
www.fhi.ox.ac.uk
http://royalsociety.org

Shane Acker

Technology has come down to the consumer level where people can create these animations in their basements or spare bedrooms.

- Shane Acker
www.shaneacker.com

So true. Brilliant visuals. I liked it. Hats off to Shane!

Nanosolar

Competition drives innovation and cost reductions. It was interesting to learn that Nanosolar Utility Panel™ Technology has commenced its serial production. I hope the cost-efficient solar panels actually works.

Useful links:
www.nanosolar.com
www.nrel.gov

Robert Goodin's Comic Books

Robert Goodin's blog was interesting.

Useful links:
www.robertgoodin.com
http://coveredblog.blogspot.com

How To Give New Jewelry For Less

I thought Lisa Brooks-Pike's methodology was brilliant: giving the new for less. Sell only what you love or respect. It does makes sense.

Useful links:
www.stuller.com
www.colorfirst.com
www.gemni-gems.com

Luke Johnson Viewpoint

Entrepreneurs by their nature are not exactly clubbable types – they tend to be independent-minded loners, who set out to build a world of their own, apart from the crowd. Yet they are also mostly extroverts, who need regularly to socialise and swap business cards. So true. You were spot on. At the end of the day, it's all about attitude, not your bank balance or turnover.

Useful links:
www.lukejohnson.org
www.riskcapitalpartners.co.uk
www.channel4.com
www.entrepreneurial-exchange.co.uk

Big River Man

Martin Strel's documentary film, Big River Man, chronicling his swim (3300 miles of the Amazon River) was educational and inspiring. Hats off to Martin!

Useful links:
www.martinstrel.com
www.amazonswim.com
http://bigriverman.com

Alternative Energy Cost Comparisons

Try a new online tool via National Renewable Energy Laboratory (In My Backyard (IMBY). The costs to install renewable energy systems could vary greatly by location.

Useful link:
www.nrel.gov

One Good Chair Competition

Make designs open source. Anyone should be able to make it. Design globally. Manufacture locally. It's fascinating to ponder how far it could go.

Useful link:
www.onegoodchair.com

Patient-centered Design

I thought Astorino's design process in the new Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh was brilliant. I liked the concept. I also think facilitating healing through design makes sense. When you are open to listening to what the other side has to say it becomes a transformational experience.

Useful links:
www.astorino.com
www.gofathom.com
http://discoverdesignbuild.com
www.givetochildrens.org

How To Start A Bank

Peter Day's global business episode always provides unique insights into the business world. Thanks Peter.

Useful links:
www.csfi.org.uk
www.grameenfoundation.org
www.neweconomics.org
www.fairbanking.org.uk
www.essex.gov.uk
http://uk.zopa.com

A Rare Necklace

An important 19th century emerald and seed-pearl Necklace from the Lahore Treasury, reputedly worn by Maharani Jindan Kaur wife of Ranjit Singh, the Lion of the Punjab (1780–1839), is for sale in Bonhams next Indian and Islamic sale on 8th October 2009 in New Bond Street. This is an interesting piece of history.

Useful link:
www.bonhams.com

The Threadneedle Prize 2009

One of the best in contemporary painting and sculpture. The winner, from the judge’s shortlist of seven, will be decided by public vote and announced on September 14, 2009.

Useful link:
www.threadneedleprize.com

The Hywind Project

It was really interesting to watch experts apply known technology from the oil and gas industry in a completely new setting in a new industry.

Useful link:
www.statoilhydro.com

Global Volunteers

Volunteer vacations are interesting. You learn more about various cultures and help people in a deeper way than just buying their souvenirs. I think it's a unique adventure that can't be simulated.

To learn more visit www.globalvolunteers.org

The Beatles: Rock Band

I thought The Beatles Rock Band provided one of the most sociable gaming experiences ever. www.thebeatlesrockband.com

That's Why We Don't Eat Animals

I thought Ruby Roth's That’s Why We Don’t Eat Animals: A Book About Vegans, Vegetarians and All Living Things was brilliant. The book deals with the plight of animals raised for food, factory farms and environmental issues, as well as information on the rainforest and endangered animals. A must read.

Useful link:
www.wedonteatanimals.com

Assembling Bodies

Tall or short, large or small - the human body comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and that is perhaps why it has been interpreted in so many different ways. Take a tour with Anita Herle, Senior Curator for Anthropology, Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Cambridge University. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8224706.stm

The CarbFix Project

A pilot project called CarbFix was interesting. The experts are testing new ways to get rid of carbon dioxide. I hope it goes well.

Useful links:
www.or.is
www.rei.is
www.ldeo.columbia.edu
www.cnrs.fr

Stitches

A unique graphic memoir. David Small is telling it as it is.

Useful link:
http://davidsmallbooks.com

Kickstarter

A unique funding platform to raise money that captures the imagination of Internet users. Check out the link www.kickstarter.com

Reason To Believe

I thought the artwork Reason to Believe by Ronald Kodritsch was brilliant. The crowd of people wondering if the smart businessman clutching a briefcase will jump off the edge of a four-storey building in central Vienna was also a brilliant portrayal of people's state of mind. Hats off to Ronald!

Useful link:

www.kodritsch.com

Random Thoughts

About 70% of the fresh water in the world is related to agriculture. There could be more wars fought over water than over oil in this century. It may be the ultimate scarce resource. There are alternatives to oil for energy. There's no real alternative to fresh water. When that much water is going into agriculture, who better to work on the subject than us? So we are building John Deere water technologies; John Deere renewables, with our wind-power investments; John Deere landscapes; and mobile information technologies.

- Robert W. Lane
www.deere.com

So true!

