The article highlights the perils of buying colored gemstones in Brazil. People who visit Brazil buy colored gemstones with or without product knowledge. In all gem producing countries in the world, glass and synthetic corundum are the two most frequently encountered fakes. Even experts get taken for a ride because the fakes look so good. Sometimes we are distracted by other events when buying gemstones and become victims of ‘momentary autism’.
Read on to learn more……
(via The Canadian Gemmologist, Volume XII, Number 1, Spring 1991)
Some Fake Gems On The Brazilian Market And How To Identify Them
Joachim Karfunkel, Reinhard R Wenger, Wolney Lobato writes:
Abstract
After 15 years experience in the Brazilian gem market, the authors suggest a simple ‘micro-lab’ for the detection of imitations and falsifications. Descriptions of some of the most common fakes in cut stones, rough material, and specimens for collectors are given. Simple means for distinguishing them from genuine pieces are discussed.
Introduction
Brazil, a paradise on earth for gems, is also a territory with one of the highest incidences of gem and mineral falsifications. The story of imitations or fakes in gemology is probably as old as the first uses of minerals and similar materials for personal adornment. Webster (1983) writes: “It is, however, faience, a glazed siliceous ware made in Egypt as long ago as pre-dynastic times (before 4777 B.C) which is the more important as a beginning of imitation gemstones.”
We can define imitation as any substance used as a substitute for natural gem that fails to duplicate its composition, structure, and properties. Imitations aim to replace a gem with another cheaper material, which has a similar appearance, but different physical and chemical properties. Those imitations which have the purpose of misleading are called falsifications or fakes. To this group we could also add gems that have been treated to enhance their appearance, and supposed value, but which fade or change with time. Knowledge of these treatments should not be withheld from buyers. Further information on synthetics and gemstone enhancement can be found in Nassau, 1980, 1984.
The market for imitations in Brazil is huge, since most people there can’t afford to buy genuine gemstones. Similarly a metal other than gold is frequently used for settings. Imitations may be sold as genuine, and some regard the Brazilian market as a ‘cheating’ market. We want to emphasize that most of the Brazilian stone dealers are honest. Those few who want to mislead, however, sell their wares to everybody, including friends and even relatives! The problem is increased by lack of gemological education. The basic equipment is the human eye, sometimes aided with tweezers and a loupe. Most of those who possess a polariscope, dichroscope, refractometer, or microscope, usually don’t know how to use them. They sell the stones they bought believing truly that the stones are genuine.
The Micro-Lab
Many tourists, gem dealers and collectors prefer to buy in the interior of Brazil, rather than in the capitals like Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Salvador, Fortaleza, or Porto Alegre. Obviously, it is very difficult to travel with a complete laboratory. We do not wish to imply that sophisticated equipment like refractometers, microscopes or spectroscopes is not important, but the tourist or collector often can’t afford such things, nor is it always possible to carry them in the field. Instead, we suggest a simple, cheap ‘micro-lab’ consisting of tweezers, loupe, polariscope, heavy liquid, and a hardness scale. Simple equipment can be effective when you understand how to use it.
Commercial polariscopes are usually expensive—why not build your own? Just buy a piece of Polaroid plastic and cut it into pieces about 2” square. Make a small stand (out of any kind of transparent, firm plastic), and glue the polaroid pieces on each side with the vibration directions perpendicular to each other. This polariscope may be used in the same manner as a conventional one. Place a light source (bulb, sunlight or torch) as near as possible to the polariscope. Hold the stone (rough or cut) between the filters with a hand or tweezers; rotate the stone, the polariscope or both, and observe the behavior (isotropic or anisotropic).
Heavy liquids are generally not cheap, but bromoform with a specific gravity of 2.83 at 15ºC can be acquired at relatively low cost. It should be emphasized that bromoform is a toxic substance, to be used only in a well ventilated area. Some practice is required to accurately estimate specific gravity, but the test is quick and even small stones (less than 0.5ct) may be measured accurately. The best method is by comparison: compare the rate of rise or fall of the unknown stone with that of a known one (indicator), possibly one of the specimens in the hardness scale. For example, the specific gravity of quartz is 2.65; beryl 2.7; pink tourmaline 2.05; fluorite 3.18; topaz 3.5; corundum 4.0.
You don’t need to buy a specimen for every number of hardness on the Moh’s scale. Small pieces of corundum (9), colorless topaz (8), quartz (7), feldspar (6), and apatite (5) will provide sufficient range of hardness and density. A piece of window glass, and a pocket knife are also practical. A piece of porcelain is useful to observe streak.
It may also be useful to have an ultraviolet lamp with short and long wave wavelength capabilities to detect adhesive on repaired or constructed specimens. Such a micro-lab is inexpensive and easy to carry.
Types of fakes
As the instances of fakes on the gem market are many, we can describe only a few and how they can be recognized. Imitations and fakes can be divided into three categories: cut stones, rough gem material and specimens for mineral collectors.
Fake faceted stones
Let’s look at the first group, cut and polished stones. You are probably not going to buy a Colombian emerald, an Indian spinel, or a Burma ruby in Brazil. The most common gems on the Brazilian market are topaz (blue and imperial), aquamarine, emerald, tourmaline, chrysoberyl (including cat’s eye and alexandrite), garnet (almandine and spessartine), amethyst, citrine, smoky and rose quartz, chrysoprase, agate, spodumene (variety kunzite), andalusite, sodalite, amazonite, hematite, etc. Less common are yellow beryl (heliodor), pink beryl (morganite), opal, green spodumene (hiddenite), fluorite, cordierite (iolite), kyanite, rhodochrosite, rhodonite, and apatite. More unusual gems like gahnite, petalite, scapolite, phenakite, amblygonite, brazilianite, titanite (sphene), diopside, euclase, etc and diamond will not be considered here.
On the gem market in Europe or the USA, you can find ‘well done’ imitations, sometimes difficult to detect without considerable gemological knowledge and equipment. In Brazil, however, cheap and readily available imitations such as glass, synthetic spinel, and synthetic corundum (both made by the Verneuil method) are common. Rarer are synthetic amethyst (hydrothermal), synthetic emerald (like Gilson and Chatham), synthetic corundum with a color change (Verneuil, alexandrite imitation) etc. Having a closer look at the Brazilian gems, we note that most of them are anisotropic except for garnet, which is isotropic, and agate and chrysoprase, which are cryptocrystalline varieties of quartz with a different behavior under the polariscope. The remaining opal, glass and synthetic spinel are opticall isotropic (with some anomalies). Knowing how to use the loupe and polariscope correctly, you can’t mistake these for one of the above listed gems. Almost all glasses on the Brazilian market have an S.G in the 2.52 region, and will float in bromoform. Most have an R.I around 1.52. An exception, dark violet in color, had S.G 3.18 and R.I 1.618; it sank slowly in bromoform. Don’t forget to use the loupe to look for bubbles and color distribution.
Most of the less common gems are also anisotropic, except opal (compare behavior in the literature) and fluorite. Many faceted violet fluorites were sold as amethyst in Belo Horizonte in 1986. This falsification is easily detected since fluorite is isotropic, and heavier than bromoform (3.18). Amethyst with an S.G of 2.65 floats, and is isotropic. It is much harder too, but hardness tests should not be carried out on a cut stone because they might cause damage.
Unfortunately synthetic emerald, synthetic corundum and synthetic alexandrite are not as easily distinguished from the genuine with the micro-lab, and require better equipment, including a microscope. Don’t buy ‘almost’ flawless stones with an excellent color without consulting a gemologist.
Characteristics of some glasses used as imitations
All the glasses were used to imitate gems of similar color.
Color: Violet; S.G = 2.52; R.I = 1.519; Optics = SR; 10x = Bubbles; Trace elements = Sr, Zr, Ba, La, Ce
Color: Honey yellow; S.G = 2.52; R.I = 1.518; Optics = SR; 10x = Bubbles; Trace elements = Pb, Sr, Ba, Zr
Color: Dark violet; S.G = 3.18; R.I = 1.618; Optics = SR; 10x = - ; Trace elements = Fe
Color: Medium blue; S.G = 2.52; R.I = 1.520; Optics = SR/ADR; 10x = Bubbles; Trace elements = Sr, Zr, Ba
Color: Dark blue; S.G = 2.52; R.I = 1.520; Optics = SR; 10x = - ; Trace elements = Sr, As, Sb
Color: Red yellow; S.G = 2.52; R.I = 1.518; Optics = SR; 10x = Bubbles; Trace elements = As, Se, Zr, Ba, Nd
Color: Green blue; S.G = 2.52; R.I = 1.518; Optics = SR; 10x = - ; Trace elements = Sr, Zr, Sn, Ba
Color: Emerald green; S.G = 2.52; R.I = 1.518; Optics = SR/ADR; 10x = Bubbles; Trace elements = Sr, Zr, Ba
Color: Light blue; S.G = 2.52; R.I = 1.519; Optics = SR; 10x = Bubbles; Trace elements = Sb, Zr, Sr, Ba
Note: The physical and optical properties were determined with an Eickorst refractometer, a Mettler scale, a GIA polariscope, a mineral light with short and long ultraviolet wavelengths, and Zeiss hand loupe 10x. The chemical analyses were kindly provided by Prof C Murtha and Prof R Murta (Nuclebras—Belo Horizonte) using x-ray energy spectrometry (detection limits for the above elements are 100ppm. All specimens are non-fluorescent in ultraviolet light except the red yellow glass, which weakly fluoresced a pale white in short wave UV)
Emeralds from the locality of Santa Terezinha, Goias, and those from Carnaiba/Socoto in Bahia usually have small black inclusions not seen in the synthetics (Gilson/Chatham). Only a few emeralds, some from the localities of Itabira and Nova Era, Minas Gerais, are ‘almost’ without inclusions. The prices are relatively high. So if you are offered such stones for US$200-300 per carat (one carat and larger), you can be sure that you have a synthetic in your hand.
Although corundum exists in Brazil (e.g ruby from Bahia and sapphire from Mato Grosso), the quality is very poor and usually not facetable. What generally appears on the market are Verneuil synthetic ruby and sapphire. Imitation alexandrites are frequently synthetic corundum with color change and not synthetic alexandrite. Synthetic stones of excellent quality, especially in old rings of 18 karat gold, are typically very poorly cut, and sometimes looked crooked. The old rule, ‘excellent gems have a very good cut, whereas low quality gems are poorly cut’ can be applied in this case. In larger stones, characteristic curved growth lines may be seen with the 10x loupe. Many of these stones, especially ruby, shows a very bright fluorescence with both long and short wave ultraviolet light.
Some fakes are so unexpected and simple that many buyers fail to recognize them because they don’t examine things carefully. For example, in the State of Ceara, northeast Brazil, a type of wax made from coconut (cera Carnauba) together with ink from a simple ballpoint pen is applied to white opal. The ink penetrates the opal and darkens it to simulate black opal. Examination with a 10x loupe will show concentration of the dark bluish ink along tiny crevices at the surface.
Falsifications of cat’s eye chrysoberyl may be made by irradiating asteriated quartz cabochons showing unusual strength of one of the rays. The color of the stone will turn brownish yellow, showing one strong ray only, thus imitating cat’s eye. A close look in different directions will reveal the asterism. If you are still in doubt, use the bromoform; chrysoberyl will sink whereas quartz will float.
Falsification of rough gem material
The second group, gem rough, is the easiest to detect, and there are only a few fakes on the market. Glass is commonly used to imitate tourmaline and aquamarine. In the case of tourmaline, green to bluish green glass has been fashioned into prismatic ‘crystals’ and even grooved with a saw to simulate the striations on a natural crystal. Upon magnification, these ‘striations’ appear to too regular. Other fake tourmalines are bicolored (e.g green and blue, green and red, or bright green and olive green) and often have inclusions (impurities). These are made from toy ‘marbles’, small glass spheres. Real tourmaline appears dark to almost black in the direction of the crystallographic axis (its optic axis); these will not. With the loupe it may be possible to detect bubbles in the glass and swirls of color. If there is still doubt, use the polariscope (not in the direction of the optic axis) or the bromoform. Bromoform will not distinguish between common glass and aquamarine, as both float, but tourmaline will sink. The polariscope will leave you without doubt.
Another fake on the market, already mentioned, is violet fluorite imitating amethyst. In 1986 thousands of grams of this material were sold in Belo Horizonte. Since fluorite is optically isotropic with a density of 3.18, you can detect it with either the polariscope or the bromoform. An examination with the hand loupe will show cleavage, usually in four direction(octahedral). Amethyst has no cleavage, and its hardness is 7 while fluorite’s is 4.
A different kind of falsification is exemplified by a parcel of golden beryl (heliodor), sold in the State of Paraiba in 1986. This ‘heliodor’ was nothing more than colorless beryl (goshenite) treated with a suspension of iron oxide or iron hydroxide to give it a yellowish color. A careful examination with the loupe shows that the coating is not homogenous, and you can see ‘windows’ of colorless beryl. Scratching a small piece with a knife will remove the coating.
Fake mineral specimens
The last and most difficult group to detect is mineral specimens for collectors—the variety is immense. We can divide this group into two categories: falsification strictly speaking, made out of other materials, and those using genuine minerals but glued in various ways.
For instance, pink crystal and watermelon crystal. Closer examination with the loupe is necessary to detect both falsifications The first specimen (pink crystal) consists of a sawn piece of lepidolite (a lithium mica) affixed to a matrix with powdered rubellite (red tourmaline) and cement. The striations are too regular, and with the loupe the granular structure of the coating material is obvious. Mica is also softer than tourmaline. The second example, sold in the city of Teofilo Otoni, Minas Gerais in 1973 for a very high price, simulates a watermelon tourmaline of excellent quality. The center is made from red glass. Green tourmaline, coarsely powdered, was mixed with common construction cement, and a green coating of this together with pieces of natural green tourmaline was applied around the red glass core. Here also, a close examination reveals the granular nature of the outer rim. Usually a huge tourmaline would appear very dark brown down the crystallographic c-axis (optic axis) which this fake does not. In this particular case, the polariscope will not separate glass from tourmaline, since tourmaline behaves isotropically in the direction of the optic axis. Well terminated crystals are of greater value to collectors than unterminated or broken ones. Faceted and polishing a broken end can make a crystal appear terminated. Examine suspicious crystals with the loupe. Polished areas generally look completely different from a natural crystal face. Tourmaline, aquamarine, ‘imperial topaz’, and quartz crystals are the most common minerals falsified in this manner.
The glued specimens of authentic minerals are even more difficult to detect. A specimen of scheelite and gold in matrix from the famous gold mine of Morro Velho, near the city of Belo Horizonte, was sold in 1987. A careful examination with loupe showed that the gold was glued onto the matrix. A piece of ‘canga’ (a conglomerate of naturally crushed rock particles, pebbles, and sand, with an iron oxide/hydroxide cement), with diamond and gold from the Diamantina District, Minas Gerais was seen, and both the diamond and the gold had been glued onto the specimen. Broken quartz crystals, also from the Diamantina region, are often seen glued back together. Since all three specimens do occur naturally, you have to examine the area surrounding the mineral (gold, diamond, or broken place) carefully using your loupe. A crystal or a piece of gold projecting from a crevice or a tiny cavity in the rock should arouse your suspicions.
Reaction of some adhesives to ultraviolet light
Adhesive: Araldite; Color: colorless to white; LW = white/yellowish/pink: very weak; SW = medium
Adhesive: Superbonde; Color: colorless; LW = -; SW = -
Adhesive: Silicone; Color: Colorless to white; LW = white to v.v.weak; SW = -
Adhesive: Durepox; Color: grey; LW = -; SW = -
Adhesive: Pattex Sekundenkleber (Germany); Color: colorless; LW = - ; SW = -
Adhesive: Pattex Extracola De contato; Color: white to yellowish; LW = white weak; SW = white medium
Adhesive: Bindulin Porzelankitt (Germany); Color: colorless to white; LW = violet weak; SW = violet medium
There are many adhesives on the Brazilian market, some of which are imported. Only a few of them fluoresce under ultraviolet light. More difficult to detect are those pieces like gold that are not glued, but rather forced into the matrix with a piece of wood. Examine the gold with the loupe to detect any ‘pushing marks’.
For example: Cut/polished agate with water: Magnification of the brownish/reddish point at the upper part reveals that the age was sawn, drilled with ultrasonic drill, then injected with water, and the hole closed with adhesive. Ten power magnification will show the tiny hole filled with glue, and short wave ultraviolet light shows a bright point of fluorescence.
Conclusions
Most fakes on the Brazilian gem market are easy to detect with basic gemological knowledge and the use of the suggested ‘micro-lab’. Since the number of such falsifications and their varieties is immense, we have discussed only a few typical examples. Remembering these, and imagining all possible variations, the buyer won’t be cheated or misled in most cases. For ‘almost’ flawless emerald, ruby, sapphire and alexandrite with good color and cut, it is better to consult a gemologist with more extensive equipment. Cheap imitations of these stones and the synthetic Verneuil stones are usually poorly cut.
Monday, March 12, 2007
The Magic Of Amber
By Rosa Hunger
Chilton Book Company
1979 ISBN 0-8019-6854-2
Chilton Book Company writes:
The Magic of Amber is a fascinating and popular guide to one of the world’s oldest yet least known gemstones. In fact, amber is not a ‘stone’ at all, but a fossilized resin from pine trees that grew some fifty million years ago, and it is part of its mystery and visual appeal that just a few pieces captured for eternity complete insects like flies, spiders and beetles, as well as small flowers, leaves and pieces of bark—presented now in their own miniature ‘showcase’ to be seen and studied all these years later.
