The New Gold Rush

Eileen Kinsella writes about the works by Remington, Russell, Catlin + the Western art’s improved standing in the art market + other viewpoints @ http://artnews.com/issues/article.asp?art_id=1315

Emerald

Ronald Ringsrud writes on emeralds (translated/published in the Rivista Gemmologica Italiana in Rome, Italy) @ http://www.emeraldmine.com/rivista.htm

Antwerp Diamond Conference

Members of the industry + government officials + bankers who attended the Antwerp Diamond Conference discussed with experts their views/concerns + the pros and cons of beneficiation in Africa and elsewhere + at the end of day it was all about business. I think Alrosa's President Sergey Vybornov said the truth without any fracture-filling, i.e economic viability vs. populist measures. The diamond business will fail with generous subsidies--period.

(via idexonline) To read the full text of Vybornov’s speech, click here

Useful link:
http://www.idexonline.com/portal_FullNews.asp?id=28497

Burmese Ruby: Local Systems Of Grading And Nomenclature

Kothway: Pigeon’s-blood red: The finest deep vibrant crimson with slight yellowish overtones.
Yeong-twe: The second best color; literally ‘rabbit’s blood, a slightly darker and more bluish red.
Bho-kyiet: The third best color; an intense and very deep hot pink color.
Ley-kow-seet: The fourth best color; literally bracelet quality ruby, a light pink color.
Ley-kow-seet: The lowest grade; a very dark red color; the phrase literally meaning crying Indian quality.
Ka-la-ngoh: Supposedly so named because even an Indian would despair at such dark-toned stones.

Wild Play

Travel:(via Dailyspeculations/Michael Ott) Visit Wild Play for a unique experience. You learn of a bit of everything.

Trading Floors

(via Dailyspeculations) Conde Nast Porfolio has some great pictures of trading floors around the world.

How To Hug A Tree

Ann Landi writes about teaching performance art + the impact (s) + unique ways of looking at cultural history + other viewpoints @ http://artnews.com/issues/article.asp?art_id=1295

Symmetry Is Really Sexy

(via Telegraph) The article was interesting, it was actually on 'beauty spots' + the link by the experts of the 'turn on' effects of symmetrical face/body, whatever your culture.

In the Proceedings of the Royal Society, Biological Sciences, research by Dr Anthony Little of the University of Stirling, working with colleagues Coren Apicella at Harvard University and Frank Marlowe Florida State University, shows that symmetry transcends racial and national boundaries: a lopsided face is less attractive to both Hadza (one of the last hunter gatherer cultures) and Britons, so that the age-old idea that beauty is in the eye of the beholder is a romantic myth + the mounting evidence that our appreciation of beauty has a deep-seated biological explanation: the attraction of a face gives a profound insight into whether our intended will efficiently pass our genes on to future generations + symmetry has been shown to be important in mate-choice in many animals.

In my view, the experts should have worked with diamonds and colored stones, to evaluate the beauty of well-proportioned, symmetrical, polished, both standard and fancy cuts, to understand the visual effect (s) + the impact (s) on human. In fact they are sexy too. They are like human. They evoke passion, and you may go crazy when you see a beautiful stone screaming at you.

Useful link:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml;jsessionid=MOVHSQGV5HNRRQFIQMGCFFWAVCBQUIV0?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/earth/2007/10/10/scisym110.xml

Moonlight Spurs Corals To Spawn

(via Sciencemag) Researchers led by Oren Levy of the Center for Marine Studies at the University of Queensland, Australia report that corals (Australia's Great Barrier Reef) are able to sense changes in light — especially blue light — and respond to them. The experts think they may have found out how reef-building corals manage to coordinate their sex lives in moonlight bay.

According to the experts corals contain ancient proteins called cryptochromes which react to light. Cryptochromes have also been found in mammals and insects where they effect the circadian clock that regulates the daily rhythms of life.