George Gershwin

George Gershwin: An Intimate Portrait by Walter Rimler is a fascinating book about Gershwin's character and the twists in his fortunes. I am a huge fan of George Gershwin's work.

Useful link:
www.gershwin.com

DTC Botswana Update

Check out the new, easy to navigate DTC Botswana website, the largest diamond sorting and valuing facility in the world. www.dtcbotswana.com

Super Diamonds

Naked Science examines the history of diamonds, and sheds light on how they may change the future. Don't miss the program (National Geographic Channel, September 7, 2009).

The Campaign For Drawing

Ruskin would probably say that drawing makes you really look at things in a way that you wouldn't otherwise, and that is absolutely right. Why I also think that it is worth at least starting to draw is that you might enjoy it, and if you enjoyed it at least half as much as I have, you would be on to a good thing. A sort of revelation to me with the Campaign for Drawing was that a lot of the time you didn't have to encourage people to draw; it was sufficient to tell them they are allowed to do it, and off they go.

- Quentin Blake
www.quentinblake.com

So true!

Useful link:
www.campaignfordrawing.org

The Manhattan Couture Collection

The tale behind New York’s 11 iconic jewelry masterpieces was inspiring. Manhattan collection of jewelry comprises of both a Museum Collection and a Couture Collection. I liked it.

Useful link:
www.jewelry.com

British Library Sound Archive

The British Library has made 28,000 rare recordings available free online. The British Library Sound Archive is one of the largest sound archives in the world and holds over one million discs and 200,000 tapes. http://sounds.bl.uk

Kenya's Gem Trade

BBC Swahili service's Kenneth Mungai report about the dark underside of Kenya's precious stones trade was true. Gem mining/trading is for the thick-skinned only. You often pay a heavy price for everything.

Art Market Update

Souren Milikian's report in the New York Times on the state of the art market was spot on. Far from sagging, prices have held up during the recession. New auction records were set throughout the first half of 2009. So, newcomers might conclude, here is the dream area for investors. Sadly, there is a snag. If investment means spending cash in the hope of making a profit on the basis of careful calculation, using objective data and dependable measuring instruments, then investment is the wrong word. There are no identical units in art, because no two works are ever absolutely similar, making exact calculation impossible. So true! May be gem dealers should read the special report on investment in art (The Treacherous Lure of the Art Market, September 4, 2009, NYT).

How We Die

How We Die: Reflections on Life's Final Chapter by Sherwin B. Nuland is an insightful book about the human encounter of the dying process. Modern life is so clean and orderly, people expect to die with dignity. This may be wishful thinking. He addresses honestly mankind's greatest fear. A must read.

Open Video

Open video could be the next great wave in web innovation. David Talbot's opinion piece in Technology Review was insightful. Thanks David.

Jancis Robinson Viewpoint

The AltaTech Viticulture business model was interesting. It's an intriguing story: turning California dirt into dollars via wine. Thanks Jancis.

Useful links:
www.jancisrobinson.com
www.altatechviticulture.com

Voice-Color Project

Rafael Lozano-Hemmer's (Levels of Nothingness) interactive installation will allow people to speak into a microphone connected to a computer that can match their voices' traits, such as pitch and tone, to certain colors. It's on September 16, 2009 at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York. Don't miss.

Useful links:
www.guggenheim.org
www.lozano-hemmer.com

Cirque du Soleil

Kelly Nestruck's viewpoints on the spectacular rise of Cirque du Soleil was interesting. In my view, they are simply innovative, period.

Useful link:
www.cirquedusoleil.com

Pestival

Two experts talk about the art and mystery of tiny creatures. It was really inspiring and educational.

Useful link:
http://pestival.org

Jewelry Market

Souren Milikian's opinion piece in the New York Times made a brilliant point. The sheer pleasure taken in gazing at beautiful stones is the secret weapon that allows the jewelry market to triumph at every level. And the fact that so many buyers find it possible up and down the financial ladder to succumb to the attraction without going bankrupt suggests that the recession, devastating though it is to some, leaves essentially intact countless private fortunes, from very large to relatively small. When the glitter of a jewel makes it hard to resist temptation, money suddenly becomes available. There might be a lesson here for those who are in charge of the broader economy. So true! Thanks Souren.

Heard On The Street

Gem business is very much a people business. I need to touch and smell and feel what’s going on.

New Consumerism

I found Timothy de Waal Malefyt's (Director of cultural discoveries, BBDO) research on new consumerism in urban America intriguing. It's really amazing how new oral stories develop during recession. People are the same everywhere.

Useful links:
www.aaanet.org
www.bbdo.com/worldwide
http://www.epic2009.com/files/proceedings/EPIC2009%20DRAFT%20proceedings.pdf

Art News Update

Ann Landi's article on Van Gogh’s ear, the rise to theories, pranks, merchandise, and a host of references in culture high and low was interesting. I think Van Gogh has been in spotlight so long the so-called inspiring pranks won't go away.

Either way, in the decades since van Gogh’s suicide, in 1890, that ear has taken on a life of its own—from the lowbrow to the literary—inspiring pranks, merchandise, movies, music, album covers, stories, plays, and even YouTube videos. A Google search of “Vincent van Gogh ear” pulled up a staggering 96,900 references, ranging from a restaurant in Union, New Jersey, called Van Gogh’s Ear Café to New York Times columnist Deborah Solomon’s discovery of what she called, in 2000, “a mass-produced souvenir of artistic torment: a curvy, pinkish rubber objet described with typical eBay poetry as ‘Van Gogh’s Ear—squish it, squeeze it!’

Useful link:
www.vangoghmuseum.nl