But what makes amber so individual is that every piece is unique giving an infinite variety of optical effects in different lights. It is found in a wide range of colors—from the nearly black and deep ruby red, to browns, deep golds and pale yellows, greens and rarer blues, to almost white opaque ambers that resemble ivory. Add to this its warmth, lightness and almost therapeutic quality when touched, and it is small wonder that amber has been so highly prized for thousands of years and has been the object of such fine craftsmanship—particularly in the Orient, Prussia and Germany.
Rosa Hunger has spent all her working life in the amber trade, and there can be few more qualified than her to fill the lengthy gap in English works on amber. Her book is a comprehensive survey of amber from its formation in the depths of time to the latest discoveries in Lithuania and the Dominican Republic. She charts its rises and falls in fashion in the Stone and Bronze ages, Prehistoric, Roman and Medieval times, and describes the achievements of the 16th and 17th centuries—the Golden Age of amber working, the Baroque period to Victorian times and the present day. There are also chapters on rare ambers, how to distinguish amber from its imitations, its care and display, the response of writers to its beauty and the author’s recollections of her family’s trading in amber. Illustrated in both color and black and white, The Magic of Amber will prove of value to collectors, investors and dealers to amber jewelry and objects d’art—or anyone with a feeling for beautiful things, as well as filling a long term gap in the coverage of this glorious gemstone.
Chilton Book Company
1979 ISBN 0-8019-6854-2
Chilton Book Company writes:
The Magic of Amber is a fascinating and popular guide to one of the world’s oldest yet least known gemstones. In fact, amber is not a ‘stone’ at all, but a fossilized resin from pine trees that grew some fifty million years ago, and it is part of its mystery and visual appeal that just a few pieces captured for eternity complete insects like flies, spiders and beetles, as well as small flowers, leaves and pieces of bark—presented now in their own miniature ‘showcase’ to be seen and studied all these years later.
But what makes amber so individual is that every piece is unique giving an infinite variety of optical effects in different lights. It is found in a wide range of colors—from the nearly black and deep ruby red, to browns, deep golds and pale yellows, greens and rarer blues, to almost white opaque ambers that resemble ivory. Add to this its warmth, lightness and almost therapeutic quality when touched, and it is small wonder that amber has been so highly prized for thousands of years and has been the object of such fine craftsmanship—particularly in the Orient, Prussia and Germany.
Rosa Hunger has spent all her working life in the amber trade, and there can be few more qualified than her to fill the lengthy gap in English works on amber. Her book is a comprehensive survey of amber from its formation in the depths of time to the latest discoveries in Lithuania and the Dominican Republic. She charts its rises and falls in fashion in the Stone and Bronze ages, Prehistoric, Roman and Medieval times, and describes the achievements of the 16th and 17th centuries—the Golden Age of amber working, the Baroque period to Victorian times and the present day. There are also chapters on rare ambers, how to distinguish amber from its imitations, its care and display, the response of writers to its beauty and the author’s recollections of her family’s trading in amber. Illustrated in both color and black and white, The Magic of Amber will prove of value to collectors, investors and dealers to amber jewelry and objects d’art—or anyone with a feeling for beautiful things, as well as filling a long term gap in the coverage of this glorious gemstone.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Dangerous Diamonds
Read on to learn more about scandals behind the sparkle of the world's most desirable gems @
http://www.ex.ac.uk/~RDavies/arian/scandals/diamonds.html
http://www.ex.ac.uk/~RDavies/arian/scandals/diamonds.html
Diamond Smugglers Of Brazil
Here is an interesting profile of diamond smugglers of Brazil. It's educational.
Read on to learn more @ http://foreign-correspondent.blogspot.com/2006/06/diamond-smugglers-ii.html
Read on to learn more @ http://foreign-correspondent.blogspot.com/2006/06/diamond-smugglers-ii.html
Gandhi
Memorable quote (s) from the movie:
Edward R. Murrow (Shane Rimmer): The object of this massive tribute died as he had always lived - a private man without wealth, without property, without official title or office. Mahatma Gandhi was not a commander of great armies nor ruler of vast lands. He could boast no scientific achievements or artistic gift. Yet men, governments and dignitaries from all over the world have joined hands today to pay homage to this little brown man in the loincloth who led his country to freedom. Pope Pius, the Archbishop of Canterbury, President Truman, Chiang Kai-shek, The Foreign Minister of Russia, the President of France... are among the millions here and abroad who have lamented his passing. In the words of General George C. Marshall, the American Secretary of State, "Mahatma Gandhi had become the spokesman for the conscience of mankind, a man who made humility and simple truth more powerful than empires." And Albert Einstein added, "Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth."
Edward R. Murrow (Shane Rimmer): The object of this massive tribute died as he had always lived - a private man without wealth, without property, without official title or office. Mahatma Gandhi was not a commander of great armies nor ruler of vast lands. He could boast no scientific achievements or artistic gift. Yet men, governments and dignitaries from all over the world have joined hands today to pay homage to this little brown man in the loincloth who led his country to freedom. Pope Pius, the Archbishop of Canterbury, President Truman, Chiang Kai-shek, The Foreign Minister of Russia, the President of France... are among the millions here and abroad who have lamented his passing. In the words of General George C. Marshall, the American Secretary of State, "Mahatma Gandhi had become the spokesman for the conscience of mankind, a man who made humility and simple truth more powerful than empires." And Albert Einstein added, "Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth."
The Tourmaline Group
By R V Dietrich
Van Nostrand Reinhold Company
1985 ISBN 0-30-442-21857-5
Van Nostrand Reinhold writes:
Throughout history royalty, mineral collectors, and connoisseurs of colored gemstones have treasured tourmalines for their color, color patterns, durability, and natural beauty. In addition to being exquisite showpieces and gemstones, tourmalines also possess qualities—unique structure, physical properties, and chemical compositions—that have been of great interest to chemist, crystallographers, gemologists, geologists, metallurgists, pedologists and physicists, as well as to mineralogists.
The Tourmaline Group examines the features and characteristics that make tourmalines valuable to scientists and collectors alike. With scores of figures, including eight color plates, the book describes and illustrates the eight species of tourmaline comprising this mineral group and tells how the different species originate in diverse kinds of rocks.
Culling information from more than 2000 publications, the Tourmaline Group surveys such topics as:
- Symmetry and Morphological Crystallography—hemimorphism, crystal size, shape and surface features.
- Physical properties—density, hardness, elasticity, and magnetic, thermal, electrical and radioactive properties.
- Crystal structure—diagrams and easy-to-follow explanations illustrating the arrangement of constituent atoms.
- Color and Optical properties—causes of colors, processes for the enhancement of colors, and the relationship between color and other properties.
- Chemistry and Alternation—the ideal formula for each of the species, an evaluation of chemical analyses of both major and trace elements, and the stability of tourmaline under diverse temperature and pressure conditions.
- Synthesis—experiments indicating how tourmaline may be produced by man.
You will also discover how tourmaline has been used by various civilizations. Dr Dietrich traces the historical roots of tourmaline—from a possible description in Theophrastus ‘On Stones—315 B.C), through its use by the Vikings as a ‘sunstone’ navigation compass, to more recent applications in the manufacture of boric acid, in scientific and industrial instruments and in the decorative arts. And, for readers interested in aesthetics, he devotes a separate chapter exploring tourmaline’s use in jewelry art, and as exhibition pieces.
About the author
R V Dietrich has been an active editor of various mineralogical and geological journals and has been the author or co-author of more than a hundred professional papers and 10 books.
Van Nostrand Reinhold Company
1985 ISBN 0-30-442-21857-5
Van Nostrand Reinhold writes:
Throughout history royalty, mineral collectors, and connoisseurs of colored gemstones have treasured tourmalines for their color, color patterns, durability, and natural beauty. In addition to being exquisite showpieces and gemstones, tourmalines also possess qualities—unique structure, physical properties, and chemical compositions—that have been of great interest to chemist, crystallographers, gemologists, geologists, metallurgists, pedologists and physicists, as well as to mineralogists.
The Tourmaline Group examines the features and characteristics that make tourmalines valuable to scientists and collectors alike. With scores of figures, including eight color plates, the book describes and illustrates the eight species of tourmaline comprising this mineral group and tells how the different species originate in diverse kinds of rocks.
Culling information from more than 2000 publications, the Tourmaline Group surveys such topics as:
- Symmetry and Morphological Crystallography—hemimorphism, crystal size, shape and surface features.
- Physical properties—density, hardness, elasticity, and magnetic, thermal, electrical and radioactive properties.
- Crystal structure—diagrams and easy-to-follow explanations illustrating the arrangement of constituent atoms.
- Color and Optical properties—causes of colors, processes for the enhancement of colors, and the relationship between color and other properties.
- Chemistry and Alternation—the ideal formula for each of the species, an evaluation of chemical analyses of both major and trace elements, and the stability of tourmaline under diverse temperature and pressure conditions.
- Synthesis—experiments indicating how tourmaline may be produced by man.
You will also discover how tourmaline has been used by various civilizations. Dr Dietrich traces the historical roots of tourmaline—from a possible description in Theophrastus ‘On Stones—315 B.C), through its use by the Vikings as a ‘sunstone’ navigation compass, to more recent applications in the manufacture of boric acid, in scientific and industrial instruments and in the decorative arts. And, for readers interested in aesthetics, he devotes a separate chapter exploring tourmaline’s use in jewelry art, and as exhibition pieces.
About the author
R V Dietrich has been an active editor of various mineralogical and geological journals and has been the author or co-author of more than a hundred professional papers and 10 books.
Blame It On Rio
Memorable quote (s) from the movie:
Jennifer Lyons (Michelle Johnson): Will you forget me?
Matthew Hollis (Michael Caine): The minute I die.
Jennifer Lyons (Michelle Johnson): Will you forget me?
Matthew Hollis (Michael Caine): The minute I die.
Tips For Gemologists
The following text is a ‘must read’ for all gemologists—recent graduate gemologists and practicing gemologists. Thomas Chatham is well known in the gemological field of science for producing gemstones in his laboratory in the U.S for research applications and the jewelry industry. Chatham rubies, sapphires, emeralds, diamonds and other gem species are well-known in the gemological circle. Some stones are easy to identify (old samples with metallic particles and flux inclusions), while the clean stones is not that easy to detect. You really need a comparison set stones for positive identification. He is a frequent speaker at important gemological events and has generously donated samples stones to gemological institutes and students for study purposes.
Read on to learn more……
(via The Canadian Gemmologist, volume XIX, number 1, Spring, 1998):
Congratulations to the students
By Thomas H Chatham
Text of a speech given at the CGA (Canadian Gemmological Association) Graduation in Toronto, Oct 25, 1997
Tonight, you the graduates, have moved to a new level of competence. You started out as unconsciously incompetent. Rubies were red, diamond, white, and then it trailed off from there. This applies to all of us in the room contemplating brain surgery tomorrow morning. We don’t have the slightest clue.
The second stage you went through was being consciously incompetent. You wanted to know more about gemology, but couldn’t separate an agate from moldavite. You had to study to remember where the table was, the girdle, the crown, the pavilion—all these common words with brand new meanings.
Tonight you have arrived at the third stage. You are consciously competent. You practice due diligence when looking at a stone; you look in the stone, perform many physical tests, refer to technical books, and make educated conclusions. Do not go beyond this stage.
The fourth step in being unconsciously competent. This is the person who takes one look at an emerald and says, “yeah, that’s a Chatham” or “I can spot a Chatham Created Ruby across the room”. This was said by one New York dealer who lost US$25000 on this sort of competence. You only think you can do it in your sleep.
Tonight you leave here a little dangerous: soon you will be alone. No one will look over your shoulder; it’s not a grade now—it’s may be $10000! Don’t forget to remember what you learned how to do. Gemology is a lot of detective work. It’s mostly dull, punctuated by lots of self doubt. The job is getting much more tricky. There are many new technologies and treatments and new consequences for error. Public awareness has never been higher than today. People are informed. They will also sue you.
One hundred years ago, Verneuil invented the flame fusion ruby. Since that time we have invented the automobile, air travel, walked on the moon, and put a computer in every office. And people who should know better still get taken by flame fusion stones at the mines. Incredible!
Today begins your valuable education, the practical application of what you have learned. It is by far the most beneficial. Choose any field—retail sales, wholesaler, cutter, manufacturer, appraiser, or gem buyer: they all need your talents. All need updated information because every day brings new ideas, new applications and new crooks!
You must continue to learn by reading books, joining trade associations, subscribing to gemological journals, going to trade shows and attending meetings to hear talks. Some are boring, but you will find those with that tidbit of new information only by going.
I hope you are happy in whichever field you choose. They all need your help. I will leave you with these thoughts:
- Apply yourself 110%.
- Don’t take anyone’s word for it, be it a grade or identification.
- Keep learning. We are always going to produce new headaches.
- Look at progress as a bridge to the future, not as a road block.
Drive carefully, good night and congratulations!
Read on to learn more……
(via The Canadian Gemmologist, volume XIX, number 1, Spring, 1998):
Congratulations to the students
By Thomas H Chatham
Text of a speech given at the CGA (Canadian Gemmological Association) Graduation in Toronto, Oct 25, 1997
Tonight, you the graduates, have moved to a new level of competence. You started out as unconsciously incompetent. Rubies were red, diamond, white, and then it trailed off from there. This applies to all of us in the room contemplating brain surgery tomorrow morning. We don’t have the slightest clue.
The second stage you went through was being consciously incompetent. You wanted to know more about gemology, but couldn’t separate an agate from moldavite. You had to study to remember where the table was, the girdle, the crown, the pavilion—all these common words with brand new meanings.
Tonight you have arrived at the third stage. You are consciously competent. You practice due diligence when looking at a stone; you look in the stone, perform many physical tests, refer to technical books, and make educated conclusions. Do not go beyond this stage.
The fourth step in being unconsciously competent. This is the person who takes one look at an emerald and says, “yeah, that’s a Chatham” or “I can spot a Chatham Created Ruby across the room”. This was said by one New York dealer who lost US$25000 on this sort of competence. You only think you can do it in your sleep.
Tonight you leave here a little dangerous: soon you will be alone. No one will look over your shoulder; it’s not a grade now—it’s may be $10000! Don’t forget to remember what you learned how to do. Gemology is a lot of detective work. It’s mostly dull, punctuated by lots of self doubt. The job is getting much more tricky. There are many new technologies and treatments and new consequences for error. Public awareness has never been higher than today. People are informed. They will also sue you.
One hundred years ago, Verneuil invented the flame fusion ruby. Since that time we have invented the automobile, air travel, walked on the moon, and put a computer in every office. And people who should know better still get taken by flame fusion stones at the mines. Incredible!
Today begins your valuable education, the practical application of what you have learned. It is by far the most beneficial. Choose any field—retail sales, wholesaler, cutter, manufacturer, appraiser, or gem buyer: they all need your talents. All need updated information because every day brings new ideas, new applications and new crooks!
You must continue to learn by reading books, joining trade associations, subscribing to gemological journals, going to trade shows and attending meetings to hear talks. Some are boring, but you will find those with that tidbit of new information only by going.
I hope you are happy in whichever field you choose. They all need your help. I will leave you with these thoughts:
- Apply yourself 110%.
- Don’t take anyone’s word for it, be it a grade or identification.
- Keep learning. We are always going to produce new headaches.
- Look at progress as a bridge to the future, not as a road block.
Drive carefully, good night and congratulations!
Turquoise Trivia
(via Lapidary Journal) Annie Osburn writes:
Turquoise is one of the oldest known gem materials, and was mined in the Sinai Peninsula before the 4th millennium B.B. Its allure caught the eye of ancient Egyptians, Mayans, and Aztecs, who took to mining the gemstone. In ancient Mexico, turquoise was reserved for the gods and not worn by mere mortals. Apache Indians believed turquoise gave warriors and hunters better aim; the Zuni believed it protected them from demons; and Tibetans have carved it into ritual objects and worn it as traditional jewelry.
“Turquoise is supposed to bring you good luck,” says Bruce McGee, Director of Retails Sales at The Heard Museum, a leader in Native American art collections located in Phoenix, Arizona. McGee, whose father was a trader in the Four Corners area, grew up literally surrounded by Navajo and Hopi culture. “In the old trading days, among Navajo women turquoise was a sign of wealth. The more wealthy ones had large sets of beads, large bracelets, and collar pins on their velveteen blouses. When I was young, I remember seeing belt buckles and chunk necklaces worn by the medicine men, and horse halters with turquoise and silver that were so large you couldn’t even afford to make something like that anymore.”
Turquoise is one of the oldest known gem materials, and was mined in the Sinai Peninsula before the 4th millennium B.B. Its allure caught the eye of ancient Egyptians, Mayans, and Aztecs, who took to mining the gemstone. In ancient Mexico, turquoise was reserved for the gods and not worn by mere mortals. Apache Indians believed turquoise gave warriors and hunters better aim; the Zuni believed it protected them from demons; and Tibetans have carved it into ritual objects and worn it as traditional jewelry.
“Turquoise is supposed to bring you good luck,” says Bruce McGee, Director of Retails Sales at The Heard Museum, a leader in Native American art collections located in Phoenix, Arizona. McGee, whose father was a trader in the Four Corners area, grew up literally surrounded by Navajo and Hopi culture. “In the old trading days, among Navajo women turquoise was a sign of wealth. The more wealthy ones had large sets of beads, large bracelets, and collar pins on their velveteen blouses. When I was young, I remember seeing belt buckles and chunk necklaces worn by the medicine men, and horse halters with turquoise and silver that were so large you couldn’t even afford to make something like that anymore.”
Jade
By J P Palmer
Spring Books, London
1967
Spring Books writes:
Jade: valued above all other precious stones by the Chinese, fought for by the Maoris of New Zealand and offered as gifts to the conquering Spaniards by the Aztecs of Mexico, this rare and valuable mineral has a long and controversial history which spans 4000 years and five continents.
Jade, which was claimed as a cure for kidney disease by the Spaniards and buried in graves by the Chinese (who believed in imparted immortality), is known today mostly as jewelry in the familiar ‘jade green’.
But illustrated in this book, jade is seen to range from darkest grey green to purest white, blue, brown, pink and gold. So hard and so difficult to work, jade is shown here carved into a multiplicity of objects—jewelry, weapons, bowls and vases—depicted in all the richness and variety of its many colors.
J.P Palmer, as Assistant Keeper at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, has provided a comprehensive introduction to the fascinating story of jade—what it is, where it came from, how it was carved and how it was used.
Glowing and translucent with reflected light, jade is endowed with the special quality, peculiar to this beautiful stone, of combining gem hardness with delicacy; fragility with impressive strength. It is unique. In the 54 full color plates more than 80 works of art are illustrated and there are eight black and white illustrations.
Spring Books, London
1967
Spring Books writes:
Jade: valued above all other precious stones by the Chinese, fought for by the Maoris of New Zealand and offered as gifts to the conquering Spaniards by the Aztecs of Mexico, this rare and valuable mineral has a long and controversial history which spans 4000 years and five continents.
Jade, which was claimed as a cure for kidney disease by the Spaniards and buried in graves by the Chinese (who believed in imparted immortality), is known today mostly as jewelry in the familiar ‘jade green’.
But illustrated in this book, jade is seen to range from darkest grey green to purest white, blue, brown, pink and gold. So hard and so difficult to work, jade is shown here carved into a multiplicity of objects—jewelry, weapons, bowls and vases—depicted in all the richness and variety of its many colors.
J.P Palmer, as Assistant Keeper at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, has provided a comprehensive introduction to the fascinating story of jade—what it is, where it came from, how it was carved and how it was used.
Glowing and translucent with reflected light, jade is endowed with the special quality, peculiar to this beautiful stone, of combining gem hardness with delicacy; fragility with impressive strength. It is unique. In the 54 full color plates more than 80 works of art are illustrated and there are eight black and white illustrations.
Friday, March 09, 2007
215-carat Letseng Diamond
The Antwerp World Diamond Centre (ADWC) has announced the sale of a 215-carat D-color diamond at the Letseng Diamond Tender to Belgian-based Omega Diamonds at $38000 per carat. It is a big stone, and now the master cutter will have to study carefully the size and shape of the rough to produce a masterpiece.
In order to facilitate diamond trade, Letseng Tenders are held monthly by WWW International Diamond Consultants. Letseng mine is well known for its large size and unique quality diamonds.
In order to facilitate diamond trade, Letseng Tenders are held monthly by WWW International Diamond Consultants. Letseng mine is well known for its large size and unique quality diamonds.
Sabrina
Memorable quote (s) from the movie:
The Professor (Marcel Hillaire): Bonjour, mesdames et monsiuers. Yesterday we have learned the correct way how to boil water. Today we will learn the correct way how to crack an egg. Voila! An egg. Now, an egg is not a stone; it is not made of wood, it is a living thing. It has a heart. So when we crack it, we must not torment it. We must be merciful and execute it quickly, like with the guillotine.
The Professor (Marcel Hillaire): Bonjour, mesdames et monsiuers. Yesterday we have learned the correct way how to boil water. Today we will learn the correct way how to crack an egg. Voila! An egg. Now, an egg is not a stone; it is not made of wood, it is a living thing. It has a heart. So when we crack it, we must not torment it. We must be merciful and execute it quickly, like with the guillotine.
How To Buy Colored Stones In Sri Lanka
The article written by Donald Couglin on gemstone buying experiences in Sri Lanka is true. It’s the same experience (s) at all gem producing countries in Asia, Africa, and South America. There are endless variations but the content (s) is pretty much the same. If you are not aware or properly trained it’s like two blind walking the street. In order to enjoy the experience (s) you need to have good knowledge on gemstone treatment, synthetics, imitations, assembled gemstones, local traditions, trading practices and good social skills + accumulated luck. You must find a way to become a likable person. It's hard to explain why people like or dislike you, but the concept can make a big difference in Asia, Africa and South America. Even with all the knowledge in the world you may not be able to buy gemstones effectively if the sellers dislike you for unknown reasons. Train yourself to learn the skill. It's an art.
Read on to learn more……..
Sri Lanka: A Gemstone Buyer’s Dream
(via The Canadian Gemmologist, volume XV, Spring, 1994, number 1) Donald Coughlin writes:
It is hard to imagine a more fascinating and interesting country for a gemstone enthusiast to visit. Whether the visitor is a lapidarist, gemologist, jeweler, or hobbyist, Sri Lanka has all one can ask for. This is a photographer’s paradise.
Sri Lanka, still fondly called Ceylon by many inhabitants, is an island lying off the southern tip of India. Filled with color, excitement, friendliness, folk lore and superstition, Sri Lanka is the Pearl of Southeast Asia. Languages are primarily Tamil and Sinhala; English is often spoken and understood in all major tourist areas. In gemstone mining areas, the man on the street knows little English, but tries hard. You should be patient when they misunderstand you.
Various reports claim much of the country’s surface has gemstone minerals beneath it. These are easy to believe, because there is no apparent sign of gem shortages despite centuries of mining.
Very little in Sri Lanka compares with the Western world, and that includes customs and traditions that are often directly related to Astrology. Every lunar month there is “Poya” day, a national Buddhist holiday when most businesses are closed.
Before a visit, I would strongly recommend that you read a guidebook to learn about climate, customs, tourism, etc.
Where, And When To Shop
There are hundreds of gemstone shops sprinkled throughout Sri Lanka. Some are elegant (luxury hotels and museums), while others may be small and unassuming. Normally one’s purse dictates which sort of shop to deal with.
Generally, gem dealers are courteous, friendly, and helpful. They rarely get offended when a customer walks out without buying. Apart from the shops, and a great deal more fun, are the street gemstone hawkers of Ratnapura and other mining towns.
Once you arrive at Ratnapura (Ratna means gems; pura means area), there are many things the visitor should be aware of before stepping into the unknown. The following information will help you:
What Instruments Do I Need?
When visiting a “Pola” (a street auction where all the action is), you will want to carry only a few gem testing instruments such as:
- 10x lens or loupe
- small diffraction grating spectroscope
- dichroscope
- tweezers
- sewing machine oil in a small dispenser; ideal for checking rough stones for asterism or chatoyancy
- Chelsea filter
- pen light; as strong as possible, with spare batteries
- a portable polariscope or 49-mm polarizing lens
- pocket sized calculator
Basic Rules For Shopping
Keep your sense of humor
This is most important and therefore heads the list. Sri Lankans enjoy a good laugh, and often local men laugh at you for no apparent reason. You should not take offence, and understand that they have a completely different mentality to yours and they do not mean to offend you. Whether laughing with you, or at you, try to take it in a good natured way.
The same thing works in reverse, you can laugh at them for whatever the reason, and they enjoy the joke. Depending on how you view it, this sort of laughter can be quite refreshing when compared with our often exaggerated western sensitivities.
Guard your money
Do not flash your money around. Carry only small bills and plenty of small change, and only the amount you intend to spend.
Keep calm
Do not let yourself lose your cool. These peddlers hound you to death, about 50 of them pressing in on all sides, and you must remain calm. Agitation only makes things worse, and there is a strong likelihood that poor judgment will result on your part. Just make it clear to them that they must back off or you will no longer discuss gemstones with them. Eventually they get the hint.
Know what you want
Decide in advance whether you will purchase cut stones, or rough. It is illegal to export rough stones from Sri Lanka. However, this should not prevent you buying some (particularly if you are a lapidarist and know a good stone when you see one). You can then take it to any established shop dealer who will be pleased to cut it for you at a low cost.
Bargain
Always bargain, even if a shopkeeper insists he has fixed, or unbeatable prices. I have yet to see a dealer let me walk out of his shop reconsidering his fixed rules. Many dealers in Sri Lanka, whether in first-class hotels or gemstone shops, have as much as 30% mark up on their gemstones. Up to 20% of that is for the touring guide or agent, while 10% may be tacked on for discount purposes. Foreigners often receive advice to refuse any purchase not accompanied by a discount. If you are unaccompanied, then you should deduct 30% and even more to set a bargaining plateau.
Buyer beware
When you have agreed upon a price, you cannot, ever, change your mind. To change your mind after you have made a fixed offer is unethical, and not playing the game. If this happens (and it did to me), you will find many stern and angry faces closing in—quite frightening to uninitiated. Don’t worry, they will never hurt you and are teaching you a lesson, but your popularity has dropped considerably.
Agreeing on a price
The hawker is offering his blue sapphire (cut or rough) for the bargain price of 12000 rupees. You like the stone, so you may feel you should start bargaining at 4000. Watch it. You will feel ill should the dealer immediately accept that figure. The streetwise shoppers offer under 4000. This leaves the door open, and if the seller agrees, then you start working on a lower figure.
The Sinhalese way of indicating yes
Many foreigners are confused when the seller shakes his head in a curious wobbling manner much as we indicate no in Western countries. This delightful and unusual mannerism means yes in Sri Lanka. When I first experienced this peculiarity, I raised the price under the assumption I had made too low an offer. The laughter among the hawkers was sure sign that I was not the first to make this mistake.
Synthetics and imitations
If the price seems too low for such a high quality stone, it is likely the stone is synthetic. Test it if you the necessary instruments, or refuse it. Because of greed and excitement one can become incredibly stupid. For example, you think you have spotted a rare stone and in haste to get away and admire the steal you throw commonsense to the wind. Sad to say, you forget to check the stone; and sadder still, you may even forget to bargain. I know from experience.
I sometimes buy synthetics and imitations for study purposes, but only for the price of cutting. When you spot a desirable specimen, you can offer possibly rupees 50-100 per carat. Pit glasses are attractive and worth collecting.
Bear in mind
More often than not, local gemstone dealers (as in most other countries) know little about gemology. This is a great advantage to the intrepid buyer trained in identification techniques. It is shocking to see how many honest dealers unknowingly peddle synthetic stones.
One dealer situated in a five star hotel, claimed he had to certified rare stones (ekanite and taaffeite) for sale. I checked and found the certificates did not match the stones in question—even the colors were wrong. I brought my portable refractometer and showed him that he had a diopside and a normal blue spinel. He was the victim of a switch deal.
Rare stones
When you spot a rare stone, and obviously the seller is not aware of it, but it. Do not let your conscience bother you too much in this grey area. Dealers are businessmen, and it is obvious that their consciences are at rest when they grossly inflate their prices on the unaware tourist. You can make an excellent purchase, e.g. a beautiful spessartite garnet as a hessonite for only a couple of dollars, or a very rare taaffeite represented as a blue spinel for a similar amount.
Things are not always what they appear to be: For example, local descriptions of gemstones differ from textbooks. A tourmaline parcel is a stone paper filled with a mixed variety of stones with few (if any) tourmalines in it. Many peddlers call colored stones tourmaline, and the inexperienced buyer often believes these are all different shades of that variety. Normally these parcels consist of green metamict zircon, almandine and hessonite garnets, spinel, diopside, quartz varieties, and glasses. However on occasion a sharp eye will spot the odd chrysoberyl and rare stones such as sinhalite, kornerupine, taaffeite, ekanite, etc.
Quartz varieties (smoky, citrine, and rock crystal) are called topaz (in English). The dealers are not intentionally misleading you (though such a possibility exists), but to them topaz is English for quartz.
Have your stone certified
If a gemstone is expensive and you doubt its authenticity, insist that you want the stone certified by the State Gem Corporation of Sri Lanka (free of charge without certificate, minimal charge with one), or other qualified agency, before you make full payment. The street hawkers usually work for a mine or shop owner, so are probably paid on a commission basis. Some may be pit workers who manage to find sapphires and rubies while out jogging, or perhaps the stones fell off a truck.
Insist that your man take you to his master, or bring him to you, and request the necessary certification. This applies to shop dealers and street hawkers alike, but only for expensive stones. The dealer will deliver both stone and certificate to your hotel room if he is sincere. Should the stone turn out to be synthetic, you may not see the dealer again unless he has an alternative stone of equal value on hand. (I understand the Gem Corporation will destroy the synthetic—much to the dealer’s dismay).
Cutting
Pay close attention to the cut of a stone. Sri Lanka has excellent lapidarists, but unfortunately many intentionally turn out poorly cut stones to gain maximum weight and/ or color. Star stones and cat’s eyes are usually cut with crown showing excellent asterism/chatoyancy, but with the base left rough and uneven.
Do not disregard badly cut stones, but bargain hard and have them recut. Take into account the number of carats you may lose and of course the cost per carat. You can double or triple the value of most stones by recutting.
Sri Lanka must be one of the most exciting countries in the world for gemstone enthusiasts, and the above is only an enticing morsel of the great gemstone experience. Sri Lankan tourism is priceless and must be taken advantage of. The sights, natural beauty, are unparalleled (and I have 38 years of travel behind me for comparison).
Harshad R Mehta + Rosy Blue
Here is an inspiring profile of Harshad R Mehta and Rosy Blue, from modest business to one of the biggest diamond companies in the world. In the trade circle he is also known as the Diamond King.
Read on to learn more about Harshad Mehta @ http://archive.gulfnews.com/friday/People/10107947.html
It was educational + the rise to top is a good learning curve for beginners in the industry—Understanding Diamond Business 101 to Advanced.
Read on to learn more about Harshad Mehta @ http://archive.gulfnews.com/friday/People/10107947.html
It was educational + the rise to top is a good learning curve for beginners in the industry—Understanding Diamond Business 101 to Advanced.
The Lizzadro Collection
By Miriam Anderson Lytle
John Racila Associates, Inc
1982 Library of Congress Catalog number: 82-099930
John Racila Associates writes:
Climb to the mountain retreat of an ancient Buddhist monk. Peer into this Chinese hermit’s cave; observe him in his solitude and contemplation.
View a Chinese goddess—elegant and regal—yet beneficent, warm, welcoming; bestowing blessings on all who revere her.
Closely examine the sinuous rhythmically flowing form of a pair of graceful cranes captured forever in gray-green jadeite.
Marvel at the sight of a ceremonial dish hand carved from stone as thin and translucent as the finest porcelain.
The Lizzadro collection is wonderfully complete representation of the complex art form that is hard stone carving. This book is a presentation that reveals the beauty and symbolism of many fine Chinese carvings, as well as the magnificent utilization of the natural coloring and pattern in the materials used. The pieces selected well represent the amazing skill and creativity of many generations of Chinese artisans.
Through close up photography and enlarged views, this book brings into sharp focus subtle details that may take many hours of careful observation to reveal. The text instills the reader with a sense of the romance, poetic soul and heritage of Chinese culture, and gives knowledge of its great contribution to history. The breathtaking photographs and informative text are full of inspiration for the art connoisseur, the lapidary, the geologist, the engraver, the student of China, or any person interested in gaining an understanding of this intricate art form.
This book further serves as a celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the founding of the museum that houses the phenomenal Lizzadro collection. Located in Elmhurst, Illinois, the Lizzadro Museum came into being out of the late Joseph Lizzadro’s philanthropic desire to share his appreciation of this special art form. This legacy continues to this day under the guidance of John S Lizzadro, director, and the help of the family whose hope is ‘to share with others our enjoyment of the eternal beauty in gemstones and our appreciation of the art with which man has complemented the work of nature’.
John Racila Associates, Inc
1982 Library of Congress Catalog number: 82-099930
John Racila Associates writes:
Climb to the mountain retreat of an ancient Buddhist monk. Peer into this Chinese hermit’s cave; observe him in his solitude and contemplation.
View a Chinese goddess—elegant and regal—yet beneficent, warm, welcoming; bestowing blessings on all who revere her.
Closely examine the sinuous rhythmically flowing form of a pair of graceful cranes captured forever in gray-green jadeite.
Marvel at the sight of a ceremonial dish hand carved from stone as thin and translucent as the finest porcelain.
The Lizzadro collection is wonderfully complete representation of the complex art form that is hard stone carving. This book is a presentation that reveals the beauty and symbolism of many fine Chinese carvings, as well as the magnificent utilization of the natural coloring and pattern in the materials used. The pieces selected well represent the amazing skill and creativity of many generations of Chinese artisans.
Through close up photography and enlarged views, this book brings into sharp focus subtle details that may take many hours of careful observation to reveal. The text instills the reader with a sense of the romance, poetic soul and heritage of Chinese culture, and gives knowledge of its great contribution to history. The breathtaking photographs and informative text are full of inspiration for the art connoisseur, the lapidary, the geologist, the engraver, the student of China, or any person interested in gaining an understanding of this intricate art form.
This book further serves as a celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the founding of the museum that houses the phenomenal Lizzadro collection. Located in Elmhurst, Illinois, the Lizzadro Museum came into being out of the late Joseph Lizzadro’s philanthropic desire to share his appreciation of this special art form. This legacy continues to this day under the guidance of John S Lizzadro, director, and the help of the family whose hope is ‘to share with others our enjoyment of the eternal beauty in gemstones and our appreciation of the art with which man has complemented the work of nature’.
Diamond Cutting
Here is a comparison of some cutting times for round and fancy diamond shapes:
Round brilliant: 2-4 hours
Oval shape: 8-10 hours
Marquise shape: 12 hours
Emerald shape: 14-16 hours
Round brilliant: 2-4 hours
Oval shape: 8-10 hours
Marquise shape: 12 hours
Emerald shape: 14-16 hours
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Fatal Rapid Sight Gemstone Buying Syndrome
When you spend more than you can afford to lose….That’s Fatal Rapid Sight Gemstone Buying Syndrome. Most people go overseas with the fantasy of buying a beautiful gem / jewel at a bargain price. But the fact of the matter is you are buying gemstones / jewelry about which you know next to nothing for lot of money from a stranger thousands of miles from home who comes from a culture with a long tradition of trading. Who has the advantage? Do you know about treatments, synthetics, imitations, assembled gems? Do you really know how to identify them? Not really. I would like to use a catchphrase from Malcolm Gladwell to highlight the experience: Momentary Autism. It's really amazing. It happens.
Double Indemnity
Memorable quote (s) from the movie:
Barton Keyes (Edward G Robinson): You know, you, uh, oughta take a look at the statistics on suicide some time. You might learn a little something about the insurance business.
Edward S. Norton (Richard Gaines): Mister Keyes, I was raised in the insurance business.
Barton Keyes (Edward G Robinson): Yeah, in the front office. Come now, you've never read an actuarial table in your life, have you? Why they've got ten volumes on suicide alone. Suicide by race, by color, by occupation, by sex, by seasons of the year, by time of day. Suicide, how committed: by poison, by firearms, by drowning, by leaps. Suicide by poison, subdivided by types of poison, such as corrosive, irritant, systemic, gaseous, narcotic, alkaloid, protein, and so forth. Suicide by leaps, subdivided by leaps from high places, under the wheels of trains, under the wheels of trucks, under the feet of horses, from steamboats. But, Mr. Norton: Of all the cases on record, there's not one single case of suicide by leap from the rear end of a moving train. And you know how fast that train was going at the point where the body was found? Fifteen miles an hour. Now how can anybody jump off a slow-moving train like that with any kind of expectation that he would kill himself? No, no soap, Mr. Norton. We're sunk, and we'll have to pay through the nose, and you know it.
Barton Keyes (Edward G Robinson): You know, you, uh, oughta take a look at the statistics on suicide some time. You might learn a little something about the insurance business.
Edward S. Norton (Richard Gaines): Mister Keyes, I was raised in the insurance business.
Barton Keyes (Edward G Robinson): Yeah, in the front office. Come now, you've never read an actuarial table in your life, have you? Why they've got ten volumes on suicide alone. Suicide by race, by color, by occupation, by sex, by seasons of the year, by time of day. Suicide, how committed: by poison, by firearms, by drowning, by leaps. Suicide by poison, subdivided by types of poison, such as corrosive, irritant, systemic, gaseous, narcotic, alkaloid, protein, and so forth. Suicide by leaps, subdivided by leaps from high places, under the wheels of trains, under the wheels of trucks, under the feet of horses, from steamboats. But, Mr. Norton: Of all the cases on record, there's not one single case of suicide by leap from the rear end of a moving train. And you know how fast that train was going at the point where the body was found? Fifteen miles an hour. Now how can anybody jump off a slow-moving train like that with any kind of expectation that he would kill himself? No, no soap, Mr. Norton. We're sunk, and we'll have to pay through the nose, and you know it.
Chinese Jades From Han To Ch’ing
By James C Y Watt
The Asia Society, Inc
1980 ISBN 0-87848-057-9
The Asia Society writes:
According to Chinese reckoning there are five colors of jade: red, yellow, white, black and green. A traditional description specifies the best colors as red as a coxwomb, yellow as steamed chestnuts, white as congealed fat, black as lacquer.
In China, jade has always had powerful ritual and symbolic significance. From the earliest times jade carvings were placed in tombs to serve as protective talismans, and Confucian scholars later attributed to the stone all the virtues of the ideal man in an ideal state. But the Chinese have been equally attracted by the physical properties of this tough, lustrous stone, giving to many small pieces the name as ‘pa wan’, hold and enjoy.
The jades assembled here, dating from the second century B.C to the nineteenth century A.D, exemplify some of the highest achievements of the jade carver’s art, and also highlight the problems that beset scholars and collectors who study these objects. Although much has been written on the archaic jades of the Shang and Chou dynasties (1523-256 B.C), the jades of later periods have received comparatively little attention. For the most part these pieces are heirlooms, passed from generation to generation and collector to collector. Archaeological finds and historical records have provided a few clues, but questions of dating, evolution of style, and the use and significance of particular pieces are often exceedingly difficult to answer.
In this volume James Watt explores specific areas in the later history of Chinese jades. He has selected certain ‘themes’, such as the evolution of the animal style or the taste of a small group of scholar gentry, and draws on recent archaeological discoveries, comparisons with other decorative arts, and traditional methods of connoisseurship to place these objects in their proper context. Over 200 examples from distinguished collections in Hong Kong and the United States are illustrated (11 in full color) and discussed in detail.
A specialist in Chinese Art, James Watt is the foremost authority on jades of the Han and succeeding dynasties.
The Asia Society, Inc
1980 ISBN 0-87848-057-9
The Asia Society writes:
According to Chinese reckoning there are five colors of jade: red, yellow, white, black and green. A traditional description specifies the best colors as red as a coxwomb, yellow as steamed chestnuts, white as congealed fat, black as lacquer.
In China, jade has always had powerful ritual and symbolic significance. From the earliest times jade carvings were placed in tombs to serve as protective talismans, and Confucian scholars later attributed to the stone all the virtues of the ideal man in an ideal state. But the Chinese have been equally attracted by the physical properties of this tough, lustrous stone, giving to many small pieces the name as ‘pa wan’, hold and enjoy.
The jades assembled here, dating from the second century B.C to the nineteenth century A.D, exemplify some of the highest achievements of the jade carver’s art, and also highlight the problems that beset scholars and collectors who study these objects. Although much has been written on the archaic jades of the Shang and Chou dynasties (1523-256 B.C), the jades of later periods have received comparatively little attention. For the most part these pieces are heirlooms, passed from generation to generation and collector to collector. Archaeological finds and historical records have provided a few clues, but questions of dating, evolution of style, and the use and significance of particular pieces are often exceedingly difficult to answer.
In this volume James Watt explores specific areas in the later history of Chinese jades. He has selected certain ‘themes’, such as the evolution of the animal style or the taste of a small group of scholar gentry, and draws on recent archaeological discoveries, comparisons with other decorative arts, and traditional methods of connoisseurship to place these objects in their proper context. Over 200 examples from distinguished collections in Hong Kong and the United States are illustrated (11 in full color) and discussed in detail.
A specialist in Chinese Art, James Watt is the foremost authority on jades of the Han and succeeding dynasties.
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
DNA Tracking
Read on how seal penises, elephant dung and smashed ivory are helping geneticists pinpoint the poaching of protected species @ http://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=8770177
Decoding Color
(via Lapidary Journal) Terri Haag writes:
The Zulu love letter (iNcwadi Kuthanda) are messages woven in beads by Zulu girls to send to their beloveds. Some of the messages are rather tart, so perhaps the term love letters is a bit euphemistic. Pointed reminders might be more accurate. One suspiciously tourist-oriented source lists the following meaning for the colors used:
White: This is the color of purity, vision, and love itself.
Black: I have turned pitch black as the rafters of the hut as I hear you have another lover.
Blue: If I were a dove I would fly to your home and pick up food at your door.
Pink: You should work harder to get lobola (bride price money paid by a male suitor to his would-be father in law) and not gamble and waste your money.
Green: I have become thin like the sweet cane in a damp field and green as first shoots of trees because of my love for you.
Red: My heart bleeds and is full of love.
Another source is certainly more comprehensive:
There are seven colors used and every color except white has to meanings, one positive, one negative. White (iThambo/bone) is always positive and always represents purity and spiritual love. When a color is used beside white it carries the positive meaning. For instance, a white hand beside a blue band denotes fidelity and often means the person is engaged.
Black: iStimane/shadow
Positive = marriage, rebirth
Negative = death, sadness
Blue: iJubal/dove
Positive = faithfulness
Negative = hostility, dislike
Yellow: iNcombo/young corn
Positive = wealth, garden
Negative = badness, thirst, withering
Green: uKuhlaza/new grass
Positive = contentment
Negative = discord, illness
Pink:
Positive = promise, high status
Negative = poverty, laziness
Red:
Positive = love, strong emotion
Negative = anger, heartache
The Zulu love letter (iNcwadi Kuthanda) are messages woven in beads by Zulu girls to send to their beloveds. Some of the messages are rather tart, so perhaps the term love letters is a bit euphemistic. Pointed reminders might be more accurate. One suspiciously tourist-oriented source lists the following meaning for the colors used:
White: This is the color of purity, vision, and love itself.
Black: I have turned pitch black as the rafters of the hut as I hear you have another lover.
Blue: If I were a dove I would fly to your home and pick up food at your door.
Pink: You should work harder to get lobola (bride price money paid by a male suitor to his would-be father in law) and not gamble and waste your money.
Green: I have become thin like the sweet cane in a damp field and green as first shoots of trees because of my love for you.
Red: My heart bleeds and is full of love.
Another source is certainly more comprehensive:
There are seven colors used and every color except white has to meanings, one positive, one negative. White (iThambo/bone) is always positive and always represents purity and spiritual love. When a color is used beside white it carries the positive meaning. For instance, a white hand beside a blue band denotes fidelity and often means the person is engaged.
Black: iStimane/shadow
Positive = marriage, rebirth
Negative = death, sadness
Blue: iJubal/dove
Positive = faithfulness
Negative = hostility, dislike
Yellow: iNcombo/young corn
Positive = wealth, garden
Negative = badness, thirst, withering
Green: uKuhlaza/new grass
Positive = contentment
Negative = discord, illness
Pink:
Positive = promise, high status
Negative = poverty, laziness
Red:
Positive = love, strong emotion
Negative = anger, heartache
The Manchurian Candidate
Memorable quote (s) from the movie:
Bennett Marco (Frank Sinatra): Poor Raymond. Poor friendless, friendless Raymond. He was wearing his medal when he died. You should read some of the citations sometime. Just read them. Taken, eight prisoners, killing four enemy in the process while one leg and one arm was shattered and he could only crawl because the other leg had been blown off - Edwards. Wounded five times, dragged himself across the direct fire of three enemy machine guns to pull two of his wounded men to safety amid sixty-nine dead and two hundred and three casualties - Holderman. Made to commit acts too unspeakable to be cited here by an enemy who had captured his mind and his soul. He freed himself at last and in the end, heroically and unhesitatingly gave his life to save his country. Raymond Shaw... Hell... Hell.
Bennett Marco (Frank Sinatra): Poor Raymond. Poor friendless, friendless Raymond. He was wearing his medal when he died. You should read some of the citations sometime. Just read them. Taken, eight prisoners, killing four enemy in the process while one leg and one arm was shattered and he could only crawl because the other leg had been blown off - Edwards. Wounded five times, dragged himself across the direct fire of three enemy machine guns to pull two of his wounded men to safety amid sixty-nine dead and two hundred and three casualties - Holderman. Made to commit acts too unspeakable to be cited here by an enemy who had captured his mind and his soul. He freed himself at last and in the end, heroically and unhesitatingly gave his life to save his country. Raymond Shaw... Hell... Hell.
Ivory Carving
By Carson I A Ritchie
By Arthur Baker Ltd
1969 SBN 213 17955 5
Arthur Baker Ltd writes:
As this is the first handbook on ivory carving ever to be written, the author (who is one Britain’s foremost ivory sculptors) has tried to make it as complete as possible. Step by step instructions, fully illustrated by line drawings, take the beginner from the initial stage of buying the ivory through the sculpting and polishing processes. In the final chapter on Marketing and Exhibiting the author passes on his experience as a professional ivory carver and exhibitor for those who want to turn ivory carving from an enthusiasm into a livelihood. This book lays bare for the first time the secrets of ivory sculpture which have been transmitted from master to pupil over the centuries, but never published.
Although primarily intended for the beginner who has had no formal art instruction, this book will also interest the professional sculptor who wishes to move over from some other medium into ivory, particularly the special sections on cutting the cost of buying the tusks, studio arrangement and planning of work so as to eliminate unnecessary drudgery and leave as much time as possible available for the vital matters of inspiration an design.
In his advice to beginners in carving the author has tried to balance between the enthusiast who cannot afford any more equipment than what will go on a kitchen table, and the professional with a well equipped studio. A well chosen photographic section shows what ivories look like at different stages of the carving process and illustrates the work of contemporary sculptors in this field.
Ivory carving is not of interest just to the carver, but to the collector, the archaeologist, and the art historian as well. Special sections have been written to show how to distinguish between the provenance of one kind of ivory and another and how to track the use of different kinds of tools from their traces. So archaeologists can now begin to ask themselves the question ‘Is this statue Indian or African ivory, and how was it carved?’ with some hope of an answer.
About the author
Dr Richie is the first research worker to test every known kind of ivory for hardness and fluorescence. He began ivory carving as a complete amateur, and now exhibits with the Royal Society of Miniature Artists, Sculptors and Gravers.
By Arthur Baker Ltd
1969 SBN 213 17955 5
Arthur Baker Ltd writes:
As this is the first handbook on ivory carving ever to be written, the author (who is one Britain’s foremost ivory sculptors) has tried to make it as complete as possible. Step by step instructions, fully illustrated by line drawings, take the beginner from the initial stage of buying the ivory through the sculpting and polishing processes. In the final chapter on Marketing and Exhibiting the author passes on his experience as a professional ivory carver and exhibitor for those who want to turn ivory carving from an enthusiasm into a livelihood. This book lays bare for the first time the secrets of ivory sculpture which have been transmitted from master to pupil over the centuries, but never published.
Although primarily intended for the beginner who has had no formal art instruction, this book will also interest the professional sculptor who wishes to move over from some other medium into ivory, particularly the special sections on cutting the cost of buying the tusks, studio arrangement and planning of work so as to eliminate unnecessary drudgery and leave as much time as possible available for the vital matters of inspiration an design.
In his advice to beginners in carving the author has tried to balance between the enthusiast who cannot afford any more equipment than what will go on a kitchen table, and the professional with a well equipped studio. A well chosen photographic section shows what ivories look like at different stages of the carving process and illustrates the work of contemporary sculptors in this field.
Ivory carving is not of interest just to the carver, but to the collector, the archaeologist, and the art historian as well. Special sections have been written to show how to distinguish between the provenance of one kind of ivory and another and how to track the use of different kinds of tools from their traces. So archaeologists can now begin to ask themselves the question ‘Is this statue Indian or African ivory, and how was it carved?’ with some hope of an answer.
About the author
Dr Richie is the first research worker to test every known kind of ivory for hardness and fluorescence. He began ivory carving as a complete amateur, and now exhibits with the Royal Society of Miniature Artists, Sculptors and Gravers.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
The Rise Of Technology Addiction
Read on to learn more about the exponential growth of portable technology and the after effects: the link between the decision making process, work and private life....
@ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/click_online/6411495.stm
@ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/click_online/6411495.stm
Digging For Ethical Gems
The distribution of gemstones is very complex. The routes followed by gemstones to the marketplace are also very torturous. There are more individuals involved , each with their own interests. In gem producing countries, smuggling, child labor, illicit trading, and environmental destruction are widespread.
Read on to learn more about the concerns associated with gemstones @
http://www.coopamerica.org/pubs/realmoney/articles/ethicalgems.cfm
Read on to learn more about the concerns associated with gemstones @
http://www.coopamerica.org/pubs/realmoney/articles/ethicalgems.cfm
Psycho
Memorable quote (s) from the movie:
California Charlie, used car salesman (John Anderson): I'm in no mood for trouble.
Marion Crane (Janet Leigh): What?
California Charlie, used car salesman (John Anderson): There's an old saying, "First customer of the day is always the trouble!" But like I say, I'm in no mood for it so I'm gonna treat you so fair and square that you won't have one human reason to give me...
Marion Crane (Janet Leigh): Can I trade my car in and take another?
California Charlie, used car salesman (John Anderson): Do anything you've a mind to. Bein' a woman, you will. That yours?
Marion Crane (Janet Leigh): Yes, it's just that - there's nothing wrong with it. I just...
California Charlie, used car salesman (John Anderson): Sick of the sight of it! Well, why don't you have a look around here and see if there's somethin' that strikes your eyes and meanwhile I'll have my mechanic give yours the once over. You want some coffee? I was just about...
Marion Crane (Janet Leigh): No, thank you. I'm in a hurry. I just want to make a change, and...
California Charlie, used car salesman (John Anderson): One thing people never oughtta be when they're buyin' used cars and that's in a hurry. But like I said, it's too nice a day to argue. I'll uh - shoot your car in the garage here.
California Charlie, used car salesman (John Anderson): I'm in no mood for trouble.
Marion Crane (Janet Leigh): What?
California Charlie, used car salesman (John Anderson): There's an old saying, "First customer of the day is always the trouble!" But like I say, I'm in no mood for it so I'm gonna treat you so fair and square that you won't have one human reason to give me...
Marion Crane (Janet Leigh): Can I trade my car in and take another?
California Charlie, used car salesman (John Anderson): Do anything you've a mind to. Bein' a woman, you will. That yours?
Marion Crane (Janet Leigh): Yes, it's just that - there's nothing wrong with it. I just...
California Charlie, used car salesman (John Anderson): Sick of the sight of it! Well, why don't you have a look around here and see if there's somethin' that strikes your eyes and meanwhile I'll have my mechanic give yours the once over. You want some coffee? I was just about...
Marion Crane (Janet Leigh): No, thank you. I'm in a hurry. I just want to make a change, and...
California Charlie, used car salesman (John Anderson): One thing people never oughtta be when they're buyin' used cars and that's in a hurry. But like I said, it's too nice a day to argue. I'll uh - shoot your car in the garage here.
Victorian Jewellery Design
By Charlotte Gere
William Kimber and Co Ltd
1972 SBN 7183 0232 X
William Kimber and Co writes:
Jewellery design has rarely been so inventive as during the second half of the nineteenth century. Changes in fashion were closely followed, changes which increased in frequency with improved communications and regular international exhibitions, so that fashions which stemmed from Paris or Rome would soon be adopted in England—and America. While mechanical manufacture meant that the growing demand for fashionable jewellery could be met, contemporaries were alert to the dangers of mass production. The Great Exhibition of 1851 was itself directed to raise the standard of design in manufacture, and stern criticisms were leveled against the jewellery produced throughout the period, yet there survives today a wide selection of well designed nineteenth century jewellery of fine workmanship for the collector and the bargain-hunter to browse over.
Identifying the varied styles and fashions which influenced the craftsmen and manufacturers, such as the enthusiasm for neogothic, archaeological motifs, adaptations of Japanese and Indian art, and botanical novelties, Victorian Jewellery Design is an absorbing guide to the probable origin of many of these nineteenth century pieces—providing the kind of knowledge that enabled the author to identify a gold bracelet in an Oxfam shop as being made by Carlo Doria for Robert Phillips. It traces the influences underlying the changes of fashion, and shows how it was frequently artists—sometimes producing their own hand-made pieces—such as William Burges, Charles Rickett, the Pre-Raphaelites and the leaders of Art Nouveau, who introduced fresh inspiration, rather than the trade craftsmen.
William Kimber and Co Ltd
1972 SBN 7183 0232 X
William Kimber and Co writes:
Jewellery design has rarely been so inventive as during the second half of the nineteenth century. Changes in fashion were closely followed, changes which increased in frequency with improved communications and regular international exhibitions, so that fashions which stemmed from Paris or Rome would soon be adopted in England—and America. While mechanical manufacture meant that the growing demand for fashionable jewellery could be met, contemporaries were alert to the dangers of mass production. The Great Exhibition of 1851 was itself directed to raise the standard of design in manufacture, and stern criticisms were leveled against the jewellery produced throughout the period, yet there survives today a wide selection of well designed nineteenth century jewellery of fine workmanship for the collector and the bargain-hunter to browse over.
Identifying the varied styles and fashions which influenced the craftsmen and manufacturers, such as the enthusiasm for neogothic, archaeological motifs, adaptations of Japanese and Indian art, and botanical novelties, Victorian Jewellery Design is an absorbing guide to the probable origin of many of these nineteenth century pieces—providing the kind of knowledge that enabled the author to identify a gold bracelet in an Oxfam shop as being made by Carlo Doria for Robert Phillips. It traces the influences underlying the changes of fashion, and shows how it was frequently artists—sometimes producing their own hand-made pieces—such as William Burges, Charles Rickett, the Pre-Raphaelites and the leaders of Art Nouveau, who introduced fresh inspiration, rather than the trade craftsmen.
Monday, March 05, 2007
The Tanzanite Story
Tanzanite is a variety of Zoisite named after its country of origin, Tanzania. It was first discovered in 1967 and is still the only place where it can be found. Tanzanite is known for its varying shades of violet; also occurs in brown, pink, greenish and yellow. All these shades may turn to blue upon heat treatment. The results of this treatment are stable. Tanzanite is an attractive stone with a color to match any other.
More info on mining practices @
http://www.irinnews.org/film/Gem-Slaves-view.htm
TANZANIA
Gem Slaves: Tanzanite's child labour
English transcript @ http://newsite.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=61004
More info on mining practices @
http://www.irinnews.org/film/Gem-Slaves-view.htm
TANZANIA
Gem Slaves: Tanzanite's child labour
English transcript @ http://newsite.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=61004
The Birds
Memorable quote (s) from the movie:
Mitch Brenner (Rod Tayler): What about the letter you wrote me, is that a lie, too?
Melanie Daniels (Tippie Hedren): No, I wrote the letter.
Mitch Brenner (Rod Tayler): Well what did it say?
Melanie Daniels (Tippie Hedren): It said 'Dear Mister Brenner, I think you need these lovebirds after all. They may help your personality.'
Mitch Brenner (Rod Tayler): But you tore it up?
Melanie Daniels (Tippie Hedren): Yes.
Mitch Brenner (Rod Tayler): Why?
Melanie Daniels (Tippie Hedren): Because it seemed stupid and foolish.
Mitch Brenner (Rod Tayler): Like jumping into a fountain in Rome?
Melanie Daniels (Tippie Tayler): I told you what happened!
Mitch Brenner (Rod Tayler): You don't expect me to believe that, do you?
Melanie Daniels (Tippie Hedren): Oh, I don't give a damn what you believe!
Mitch Brenner (Rod Tayler): I'd still like to see you.
Melanie Daniels (Tippie Hedren): Why?
Mitch Brenner (Rod Tayler): I think it might be fun.
Melanie Daniels (Tippie Hedren): Well it might have been good enough in Rome, but it's not good enough now.
Mitch Brenner (Rod Tayler): It is for me.
Melanie Daniels (Tippie Hedren): Well not for me!
Mitch Brenner (Rod Tayler): What do you want?
Melanie Daniels (Tippie Hedren): I thought you knew! I want to go through life jumping into fountains naked, good night!
Mitch Brenner (Rod Tayler): What about the letter you wrote me, is that a lie, too?
Melanie Daniels (Tippie Hedren): No, I wrote the letter.
Mitch Brenner (Rod Tayler): Well what did it say?
Melanie Daniels (Tippie Hedren): It said 'Dear Mister Brenner, I think you need these lovebirds after all. They may help your personality.'
Mitch Brenner (Rod Tayler): But you tore it up?
Melanie Daniels (Tippie Hedren): Yes.
Mitch Brenner (Rod Tayler): Why?
Melanie Daniels (Tippie Hedren): Because it seemed stupid and foolish.
Mitch Brenner (Rod Tayler): Like jumping into a fountain in Rome?
Melanie Daniels (Tippie Tayler): I told you what happened!
Mitch Brenner (Rod Tayler): You don't expect me to believe that, do you?
Melanie Daniels (Tippie Hedren): Oh, I don't give a damn what you believe!
Mitch Brenner (Rod Tayler): I'd still like to see you.
Melanie Daniels (Tippie Hedren): Why?
Mitch Brenner (Rod Tayler): I think it might be fun.
Melanie Daniels (Tippie Hedren): Well it might have been good enough in Rome, but it's not good enough now.
Mitch Brenner (Rod Tayler): It is for me.
Melanie Daniels (Tippie Hedren): Well not for me!
Mitch Brenner (Rod Tayler): What do you want?
Melanie Daniels (Tippie Hedren): I thought you knew! I want to go through life jumping into fountains naked, good night!
Gems And Jewels
By Benjamin Zucker
Thames and Hudson
1984 ISBN 0-500-01326-8
Thames and Hudson writes:
From time immemorial precious stones have been prized as tokens of love, as symbols of wealth and social status, or as objects endowed with magical or religious significance. This comprehensive survey of the history and uses of the principal types of gems provides revealing insights into their origins, into methods and styles of cutting at different times in history, and into the aesthetic appeal of numerous examples of the jeweler’s art. Thus, garnet-ornamented objects from the Ango-Saxon Sutton Hoo ship burial vie for place with elaborate lapis lazuli funerary jewelry from ancient Egypt and Sumer, while the imaginative treatment of baroque pearls in the Renaissance period contrasts with the directness of North American Indian designs featuring the skystone, turquoise. Similarly, such magnificent objects as jade figures carved with exquisite subtlety by Chinese craftsmen and an emerald-encrusted crown by Pierre Arpels (from the former royal collection of Iran) serve to illustrate examples of work from widely differing cultures.
In addition to discussing outstanding specimen stones, such as the famous Tiffancy Diamond, and comparing key differences in shades of color within one type of gemstone—as in the case of opals from Australia and Mexico, and of sapphires from Kashmir and Ceylon—the author reveals the vital clues that enable the expert eye to distinguish between natural and synthetic stones and between natural and cultured pearls, and gives guidelines on methods of grading and on relative values.
Whatever one’s personal preference for colors, styles or materials, this lavishly illustrated book—with individual chapters devoted to ruby, sapphire, emerald, diamond, pearl, amber, lapis lazuli, jade, turquoise, opal and garnet—will provide a wealth of fascinating information.
About the author
Benjamin Zucker is the author of How to Buy and Sell Gems: Everyone’s guide to buying rubies, sapphires, emeralds and diamonds, and has conducted special seminars at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
Thames and Hudson
1984 ISBN 0-500-01326-8
Thames and Hudson writes:
From time immemorial precious stones have been prized as tokens of love, as symbols of wealth and social status, or as objects endowed with magical or religious significance. This comprehensive survey of the history and uses of the principal types of gems provides revealing insights into their origins, into methods and styles of cutting at different times in history, and into the aesthetic appeal of numerous examples of the jeweler’s art. Thus, garnet-ornamented objects from the Ango-Saxon Sutton Hoo ship burial vie for place with elaborate lapis lazuli funerary jewelry from ancient Egypt and Sumer, while the imaginative treatment of baroque pearls in the Renaissance period contrasts with the directness of North American Indian designs featuring the skystone, turquoise. Similarly, such magnificent objects as jade figures carved with exquisite subtlety by Chinese craftsmen and an emerald-encrusted crown by Pierre Arpels (from the former royal collection of Iran) serve to illustrate examples of work from widely differing cultures.
In addition to discussing outstanding specimen stones, such as the famous Tiffancy Diamond, and comparing key differences in shades of color within one type of gemstone—as in the case of opals from Australia and Mexico, and of sapphires from Kashmir and Ceylon—the author reveals the vital clues that enable the expert eye to distinguish between natural and synthetic stones and between natural and cultured pearls, and gives guidelines on methods of grading and on relative values.
Whatever one’s personal preference for colors, styles or materials, this lavishly illustrated book—with individual chapters devoted to ruby, sapphire, emerald, diamond, pearl, amber, lapis lazuli, jade, turquoise, opal and garnet—will provide a wealth of fascinating information.
About the author
Benjamin Zucker is the author of How to Buy and Sell Gems: Everyone’s guide to buying rubies, sapphires, emeralds and diamonds, and has conducted special seminars at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
The Gem Scam
Here is an interesting report on gem scam (s) in Thailand, the colored gemstone capital of the world. There are endless variations, but an educated customer (s) in theory should never fall into the trap. Always do your research. If you are doubtful regarding gemstones have it checked by a reputed gem testing laboratory.
The ThaiGemScamGroup writes:
The Scam has been working for over 20 years, and succeeds due to several factors:
1.Complicity/indifference of local authorities.
2.Love/hate relationship between Thais and "Farang" (hate the victim, blame the victim).
3.Tourists can't stay in the country to press charges.
4.Tourists don't get to talk to one another and share information.
5.Everybody is greedy and wants to get rich quick.
There are several excellent sites that outline the process of the scam (including www.2bangkok.com) so do check out the Links page to get other points of view. Don't assume you are too smart to fall for this scam; they've been practicing it for 20 years. How long have you been dealing with scams?
Set up
There are, in fact, two variations on the scam, but both involved you paying far too much for jewellery. The other one is where a tuk tuk driver simply takes you to a gem shop and tells you to look around for 10 minutes; he gets a free gas coupon for each customer he brings in. This is simple and obvious, and most people don't make a purchase in this case.
The scam discussed on this page involves "coincidental" meetings with "friendly" Thais. Because of the coincidences and the friendliness of the people involved, the victim's guard is let down, thus ensuring the scam's success.The usual set up involves a tourist (or tourists, as couples get targeted as well) walking out of their hotel, on the street, near a tourist attraction, and being approached by a friendly Thai.
Thais, as a rule, do not approach foreigners alone. This is the first warning sign. The Thai will be very friendly and ask where you are from, where you are going, etc...perhaps identifying himself (herself) as a guide, a student, a government employee, a tuk tuk driver, etc.... Regardless of what you answer with regards to your destination, the Thai will give you some reason as to why you can't go there. People going to the Grand Palace or Wat Pho are commonly told that it is closed for some holiday involving Buddha or the Royal Family.
The Grand Palace and Wat Pho are a main attraction of Bangkok, one that provides a large amount of revenue through admission fees. As such, they are both open 365 days/year; why would they close? This is the second warning sign. They both open at 8am and the Grand Palace closes at 15:30pm while the Wat Pho closes at 17:00pm. Note there is only one entrance for the Grand Palace and that *parts* of the Grand Palace may be closed for royal functions, but never the entire complex.
Never fear, however, your Thai "friend" will tell you about another temple or Wat that is open. They usually say that it is not normally open to the public, it is just today. The Thai usually also mentions the Asia economic crisis, and how it is harder for Thai students to pay for their studies abroad with the devaluation of the Thai currency. Usually, there will be a mention of how the government lets Thai students sell one jewellery set a year, tax free, to help fund their studies abroad.
The Thai may or not mention that foreigners are allowed to participate in this scheme once a year, in a bid to promote tourism. The Thai then tells you about the special tuk tuks that take tourists around for a special rate, due to the holiday. Usually this is 20 baht/hour or something like that, and they'll always tell you there are only certain tuk tuks that do this.
There are no government or special tuk tuks. They are all privately owned and no one in our group has yet to meet an honest tuk tuk driver. This is the third warning sign.
The Thai will choose the tuk tuk (he has to in order to get his accomplice, although there are several tuk tuk drivers in on this). He will arrange things for you and send you off to this other temple.In fact, there is nothing too special about this temple, but it is quiet and deserted. The tuk tuk driver will send you in, assuring you that he will wait. Of course he will, he has to be the one to take you to the gem store.
You wander around the temple where you will meet the second "friendly" Thai. He may approach you, asking you questions or offering some advice; you may approach him, because he dropped his keys and walked away; some monk might lead you to a quiet corner of the temple where a man is meditating. In all cases, it is a casual, chance encounter, with all the friendliness and coincidence to disarm your suspicions. He will identify himself as a businessman, student, whatever he thinks will allay your suspicions.
This Thai will ask you various questions about you and somehow steer the conversation back to jewellery. They often get you to mention it, as you've heard about it from the other Thai earlier. Almost always, they make no effort to sell to you, they drop some hints that lead you to ask questions. You are made to feel like you are lucky to know about this, or that you would be foolish to miss out. They tell you that foreigners are allowed to participate in this for only a short time each year, and today is always the last day. They even have a receipt showing that they just bought jewellery that very day.
The Thai government does not have a 195% export tax on jewellery, and couldn't care less about foreigners taking jewellery out of the country. Your own country's Customs, however, does care about how much you import back into your country, making any Thai government promise meaningless. This is the fourth warning sign.
Note that at this point, a foreigner might join the conversation, if not at the temple, then at the shop itself. The foreigner will assure you it is all legitimate, that he/she uses it to pay for his trip all the time. It may also be another Thai who tells you they live abroad and come home once a year for this. In either case, it adds to the legitimacy of the scam, and adds to the number of "coincidences" that you encounter. By now you are curious. The tuk tuk driver may take you to yet another temple, for yet another "chance" meeting with someone who confirms the story. Usually, you are now on your way to the gem store. This is your last chance to save yourself from a very bad experience.
The gem store itself will make every effort to look respectable. There will be staff in uniforms, display cases, etc....but most shops will not have windows, or else they are covered up. Officially recognized jewellery stores should have a Jewelfest logo in plain view, although given the proliferation of fake identification in Thailand, this guarantees nothing.
You will always be taken to a separate room, not left in the main selling area. There will be almost no other customers, and if there are, it will be a foreigner again, who confirms the story and tells you exactly what everyone else said. In this smaller room, you are told the same story, shown a book with photocopies of other passports of "customers", and assured that you can get your money back under any circumstances.The transaction involves mailing the jewellery back to you, or to whatever address you give them (parents, Poste Restante in another country, etc...).
Your country's Customs treats goods imported by you the same, regardless of whether they are with you or were sent to you via the mail system. If this is a tax free purchase, they should not object to you taking the jewellery with you. The use of the mail system is essential in making this scam work. This is the fifth warning sign.
Most people do not have the cash with them. The stores never have credit card machines, so those people wanting to pay via credit cards are told the shop does not usually do business with the public, so they have no credit card machine. Fear not, their other store does sell to the public, so they will loan you their car, driver and escort to that store to run your credit card through the machine. This is a gold store, where you are told you have to buy gold (for whatever reason, inventory, tax purposes, etc...) and take the gold with you. You will trade the gold for the jewellery set. If you pay cash, they will give you their car, driver and escort to take you to your ATM or wherever else you need to go to get your cash.
Back at the jewellery store, you get all kinds of official looking receipts, they show you the courier package they put the jewellery in, make you sign the envelope once it's sealed to ensure no one tampers with the package, and you've now overpaid for cheap jewellery.
As a sign of their gratitude, they will always give your their car and driver and take you around town, to a restaurant, tourist attractions, Thai massages, etc...They do this to distract you and get your package to the mail center as quickly as possible. If they can get your package out of the country before you realize you've been scammed, it will take you over a week to get the gems back in your possession, giving them time to close up shop and vanish forever.
Have you been scammed? If so, click here to find out what options you have. Was this description useful to you?
Send your comments, suggestions and feedback to thaigemscamgroup@yahoo.com.
The ThaiGemScamGroup writes:
The Scam has been working for over 20 years, and succeeds due to several factors:
1.Complicity/indifference of local authorities.
2.Love/hate relationship between Thais and "Farang" (hate the victim, blame the victim).
3.Tourists can't stay in the country to press charges.
4.Tourists don't get to talk to one another and share information.
5.Everybody is greedy and wants to get rich quick.
There are several excellent sites that outline the process of the scam (including www.2bangkok.com) so do check out the Links page to get other points of view. Don't assume you are too smart to fall for this scam; they've been practicing it for 20 years. How long have you been dealing with scams?
Set up
There are, in fact, two variations on the scam, but both involved you paying far too much for jewellery. The other one is where a tuk tuk driver simply takes you to a gem shop and tells you to look around for 10 minutes; he gets a free gas coupon for each customer he brings in. This is simple and obvious, and most people don't make a purchase in this case.
The scam discussed on this page involves "coincidental" meetings with "friendly" Thais. Because of the coincidences and the friendliness of the people involved, the victim's guard is let down, thus ensuring the scam's success.The usual set up involves a tourist (or tourists, as couples get targeted as well) walking out of their hotel, on the street, near a tourist attraction, and being approached by a friendly Thai.
Thais, as a rule, do not approach foreigners alone. This is the first warning sign. The Thai will be very friendly and ask where you are from, where you are going, etc...perhaps identifying himself (herself) as a guide, a student, a government employee, a tuk tuk driver, etc.... Regardless of what you answer with regards to your destination, the Thai will give you some reason as to why you can't go there. People going to the Grand Palace or Wat Pho are commonly told that it is closed for some holiday involving Buddha or the Royal Family.
The Grand Palace and Wat Pho are a main attraction of Bangkok, one that provides a large amount of revenue through admission fees. As such, they are both open 365 days/year; why would they close? This is the second warning sign. They both open at 8am and the Grand Palace closes at 15:30pm while the Wat Pho closes at 17:00pm. Note there is only one entrance for the Grand Palace and that *parts* of the Grand Palace may be closed for royal functions, but never the entire complex.
Never fear, however, your Thai "friend" will tell you about another temple or Wat that is open. They usually say that it is not normally open to the public, it is just today. The Thai usually also mentions the Asia economic crisis, and how it is harder for Thai students to pay for their studies abroad with the devaluation of the Thai currency. Usually, there will be a mention of how the government lets Thai students sell one jewellery set a year, tax free, to help fund their studies abroad.
The Thai may or not mention that foreigners are allowed to participate in this scheme once a year, in a bid to promote tourism. The Thai then tells you about the special tuk tuks that take tourists around for a special rate, due to the holiday. Usually this is 20 baht/hour or something like that, and they'll always tell you there are only certain tuk tuks that do this.
There are no government or special tuk tuks. They are all privately owned and no one in our group has yet to meet an honest tuk tuk driver. This is the third warning sign.
The Thai will choose the tuk tuk (he has to in order to get his accomplice, although there are several tuk tuk drivers in on this). He will arrange things for you and send you off to this other temple.In fact, there is nothing too special about this temple, but it is quiet and deserted. The tuk tuk driver will send you in, assuring you that he will wait. Of course he will, he has to be the one to take you to the gem store.
You wander around the temple where you will meet the second "friendly" Thai. He may approach you, asking you questions or offering some advice; you may approach him, because he dropped his keys and walked away; some monk might lead you to a quiet corner of the temple where a man is meditating. In all cases, it is a casual, chance encounter, with all the friendliness and coincidence to disarm your suspicions. He will identify himself as a businessman, student, whatever he thinks will allay your suspicions.
This Thai will ask you various questions about you and somehow steer the conversation back to jewellery. They often get you to mention it, as you've heard about it from the other Thai earlier. Almost always, they make no effort to sell to you, they drop some hints that lead you to ask questions. You are made to feel like you are lucky to know about this, or that you would be foolish to miss out. They tell you that foreigners are allowed to participate in this for only a short time each year, and today is always the last day. They even have a receipt showing that they just bought jewellery that very day.
The Thai government does not have a 195% export tax on jewellery, and couldn't care less about foreigners taking jewellery out of the country. Your own country's Customs, however, does care about how much you import back into your country, making any Thai government promise meaningless. This is the fourth warning sign.
Note that at this point, a foreigner might join the conversation, if not at the temple, then at the shop itself. The foreigner will assure you it is all legitimate, that he/she uses it to pay for his trip all the time. It may also be another Thai who tells you they live abroad and come home once a year for this. In either case, it adds to the legitimacy of the scam, and adds to the number of "coincidences" that you encounter. By now you are curious. The tuk tuk driver may take you to yet another temple, for yet another "chance" meeting with someone who confirms the story. Usually, you are now on your way to the gem store. This is your last chance to save yourself from a very bad experience.
The gem store itself will make every effort to look respectable. There will be staff in uniforms, display cases, etc....but most shops will not have windows, or else they are covered up. Officially recognized jewellery stores should have a Jewelfest logo in plain view, although given the proliferation of fake identification in Thailand, this guarantees nothing.
You will always be taken to a separate room, not left in the main selling area. There will be almost no other customers, and if there are, it will be a foreigner again, who confirms the story and tells you exactly what everyone else said. In this smaller room, you are told the same story, shown a book with photocopies of other passports of "customers", and assured that you can get your money back under any circumstances.The transaction involves mailing the jewellery back to you, or to whatever address you give them (parents, Poste Restante in another country, etc...).
Your country's Customs treats goods imported by you the same, regardless of whether they are with you or were sent to you via the mail system. If this is a tax free purchase, they should not object to you taking the jewellery with you. The use of the mail system is essential in making this scam work. This is the fifth warning sign.
Most people do not have the cash with them. The stores never have credit card machines, so those people wanting to pay via credit cards are told the shop does not usually do business with the public, so they have no credit card machine. Fear not, their other store does sell to the public, so they will loan you their car, driver and escort to that store to run your credit card through the machine. This is a gold store, where you are told you have to buy gold (for whatever reason, inventory, tax purposes, etc...) and take the gold with you. You will trade the gold for the jewellery set. If you pay cash, they will give you their car, driver and escort to take you to your ATM or wherever else you need to go to get your cash.
Back at the jewellery store, you get all kinds of official looking receipts, they show you the courier package they put the jewellery in, make you sign the envelope once it's sealed to ensure no one tampers with the package, and you've now overpaid for cheap jewellery.
As a sign of their gratitude, they will always give your their car and driver and take you around town, to a restaurant, tourist attractions, Thai massages, etc...They do this to distract you and get your package to the mail center as quickly as possible. If they can get your package out of the country before you realize you've been scammed, it will take you over a week to get the gems back in your possession, giving them time to close up shop and vanish forever.
Have you been scammed? If so, click here to find out what options you have. Was this description useful to you?
Send your comments, suggestions and feedback to thaigemscamgroup@yahoo.com.
Gone With The Wind
Memorable quote (s) from the movie:
Scarlett (Vivien Leigh): Oh, Rhett! Please, don't go! You can't leave me! Please! I'll never forgive you!
Rhett Butler (Clarke Gable): I'm not asking you to forgive me. I'll never understand or forgive myself. And if a bullet gets me, so help me, I'll laugh at myself for being an idiot. There's one thing I do know... and that is that I love you, Scarlett. In spite of you and me and the whole silly world going to pieces around us, I love you. Because we're alike. Bad lots, both of us. Selfish and shrewd. But able to look things in the eyes as we call them by their right names.
Scarlett (Vivien Leigh): Don't hold me like that!
Rhett Butler (Clarke Gable): Scarlett! Look at me! I've loved you more than I've ever loved any woman and I've waited for you longer than I've ever waited for any woman.
Scarlett (Vivien Leigh): Let me alone!
Rhett Butler (Clarke Gable): Here's a soldier of the South who loves you, Scarlett. Wants to feel your arms around him, wants to carry the memory of your kisses into battle with him. Never mind about loving me, you're a woman sending a soldier to his death with a beautiful memory. Scarlett! Kiss me! Kiss me... once...
Scarlett (Vivien Leigh): Oh, Rhett! Please, don't go! You can't leave me! Please! I'll never forgive you!
Rhett Butler (Clarke Gable): I'm not asking you to forgive me. I'll never understand or forgive myself. And if a bullet gets me, so help me, I'll laugh at myself for being an idiot. There's one thing I do know... and that is that I love you, Scarlett. In spite of you and me and the whole silly world going to pieces around us, I love you. Because we're alike. Bad lots, both of us. Selfish and shrewd. But able to look things in the eyes as we call them by their right names.
Scarlett (Vivien Leigh): Don't hold me like that!
Rhett Butler (Clarke Gable): Scarlett! Look at me! I've loved you more than I've ever loved any woman and I've waited for you longer than I've ever waited for any woman.
Scarlett (Vivien Leigh): Let me alone!
Rhett Butler (Clarke Gable): Here's a soldier of the South who loves you, Scarlett. Wants to feel your arms around him, wants to carry the memory of your kisses into battle with him. Never mind about loving me, you're a woman sending a soldier to his death with a beautiful memory. Scarlett! Kiss me! Kiss me... once...
Sunday, March 04, 2007
The Great American Sapphire
By Stephen M Voynick
Mountain Press Publishing Company
1985 ISBN 0-87842-193-9
Stephen M Votnick writes:
To most Americans, the word sapphire has an intriguing foreign flavor conjuring images of crown jewels, sultans, turbaned natives, and the steamy jungles of exotic places like Ceylon and Burma. Many Americans, including myself, were quite surprised to learn recently that the United States had suddenly emerged as a commercial source of what some gem experts consider the world’s finest sapphire. Even more surprising was that the entire production came from little-known Montana mine with the unlikely name of Yogo, a mine which, sixty years earlier, had produced $25 million in fine cut sapphire for the British.
My interest in western mining led me to Yogo where I found not only a mine, but a remarkable geological story backed by a century of rich Montana history. That history, in passing from generation to generation, had evolved into a loose collection of colorful frontier folklore and romanticized legends. More fascinating was the real story that lay hidden in disjointed company files and correspondence, dusty geological reports and decades of yellowed newspaper clippings—even in some of the works of Charles M Russell. Yogo was far more than a common tale of mineral discovery and exploitation; it was the culmination of a forgotten chapter of American history—the search for precious gemstones.
America’s frontier expansion coincided with a great period in gemstone history that included discovery of the Siam and Kashmir sapphires, the South African diamond fields, and the British development of Burma’s legendary Mogok Stone Tract. Americans headed west in love with, and obsessed by, gold. But they were also aware of the possibility of—and perhaps even anticipated—the discovery of native precious gemstones. Yet, when sapphires were finally discovered in Montana, the same miners who wrote the book on gold were shown to be profoundly naïve in matters related to precious gemstones, thus opening the door to eager British gem merchants.
Unlike that of the great gold strikes, the Yogo sapphire story did not die with the frontier. Although yesterday’s claim stakes and sluice boxes are gone, equally exciting chapters in the Yogo story are now being written in corporate board rooms, gem industry trade journals, gemological laboratories and, most importantly, in the display cases of thousands of retail jewelry stores across the United States.
Montana’s Yogo sapphire deposit is a true bonanza that economically overshadows many major gold strikes, but sapphires, while far more valuable on a weight-for-weight basis, were unlike gold. Gold required merely digging and selling; sapphires demanded marketing, a lesson that hopeful American sapphire miners would take ninety years to learn. Yogo is an historical treasure, but the story of the Yogo sapphires is really just beginning, for only now are South African diamonds, Colombian emeralds and Burmese rubies being belatedly joined by a native American precious gemstone that is every bit their equal—the Montana sapphire.
Mountain Press Publishing Company
1985 ISBN 0-87842-193-9
Stephen M Votnick writes:
To most Americans, the word sapphire has an intriguing foreign flavor conjuring images of crown jewels, sultans, turbaned natives, and the steamy jungles of exotic places like Ceylon and Burma. Many Americans, including myself, were quite surprised to learn recently that the United States had suddenly emerged as a commercial source of what some gem experts consider the world’s finest sapphire. Even more surprising was that the entire production came from little-known Montana mine with the unlikely name of Yogo, a mine which, sixty years earlier, had produced $25 million in fine cut sapphire for the British.
My interest in western mining led me to Yogo where I found not only a mine, but a remarkable geological story backed by a century of rich Montana history. That history, in passing from generation to generation, had evolved into a loose collection of colorful frontier folklore and romanticized legends. More fascinating was the real story that lay hidden in disjointed company files and correspondence, dusty geological reports and decades of yellowed newspaper clippings—even in some of the works of Charles M Russell. Yogo was far more than a common tale of mineral discovery and exploitation; it was the culmination of a forgotten chapter of American history—the search for precious gemstones.
America’s frontier expansion coincided with a great period in gemstone history that included discovery of the Siam and Kashmir sapphires, the South African diamond fields, and the British development of Burma’s legendary Mogok Stone Tract. Americans headed west in love with, and obsessed by, gold. But they were also aware of the possibility of—and perhaps even anticipated—the discovery of native precious gemstones. Yet, when sapphires were finally discovered in Montana, the same miners who wrote the book on gold were shown to be profoundly naïve in matters related to precious gemstones, thus opening the door to eager British gem merchants.
Unlike that of the great gold strikes, the Yogo sapphire story did not die with the frontier. Although yesterday’s claim stakes and sluice boxes are gone, equally exciting chapters in the Yogo story are now being written in corporate board rooms, gem industry trade journals, gemological laboratories and, most importantly, in the display cases of thousands of retail jewelry stores across the United States.
Montana’s Yogo sapphire deposit is a true bonanza that economically overshadows many major gold strikes, but sapphires, while far more valuable on a weight-for-weight basis, were unlike gold. Gold required merely digging and selling; sapphires demanded marketing, a lesson that hopeful American sapphire miners would take ninety years to learn. Yogo is an historical treasure, but the story of the Yogo sapphires is really just beginning, for only now are South African diamonds, Colombian emeralds and Burmese rubies being belatedly joined by a native American precious gemstone that is every bit their equal—the Montana sapphire.
Driving Miss Daisy
Memorable quote (s) from the movie:
Daisy Werthan (Jessica Tandy): You know your letters don't you?
Hoke Colburn (Morgan Freeman): Oh yeah, yeah I know my ABC's pretty good, just can't read.
Daisy Werthan (Jessica Tandy): Stop saying that you're making me mad! If you know your letters you can read. You just don't know you can read.
Hoke Colburn (Morgan Freeman): Maam?
Daisy Werthan (Jessica Tandy): I taught some of the stupidest children God ever put on the face of this earth and all of them could read well enough to find a name on a tombstone.
Daisy Werthan (Jessica Tandy): You know your letters don't you?
Hoke Colburn (Morgan Freeman): Oh yeah, yeah I know my ABC's pretty good, just can't read.
Daisy Werthan (Jessica Tandy): Stop saying that you're making me mad! If you know your letters you can read. You just don't know you can read.
Hoke Colburn (Morgan Freeman): Maam?
Daisy Werthan (Jessica Tandy): I taught some of the stupidest children God ever put on the face of this earth and all of them could read well enough to find a name on a tombstone.
Faberge The Entrepreneur
(via Lapidary Journal) Si & Ann Frazier writes:
Faberge may have turned his name into pure cachet with the firms imperial Easter Eggs, but he probably didn’t make much money on these unbelievably labor-intensive pieces. His bread-and-butter work was in smaller, simpler, less-expensive objects that were still imaginatively styled and superbly constructed in a catalog published in 1899 (translated by K Snowman 1952, p.139). Faberge gives his policy on quality and pricing, which should interest today’s gem and jewelry wannabes and professional alike.
“……as to the quality of our products, it will be sufficient to acquaint our customers with the following…principles which have always guided us during the many years of our business:
1. It is our strict rule not to supply any goods of poor quality under any circumstances. In other words, every object, be its value no more than one ruble is made solidly and carefully.
2. It has always been our endeavor, and our clients can see this for themselves, to offer to the public the greatest possible number of entirely new forms and designs. Goods which have gone out of fashion will not remain in our shop: once a year they are collected and melted down.
3. We try to produce our goods in such a way that the value of each object purchased from us fully corresponds with the sum paid for it, i.e we sell our goods as cheaply as their careful execution permits.
4. Thanks to our considerable capital resources, we are always able to make and hold at the disposal of our clients a large quantity of the most varied and valuable articles.
5. Under no circumstances do we tolerate the possibility of any objects equal in quality to our own being sold elsewhere at a lower price than that fixed by us, for the reason (that) our own prices are always moderate and correspond to the quality of the stones and the workmanship which went into the production of the article; at the same time, we beg to point out that the goods made of the best quality material will naturally be more expensive than those made of materials of inferior quality.
“The range of models and designs fully correspond to the range of prices. Taking into account both the need of the higher classes of society as well as the interests of the middle class, we provide both the luxury and expensive goods to satisfy the most refined taste as well as the inexpensive goods within the reach of the not so well-to-do.”
Faberge may have turned his name into pure cachet with the firms imperial Easter Eggs, but he probably didn’t make much money on these unbelievably labor-intensive pieces. His bread-and-butter work was in smaller, simpler, less-expensive objects that were still imaginatively styled and superbly constructed in a catalog published in 1899 (translated by K Snowman 1952, p.139). Faberge gives his policy on quality and pricing, which should interest today’s gem and jewelry wannabes and professional alike.
“……as to the quality of our products, it will be sufficient to acquaint our customers with the following…principles which have always guided us during the many years of our business:
1. It is our strict rule not to supply any goods of poor quality under any circumstances. In other words, every object, be its value no more than one ruble is made solidly and carefully.
2. It has always been our endeavor, and our clients can see this for themselves, to offer to the public the greatest possible number of entirely new forms and designs. Goods which have gone out of fashion will not remain in our shop: once a year they are collected and melted down.
3. We try to produce our goods in such a way that the value of each object purchased from us fully corresponds with the sum paid for it, i.e we sell our goods as cheaply as their careful execution permits.
4. Thanks to our considerable capital resources, we are always able to make and hold at the disposal of our clients a large quantity of the most varied and valuable articles.
5. Under no circumstances do we tolerate the possibility of any objects equal in quality to our own being sold elsewhere at a lower price than that fixed by us, for the reason (that) our own prices are always moderate and correspond to the quality of the stones and the workmanship which went into the production of the article; at the same time, we beg to point out that the goods made of the best quality material will naturally be more expensive than those made of materials of inferior quality.
“The range of models and designs fully correspond to the range of prices. Taking into account both the need of the higher classes of society as well as the interests of the middle class, we provide both the luxury and expensive goods to satisfy the most refined taste as well as the inexpensive goods within the reach of the not so well-to-do.”
Blue Mystery: The Story Of The Hope Diamond
By Susanne Steinem Patch
Smithsonian Institution Press
1976 ISBN 0-87474-165-3
Susanne Steinem Patch writes:
Minerals, particularly those rare and beautiful enough to be gems, have been my lifelong interest. When I was director of an educational diamond exhibit I became familiar with the stories of all the famous diamonds and found that of the Hope most fascinating because of the mystery surrounding its origin. A desire to dispel that mystery started me on my research, and the many inconsistencies in the diamond’s history spurred me on. How, for example, could one of its owners, the actress May Yohe, be pictured in a newspaper clipping supposedly wearing the Hope diamond in the mounting that was made for its subsequent owner, Evalyn Walsh Mclean?
An exciting moment in my research came when, through great good luck, I uncovered two original sketches of the Hope diamond made in 1812. These drawings document the diamond’s existence in its present form eighteen years earlier than the 1830 date usually given for its first appearance.
Just as this book was going to press, museum authorities permitted the Hope diamond to be removed from its mounting and weighed. It was found that the diamond weighs 45.52 carats (in modern metric carats). This is discussed further on page 62. The most exciting moment of all for me occurred when, placing the Hope diamond upside down on a slip of white paper, I—like the lapidary in 1812—traced (it) round the diamond with a pencil and discovered that the outline I had drawn, complete with one flattened side, was identical to the earlier drawing.
Many questions will remain unanswered; perhaps the Hope diamond, like the complex and powerful people who have been driven to possess it, can never be completely known. But if any reader has additional information to contribute about the tantalizing gaps in this diamond’s history, please write to me in care of the Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. 20560
Smithsonian Institution Press
1976 ISBN 0-87474-165-3
Susanne Steinem Patch writes:
Minerals, particularly those rare and beautiful enough to be gems, have been my lifelong interest. When I was director of an educational diamond exhibit I became familiar with the stories of all the famous diamonds and found that of the Hope most fascinating because of the mystery surrounding its origin. A desire to dispel that mystery started me on my research, and the many inconsistencies in the diamond’s history spurred me on. How, for example, could one of its owners, the actress May Yohe, be pictured in a newspaper clipping supposedly wearing the Hope diamond in the mounting that was made for its subsequent owner, Evalyn Walsh Mclean?
An exciting moment in my research came when, through great good luck, I uncovered two original sketches of the Hope diamond made in 1812. These drawings document the diamond’s existence in its present form eighteen years earlier than the 1830 date usually given for its first appearance.
Just as this book was going to press, museum authorities permitted the Hope diamond to be removed from its mounting and weighed. It was found that the diamond weighs 45.52 carats (in modern metric carats). This is discussed further on page 62. The most exciting moment of all for me occurred when, placing the Hope diamond upside down on a slip of white paper, I—like the lapidary in 1812—traced (it) round the diamond with a pencil and discovered that the outline I had drawn, complete with one flattened side, was identical to the earlier drawing.
Many questions will remain unanswered; perhaps the Hope diamond, like the complex and powerful people who have been driven to possess it, can never be completely known. But if any reader has additional information to contribute about the tantalizing gaps in this diamond’s history, please write to me in care of the Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. 20560
Friday, March 02, 2007
Asia's Fashion Jewellery & Accessories Fair
JewelleryNetAsia writes:
Asia's Fashion Jewellery & Accessories Fair is the only trade event in Asia dedicated to the fashion jewellery and accessories industry. Two editions are held each year in June and September. Commencing 2007, a third edition will be held in March.
The new March edition is in response to numerous requests from the trade for a spring event that will provide buying opportunities for products for the Fall/Winter season. Demand for a spring edition was sparked by the changing trends in the fashion jewellery and accessories industry, which is dependent on having a constant supply of new, creative and stylish products for each season.
The new spring edition will provide buyers from around the world the opportunity to source new, trendy fashion jewellery items that will enrich the spectrum of products and increase their competitive edge in the marketplace.
Hong Kong's Special Economic Environment Facilitates Business
Located at the heart of the fastest-growing markets in Asia Pacific, Hong Kong is a free port with an extremely business-friendly environment that does not impose any import or export duties or taxes on products. This makes Hong Kong the ideal place for traders, manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers from around the world to source a wide array of products at competitive prices without the hassle of restrictions and duties.
Fair Dates & Times
7 - 9 March, 2007 10:30am - 6:30pm
10 March, 2007 10:30am - 5:30pm
More info @ Department, Jewellery Fairs
Tel: (852) 2516 1655 / 1652 / 1661 / 1646
Fax: (852) 2802 9934
Email: salesafj@cmpasia.com
Website: http://www.JewelleryNetAsia.com
Promotion Department, Jewellery Fairs
Tel: (852) 25162158
Fax: (852) 2802 9934
Email: visiting@jewellerynetasia.com
Website: http://www.jewellerynetasia.com
Asia's Fashion Jewellery & Accessories Fair is the only trade event in Asia dedicated to the fashion jewellery and accessories industry. Two editions are held each year in June and September. Commencing 2007, a third edition will be held in March.
The new March edition is in response to numerous requests from the trade for a spring event that will provide buying opportunities for products for the Fall/Winter season. Demand for a spring edition was sparked by the changing trends in the fashion jewellery and accessories industry, which is dependent on having a constant supply of new, creative and stylish products for each season.
The new spring edition will provide buyers from around the world the opportunity to source new, trendy fashion jewellery items that will enrich the spectrum of products and increase their competitive edge in the marketplace.
Hong Kong's Special Economic Environment Facilitates Business
Located at the heart of the fastest-growing markets in Asia Pacific, Hong Kong is a free port with an extremely business-friendly environment that does not impose any import or export duties or taxes on products. This makes Hong Kong the ideal place for traders, manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers from around the world to source a wide array of products at competitive prices without the hassle of restrictions and duties.
Fair Dates & Times
7 - 9 March, 2007 10:30am - 6:30pm
10 March, 2007 10:30am - 5:30pm
More info @ Department, Jewellery Fairs
Tel: (852) 2516 1655 / 1652 / 1661 / 1646
Fax: (852) 2802 9934
Email: salesafj@cmpasia.com
Website: http://www.JewelleryNetAsia.com
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The Union Budget Impact
Here is an update on the Union Budget (India) 2007, and its impact on the gem and jewelry sector.
(via) Times News Network writes:
The Union Budget may have brought some shine back for the gems and jewellery industry, but the announcements are not just enough to make it glitter.
The FM’s decision to reduce duty on cut and polished diamonds (CPD) from 5% to 3%, rough synthetic stones (from 12.5% to 5%) and unworked corals (from 30% to 10%) has evinced mixed reactions. While some players welcomed the move as a step in the right direction, others said it didn’t go far enough — zero duty on diamond imports would have helped attract global interest in India’s diamond trade.
The FM has also proposed the introduction of a benign assessment procedure for assesses engaged in diamond manufacturing and trading who declare profits from such activities at 8% or more of the turnover.
While instructions in this regard are to be issued shortly, industry sources are not sure whether the 8% implies gross or net profit. Net profit, they say, is around 3% and a clarification needs to be issued on this count.
“The budget has been neutral. We had anticipated relaxation in import of gold but that has not come through though there has been a reduction in import duty on cut and polished diamonds, rough synthetic stones and unworked corals,” said Rajesh Mehta, chairman of Bangalore-based Rajesh Exports.
Sources added turnover tax regime is followed by leading diamond-producing centres such as Belgium and Israel, and, if introduced in India, would preclude needless legal wrangling between tax assessors and assesses as to valuation of stock (diamond), a key problem that the industry faces today.
Bakul Mehta, convenor, diamond panel, Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), says there are billions of stones produced and no standard input-output norms to determine the value of the stock. “Even within the same mine different quality of diamonds can be generated, quality differs from lot-to-lot and within the same lot,” he explained.
Stating that the duty cut on CPD and other raw materials was a positive step, GJEPC Chairman Sanjay Kothari said, “The industry had expected reduction on CPD from 5% to 0% which would have helped India emerge from the largest manufacturing centre to the largest trading centre at a rapid pace.”
GJEPC said the introduction of turnover tax regime was a historical step. The move is affirmative and encouraging. The industry still awaits the exact details of the taxation system and expects it to be in line with international practices. However, the industry expected the turnover tax to be applicable for the entire gems & jewellery sector.
Su-Raj Diamonds & Jewellery CMD Jatin Mehta said, “The FM is on the dot in recognizing the need to reduce duty. These steps are in the right direction and will enable the diamond industry, which is going through a rough patch, to compete with other international centers like Belgium and Israel.”
“As far as turnover tax is concerned it is still not clear how it would unfold and what impact it would have on industry. A duty cut of 2% may not serve the purpose of our exporters as many countries have a zero duty regime. Reduction of duty in synthetic stones will boost consumption at the lower end,” said Gitanjali Gems chairman Mehul Choksi.
More info @ http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Gem_of_an_idea_but_the_sparks_still_missing/articleshow/1704435.cms
(via) Times News Network writes:
The Union Budget may have brought some shine back for the gems and jewellery industry, but the announcements are not just enough to make it glitter.
The FM’s decision to reduce duty on cut and polished diamonds (CPD) from 5% to 3%, rough synthetic stones (from 12.5% to 5%) and unworked corals (from 30% to 10%) has evinced mixed reactions. While some players welcomed the move as a step in the right direction, others said it didn’t go far enough — zero duty on diamond imports would have helped attract global interest in India’s diamond trade.
The FM has also proposed the introduction of a benign assessment procedure for assesses engaged in diamond manufacturing and trading who declare profits from such activities at 8% or more of the turnover.
While instructions in this regard are to be issued shortly, industry sources are not sure whether the 8% implies gross or net profit. Net profit, they say, is around 3% and a clarification needs to be issued on this count.
“The budget has been neutral. We had anticipated relaxation in import of gold but that has not come through though there has been a reduction in import duty on cut and polished diamonds, rough synthetic stones and unworked corals,” said Rajesh Mehta, chairman of Bangalore-based Rajesh Exports.
Sources added turnover tax regime is followed by leading diamond-producing centres such as Belgium and Israel, and, if introduced in India, would preclude needless legal wrangling between tax assessors and assesses as to valuation of stock (diamond), a key problem that the industry faces today.
Bakul Mehta, convenor, diamond panel, Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), says there are billions of stones produced and no standard input-output norms to determine the value of the stock. “Even within the same mine different quality of diamonds can be generated, quality differs from lot-to-lot and within the same lot,” he explained.
Stating that the duty cut on CPD and other raw materials was a positive step, GJEPC Chairman Sanjay Kothari said, “The industry had expected reduction on CPD from 5% to 0% which would have helped India emerge from the largest manufacturing centre to the largest trading centre at a rapid pace.”
GJEPC said the introduction of turnover tax regime was a historical step. The move is affirmative and encouraging. The industry still awaits the exact details of the taxation system and expects it to be in line with international practices. However, the industry expected the turnover tax to be applicable for the entire gems & jewellery sector.
Su-Raj Diamonds & Jewellery CMD Jatin Mehta said, “The FM is on the dot in recognizing the need to reduce duty. These steps are in the right direction and will enable the diamond industry, which is going through a rough patch, to compete with other international centers like Belgium and Israel.”
“As far as turnover tax is concerned it is still not clear how it would unfold and what impact it would have on industry. A duty cut of 2% may not serve the purpose of our exporters as many countries have a zero duty regime. Reduction of duty in synthetic stones will boost consumption at the lower end,” said Gitanjali Gems chairman Mehul Choksi.
More info @ http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Gem_of_an_idea_but_the_sparks_still_missing/articleshow/1704435.cms
Buying Ametrine Rough
(via Lapidary Journal) Lawrence Stoller writes:
The truth be told, I felt a little gluttonous as I held stone after stone to the sunlight, looking for the sharp, contrasting colors of purple and yellow, for I lusted after almost every piece I saw. I use two different selection criteria when I am examining rough material for cutting. The first is what I call the logical criteria. With ametrine, I first look for how clean the stone is internally. Is it filled with veils and cracks, or are there large areas of brilliant flawless material? Second, I look for color. Are the two colors present or it is primarily one color? Is there a distinct color line between the purple and yellow, or do the two colors blend to create yet another unnamed blue?
As one side of my brain makes these intellectual assessments, the other side gives an instant, emotional response. Either I got a resounding Yes!, a No, or an I don’t know. I have learned to go with the yes, even if it is in contrast to the logical criteria response, because sometimes there is a surprise that I might not have seen with my eye, but I knew intuitively was there, waiting to be discovered.
I feel a responsibility for every stone I procure. As a cutter, I know that when acquiring a stone, I am initiating a relationship, a romance so to speak. Thus, as in any relationship there needs to be a spark of attraction, a desire for involvement, and a commitment to spend the time and creative energy to see the transformation of the stone through, from its rough state to its finest finished form. I have found that when examining a piece of rough I need to have an imagination for the finished form, a feeling of desire to achieve it, and a real expectation that it will turn out beautifully before I spend either money or time on a piece. And I find that ametrine can appear brilliantly happy if one knows how to treat it right.
The truth be told, I felt a little gluttonous as I held stone after stone to the sunlight, looking for the sharp, contrasting colors of purple and yellow, for I lusted after almost every piece I saw. I use two different selection criteria when I am examining rough material for cutting. The first is what I call the logical criteria. With ametrine, I first look for how clean the stone is internally. Is it filled with veils and cracks, or are there large areas of brilliant flawless material? Second, I look for color. Are the two colors present or it is primarily one color? Is there a distinct color line between the purple and yellow, or do the two colors blend to create yet another unnamed blue?
As one side of my brain makes these intellectual assessments, the other side gives an instant, emotional response. Either I got a resounding Yes!, a No, or an I don’t know. I have learned to go with the yes, even if it is in contrast to the logical criteria response, because sometimes there is a surprise that I might not have seen with my eye, but I knew intuitively was there, waiting to be discovered.
I feel a responsibility for every stone I procure. As a cutter, I know that when acquiring a stone, I am initiating a relationship, a romance so to speak. Thus, as in any relationship there needs to be a spark of attraction, a desire for involvement, and a commitment to spend the time and creative energy to see the transformation of the stone through, from its rough state to its finest finished form. I have found that when examining a piece of rough I need to have an imagination for the finished form, a feeling of desire to achieve it, and a real expectation that it will turn out beautifully before I spend either money or time on a piece. And I find that ametrine can appear brilliantly happy if one knows how to treat it right.
The Color Purple
Memorable quote (s) from the movie:
Shug (Margaret Avery): More than anything God love admiration.
Celie (Whoopi Goldberg): You saying God is vain?
Shug (Margaret Avery): No, not vain, just wanting to share a good thing. I think it pisses God off when you walk by the colour purple in a field and don't notice it.
Celie (Whoopi Goldberg): You saying it just wanna be loved like it say in the bible?
Shug (Margaret Avery): Yeah, Celie. Everything wanna be loved. Us sing and dance, and holla just wanting to be loved. Look at them trees. Notice how the trees do everything people do to get attention... except walk?
Shug (Margaret Avery): Oh, yeah, this field feels like singing!
Shug (Margaret Avery): More than anything God love admiration.
Celie (Whoopi Goldberg): You saying God is vain?
Shug (Margaret Avery): No, not vain, just wanting to share a good thing. I think it pisses God off when you walk by the colour purple in a field and don't notice it.
Celie (Whoopi Goldberg): You saying it just wanna be loved like it say in the bible?
Shug (Margaret Avery): Yeah, Celie. Everything wanna be loved. Us sing and dance, and holla just wanting to be loved. Look at them trees. Notice how the trees do everything people do to get attention... except walk?
Shug (Margaret Avery): Oh, yeah, this field feels like singing!
The Book Of Diamonds
By Joan Younger Dickinson
Avenel Books / Crown Publishers
1965
Avenel Books writes:
Diamonds have dazzled every age and society of mankind since before the days of Alexander the Great. For centuries the big rocks were jealously hoarded by the Indian Moguls, then bought and traded for fabulous sums by the crowned heads of Europe; in more recent times, they have found their way into the possessions of wealthy individuals and famed museums.
Today, as any bride knows, diamonds are no longer solely the prerogative of the rich and royalty. Gem diamonds are prized by millions for their romance, their special status, and their investment value. Industrial diamonds are indispensably keeping the wheels of world industry turning. On the current market the values of diamonds are booming.
Never before has the whole story of diamonds been told so dramatically and illustrated so profusely as in this new volume. From the first diamonds every discovered, probably in the Golconda mines of India, the author traces their history and lore, through the Brazilian diggings to the South African diamond rush and the development of the De Beers Consolidated Mines, Ltd., who presently handle eighty percent of the world’s diamonds. Dramatic step-by-step photographs show the process of mining the modern diamond and the intricacies how it is cut and faceted.
Here are the stories of the most famous and infamous diamonds of all times: the Koh-i-noor now in the Tower of London, the Hope in our own Smithsonian Institution, the Regent in the Louvre, the Orloff in the Kremlin, the cleaved and faceted Cullinan adorning the British Crown Jewels, as well as many which have mysteriously vanished, such as the Florentine, the Pigott, and the Stewart. The United States can boast of several famous diamonds found in Murfreesboro, Arkansas; the Uncle Sam and the Star of Arkansas.
Diamonds have played their dazzling roles in American fashion among millionaires and working girls alike. The author tells this story from then embryonic jewelry stores along New York’s Maiden Path in the 1700s to the twentieth-century plush establishments along Fifth Avenue.
But this book is for more than a story of diamonds; it is also a practical guide for anyone who owns a diamond or plans to buy one. It explains and illustrates for the uninitiated the different diamond cuts, the role of carats, and how to buy diamonds for sentiment, for beauty, for show, for flawlessness, or for investment. To the prospective bridegroom and his fiancée, the author offers the accepted etiquette and practical advice on buying the diamond engagement ring and answers the specific questions they are most likely to ask, including how to clean and care for her ring. For students of gemology there is a large, informative glossary of diamond terms.
The Book Of Diamonds is illustrated with many old engravings of diamond mining, reproductions of museum painting, photographs of diamonds being mined and cut, famous diamonds in their present settings, plus a choice collection of award winning traditional and modern diamond pieces: rings, bracelets, brooches, pins, earclips, watches, and tiaras. Everyone who thrills to the diamond’s matchless brilliance will find this an enjoyable and thoroughly worthwhile book to own—along with the diamond that is forever.
About the author
Joan Younger Dickinson began her writing career as a reported in New York for United Press International. For more than a decade she was staff writer and an associate editor of the Ladies Home Journal. Author and editor of several books on social history, she worked in Istanbul, Antwerp, Amsterdam, London, and New York studying the diamond before completing this book.
Avenel Books / Crown Publishers
1965
Avenel Books writes:
Diamonds have dazzled every age and society of mankind since before the days of Alexander the Great. For centuries the big rocks were jealously hoarded by the Indian Moguls, then bought and traded for fabulous sums by the crowned heads of Europe; in more recent times, they have found their way into the possessions of wealthy individuals and famed museums.
Today, as any bride knows, diamonds are no longer solely the prerogative of the rich and royalty. Gem diamonds are prized by millions for their romance, their special status, and their investment value. Industrial diamonds are indispensably keeping the wheels of world industry turning. On the current market the values of diamonds are booming.
Never before has the whole story of diamonds been told so dramatically and illustrated so profusely as in this new volume. From the first diamonds every discovered, probably in the Golconda mines of India, the author traces their history and lore, through the Brazilian diggings to the South African diamond rush and the development of the De Beers Consolidated Mines, Ltd., who presently handle eighty percent of the world’s diamonds. Dramatic step-by-step photographs show the process of mining the modern diamond and the intricacies how it is cut and faceted.
Here are the stories of the most famous and infamous diamonds of all times: the Koh-i-noor now in the Tower of London, the Hope in our own Smithsonian Institution, the Regent in the Louvre, the Orloff in the Kremlin, the cleaved and faceted Cullinan adorning the British Crown Jewels, as well as many which have mysteriously vanished, such as the Florentine, the Pigott, and the Stewart. The United States can boast of several famous diamonds found in Murfreesboro, Arkansas; the Uncle Sam and the Star of Arkansas.
Diamonds have played their dazzling roles in American fashion among millionaires and working girls alike. The author tells this story from then embryonic jewelry stores along New York’s Maiden Path in the 1700s to the twentieth-century plush establishments along Fifth Avenue.
But this book is for more than a story of diamonds; it is also a practical guide for anyone who owns a diamond or plans to buy one. It explains and illustrates for the uninitiated the different diamond cuts, the role of carats, and how to buy diamonds for sentiment, for beauty, for show, for flawlessness, or for investment. To the prospective bridegroom and his fiancée, the author offers the accepted etiquette and practical advice on buying the diamond engagement ring and answers the specific questions they are most likely to ask, including how to clean and care for her ring. For students of gemology there is a large, informative glossary of diamond terms.
The Book Of Diamonds is illustrated with many old engravings of diamond mining, reproductions of museum painting, photographs of diamonds being mined and cut, famous diamonds in their present settings, plus a choice collection of award winning traditional and modern diamond pieces: rings, bracelets, brooches, pins, earclips, watches, and tiaras. Everyone who thrills to the diamond’s matchless brilliance will find this an enjoyable and thoroughly worthwhile book to own—along with the diamond that is forever.
About the author
Joan Younger Dickinson began her writing career as a reported in New York for United Press International. For more than a decade she was staff writer and an associate editor of the Ladies Home Journal. Author and editor of several books on social history, she worked in Istanbul, Antwerp, Amsterdam, London, and New York studying the diamond before completing this book.
Thursday, March 01, 2007
The Bottom Of The Pyramid
C.K. Prahalad, author of The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid writes:
The bottom of the pyramid is comprised of 5 billion underserved and unserved people. It is not a monolith--there are many demographic layers within it--and it's not just the poorest of the poor. But I'm not interested in the pseudo-efficiency of trying to precisely measure poverty. I'm interested in business innovations that will bring the BOP (bottom of the pyramid) into the market-driven economy.
The bottom of the pyramid is comprised of 5 billion underserved and unserved people. It is not a monolith--there are many demographic layers within it--and it's not just the poorest of the poor. But I'm not interested in the pseudo-efficiency of trying to precisely measure poverty. I'm interested in business innovations that will bring the BOP (bottom of the pyramid) into the market-driven economy.
Opticon
Nearly all emeralds are treated with a liquid or resin after cutting. The most popular filler is a synthetic polyester epoxy resin called Opticon. Opticon is nearly transparent and light amber in color. The refractive index is approximately 1.545. Treaters may use green Opticon to improve the color of emeralds without proper disclosure. Opticon may turn yellow after many months/years. With some training, proper magnification and comparison stones you should be able to detect dispersion flashes, trapped gas bubbles, and unique texture (s) inside the stone. All treatments should be disclosed at all levels of the distribution chain. If you are doubtful have it checked by a reputed gem testing laboratory.
Throwing Good Money After Bad
Here is an interesting article on money and its unique phenomenon in the real world.
Robert Kiyosaki writes:
All booms eventually go bust. We all remember the stock market crash of 2000, and most of us remember the real estate crash after the implementation of the 1986 Tax Reform Act. Today, many people are anticipating another real estate crash.
Unfortunately, despite our understanding of booms and inevitable busts, it's always near the top of a boom that "dumb money" buys in. Currently, this has set the scene for a potential market bust of which few people are aware. I'll describe it today's column, and advise how best to prepare in my next column.
Express-Lane Inspiration
About a year ago, I wrote a Yahoo! Finance column warning readers that the real estate boom was over. How did I forecast the end of the boom? I got my hot tip from the cashier at my local Safeway supermarket.
While she was tallying the cost of my apples, broccoli, and steaks, she handed me her new real estate agent's card and invited me to call her for my next real estate investment. Moments later, I was home writing that column. As my rich dad used to say, "When dumb money chases smart money, the party's over." Needless to say, many real estate agents and investors wrote me nasty notes.
I'm not a hundred-percent certain where things are going today. Most economists are forecasting a strong economy, but economists worry me more than newly minted real estate agents. Most seem to be happy that inflation is in check; when I hear that inflation is in check, I begin to think about deflation, and as most of us know, deflation is much, much, worse than inflation.
An Inconvenient Truth
In the simplest terms, inflation occurs when there' too much money in the system. On the flip side, deflation occurs when there are too few dollars in circulation. When that happens, prices start to fall. For example, in inflationary times, prices of houses go up. In deflationary times, prices of houses come down. If prices of houses begin to drop too fast right now, it could be 1986 all over again.
I wrote a column in 2005 about how I love debt and my credit cards. The trouble is that most people do. Today, you can qualify for a loan to buy a house simply if you're alive and breathing. The strong economy we've been experiencing for years has thus been built on dumb money -- in addition to smart money -- borrowing more and more. Even the U.S. government has had a field day borrowing money to do such things as fight a war and attempt to rebuild Iraq and Afghanistan rather than rebuild our country. And the inconvenient truth about debt is that it has to be paid back.
A Certain Ratio
For the next two years, I'm cautioning people to watch their ratios between good debt and bad debt, and keep liquid reserves such as cash, gold, or silver.
Good debt is debt that makes you rich. An example of good debt is the debt on the apartment houses I own. That debt is good only as long as there are tenants to pay my mortgages. If tenants stop paying their rent, my good debt turns into bad debt.
Most people don't have good debt -- all they have is bad debt. Bad debt is debt that makes you poorer. I count the mortgage on my home as bad debt, because I'm the one paying on it. Other forms of bad debt are car payments, credit card balances, or other consumer loans.
On our home, my wife, Kim, and I keep a 25 percent debt-to-equity ratio. In other words, our debt is 25 percent of the home's value. Unfortunately, many people have an 80 percent or higher debt-to-equity ratio. That means the debt on their home is 80 percent and their equity is only 20 percent.
On our investment properties, we carry a higher debt-to-equity ratio. To protect ourselves, we have cash reserves to cover the expenses of the properties. For example, in case all the tenants leave and no one is left to pay the mortgage and expenses, we have separate funds for each property, with enough liquidity -- i.e. cash, stocks, and bonds -- to carry the building for a year. Unfortunately, the dumb-money crowd has no reserve funds for their properties.
Where Deflation Does Its Damage
In a deflationary market, the value of your home can drop. If the value drops, the bank may call in your loan. Even if you've never missed a payment, and even if you're ahead on the payment schedule, the bank can call in your loan if they feel the value of the property is lower than the loan amount.
For example, say you buy a house for $100,000 and put 20 percent down and borrow $80,000. If the market deflates and the value of your home drops to $70,000 (because everyone else is selling their homes to get out of debt), the lender may ask you to pay the $80,000 you owe immediately.
If such deflation happens, cash will become king. There will be half-price sales on BMWs, expensive restaurants will close, and people will be out of work. And anybody who caters to people with dumb money will be in trouble. As I said before, deflation is much worse than inflation.
Smart Money, Bad Times
The good news is that during deflationary times, smart money reenters the market, so crashes are great for smart people with smart money. Instead of listening to the optimistic economists, then, you should eliminate bad debt and improve your debt-to-equity ratios on good debt.
Most important, study; if you want to be smart, you need to learn. I'll discuss what you should study in the second part of this column. For now, be aware that if deflation comes and there's a recession, it won't have much effect on the poor. Instead, it'll punish middle-class people who think they're rich because their houses and stocks have gone up in value.
I'll explain more in a couple of weeks.
More info @ http://finance.yahoo.com/expert/article/richricher/24515
Robert Kiyosaki writes:
All booms eventually go bust. We all remember the stock market crash of 2000, and most of us remember the real estate crash after the implementation of the 1986 Tax Reform Act. Today, many people are anticipating another real estate crash.
Unfortunately, despite our understanding of booms and inevitable busts, it's always near the top of a boom that "dumb money" buys in. Currently, this has set the scene for a potential market bust of which few people are aware. I'll describe it today's column, and advise how best to prepare in my next column.
Express-Lane Inspiration
About a year ago, I wrote a Yahoo! Finance column warning readers that the real estate boom was over. How did I forecast the end of the boom? I got my hot tip from the cashier at my local Safeway supermarket.
While she was tallying the cost of my apples, broccoli, and steaks, she handed me her new real estate agent's card and invited me to call her for my next real estate investment. Moments later, I was home writing that column. As my rich dad used to say, "When dumb money chases smart money, the party's over." Needless to say, many real estate agents and investors wrote me nasty notes.
I'm not a hundred-percent certain where things are going today. Most economists are forecasting a strong economy, but economists worry me more than newly minted real estate agents. Most seem to be happy that inflation is in check; when I hear that inflation is in check, I begin to think about deflation, and as most of us know, deflation is much, much, worse than inflation.
An Inconvenient Truth
In the simplest terms, inflation occurs when there' too much money in the system. On the flip side, deflation occurs when there are too few dollars in circulation. When that happens, prices start to fall. For example, in inflationary times, prices of houses go up. In deflationary times, prices of houses come down. If prices of houses begin to drop too fast right now, it could be 1986 all over again.
I wrote a column in 2005 about how I love debt and my credit cards. The trouble is that most people do. Today, you can qualify for a loan to buy a house simply if you're alive and breathing. The strong economy we've been experiencing for years has thus been built on dumb money -- in addition to smart money -- borrowing more and more. Even the U.S. government has had a field day borrowing money to do such things as fight a war and attempt to rebuild Iraq and Afghanistan rather than rebuild our country. And the inconvenient truth about debt is that it has to be paid back.
A Certain Ratio
For the next two years, I'm cautioning people to watch their ratios between good debt and bad debt, and keep liquid reserves such as cash, gold, or silver.
Good debt is debt that makes you rich. An example of good debt is the debt on the apartment houses I own. That debt is good only as long as there are tenants to pay my mortgages. If tenants stop paying their rent, my good debt turns into bad debt.
Most people don't have good debt -- all they have is bad debt. Bad debt is debt that makes you poorer. I count the mortgage on my home as bad debt, because I'm the one paying on it. Other forms of bad debt are car payments, credit card balances, or other consumer loans.
On our home, my wife, Kim, and I keep a 25 percent debt-to-equity ratio. In other words, our debt is 25 percent of the home's value. Unfortunately, many people have an 80 percent or higher debt-to-equity ratio. That means the debt on their home is 80 percent and their equity is only 20 percent.
On our investment properties, we carry a higher debt-to-equity ratio. To protect ourselves, we have cash reserves to cover the expenses of the properties. For example, in case all the tenants leave and no one is left to pay the mortgage and expenses, we have separate funds for each property, with enough liquidity -- i.e. cash, stocks, and bonds -- to carry the building for a year. Unfortunately, the dumb-money crowd has no reserve funds for their properties.
Where Deflation Does Its Damage
In a deflationary market, the value of your home can drop. If the value drops, the bank may call in your loan. Even if you've never missed a payment, and even if you're ahead on the payment schedule, the bank can call in your loan if they feel the value of the property is lower than the loan amount.
For example, say you buy a house for $100,000 and put 20 percent down and borrow $80,000. If the market deflates and the value of your home drops to $70,000 (because everyone else is selling their homes to get out of debt), the lender may ask you to pay the $80,000 you owe immediately.
If such deflation happens, cash will become king. There will be half-price sales on BMWs, expensive restaurants will close, and people will be out of work. And anybody who caters to people with dumb money will be in trouble. As I said before, deflation is much worse than inflation.
Smart Money, Bad Times
The good news is that during deflationary times, smart money reenters the market, so crashes are great for smart people with smart money. Instead of listening to the optimistic economists, then, you should eliminate bad debt and improve your debt-to-equity ratios on good debt.
Most important, study; if you want to be smart, you need to learn. I'll discuss what you should study in the second part of this column. For now, be aware that if deflation comes and there's a recession, it won't have much effect on the poor. Instead, it'll punish middle-class people who think they're rich because their houses and stocks have gone up in value.
I'll explain more in a couple of weeks.
More info @ http://finance.yahoo.com/expert/article/richricher/24515
The Wizard Of Oz
Memorable quote from the movie:
Auntie Em Gale (Clara Blandick): Almira Gulch. Just because you own half the town doesn't mean that you have the power to run the rest of us. For twenty-three years I've been dying to tell you what I thought of you! And now... well, being a Christian woman, I can't say it!
Auntie Em Gale (Clara Blandick): Almira Gulch. Just because you own half the town doesn't mean that you have the power to run the rest of us. For twenty-three years I've been dying to tell you what I thought of you! And now... well, being a Christian woman, I can't say it!
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