Useful link:
http://www.sciencemag.org

A ‘Bloody’ Court Case In Switzerland

Chaim Even-Zohar writes about the controversy surrounding Swiss and Belgium authorities over two Belgians accused of dealing in questionable/uncertified rough diamonds + other viewpoints @ http://www.idexonline.com/portal_FullEditorial.asp

Burmese Ruby Grade And Size Classification Terms

1. Top quality stones of deep rich crimson color
- Anyun: 2 carat and above
- Lethi: 1.75 carat average weight
- The-bauk: (haibauk) Average weight 0.75 carat
- Saga-the: Average weight 0.50 carat
- Ame-the: 0.20 carat average weight, or 5 stones to the carat

2. Second quality: stones of a bright crimson hue
- Ani-gyi: 2 – 6 carat in weight

3. Third quality stones
- Ani-te or Bombaing: As they were favored in Bombay, India
- Ante-te: 2 – 6 carat in weight

4. Fourth quality
- Ahte-Kya: Literally meaning fallen from the top. Mixed stones of the better grades, but of slightly defective clarity, color or shape.

Also included in this grade are:
Kyak-me: Very dark stones sold mainly to the Indian market in Madras.

There are many grades of inferior quality stones based on clarity, cut and color. Other terms of interest are:
Pingoo-cho: First quality star rubies; literally ‘spiders thread’.
Pingoo-sa: Silky rubies with or without a star.
Apya: Flat stones of fine quality.

Radiohead

New Business Models: It was a real surprise when Radiohead, the British rock band, announced that it would release its latest album online, without a record label, and let fans pay whatever they wanted to for it, including nothing at all. No one knows for sure the long-term implications, but it's a real eye-opener + the question is whether the concept could be tested in other businesses + expert's reaction (s) to Radiohead's new concept @ http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/1821.cfm

Teaching The New Carbon Math

Energy: (via WRI Digest) Earth Council Geneva (ECG) + GHG Experts Network (GEN) + ClimateCHECK have combined to form GHG Management Institute + the network will use WRI's Greenhouse Gas Protocol to train pros on measuring and managing GHG emissions, blending e-learning and interaction with expert instructors.

Useful links:
GHG Management Institute
GHG Protocol

A Technique For Producing Ideas

Good Books: James Young's "A Technique for Producing Ideas" is an interesting book. It was written in the 1940s by an advertiser. It was all about generating ideas for advertising + I think with some modification (s) the concept should work wonders in other businesses. To really make it work you have got to be a specialist + lucky.

What Are They Teaching Art Students These Days?

Gail Gregg writes about new forms of learning art with technology + the encroachment of market forces into academia + developing conceptual skills + intellectual experimentation + other viewpoints @ http://artnews.com/issues/article.asp?art_id=1293

Wind Energy On Demand

Energy: Jean Thilmany writes about a utility-sponsored project and an ambitious company's aim to store wind energy underground for sale + other viewpoints @ http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2007/oct/tech/jt_wind.html

Useful links:
Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities
Iowa Stored Energy Park
General Compression

Ammonite

Chet Raymo writes about ammonite, a unique jewel box that tells evolutionary stories about drifting continents, asteroid collisions, mountains thrust upwards, wasting erosion and more + a species of fossil ammonite, Hildoceras, named for the holy scholar -- abbess of Whitby + other viewpoints @ http://www.sciencemusings.com/2007/10/wise-saints-and-drifting-continents.html

Diamond Grading

International Diamond Laboratories writes:
The biggest issue with diamond grading as we know it today is inconsistency. A diamond that is awarded an E color grade might receive a D tomorrow and an F the day after. Our research has shown that inconsistency easily reaches up to 25% on average. It’s merely a simple fact related to the imperfections of the human eye as a measuring instrument. Experienced graders will acknowledge that these differences exist. A machine can overcome this subjectivity. IDL commits to offering a level of consistency the diamond market has not yet seen. Diamond grading is to be brought from an art to a science. IDL will offer the much needed consistency through technology. (http://www.diamondlab.org)


Useful link:
Hughes, R.W. (1987) Diamond grading: Does it work? Gemological Digest, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 1–3

In my view diamond grading will always be controversial. A friend of mine who is in the business tells me that diamond grading is a faith-based concept. We have got used to it for so long it's going to be with us forever. So now comes the International Diamond Laboratories' statement (s) that their version is more scientific, fool-proof, sort of a god-like statement. Only time will tell. In the end it's the consumers who will have to raise their standard (s) by gaining appropriate skills to distinguish (which I doubt) diamond grades and believe it. When experts /technology go wrong (they usually do), consumers are always the losers.

Magic Of Music

I love classical music + the experience + the different musical tastes + the art form + the reinvention of classical music. Knight Foundation's research, among the largest discipline-specific studies of arts consumers report is an interesting study. The full report is available @ www.knightfdn.org

Useful link:
- Classical Music Consumer Segmentation Study

Colombian Emerald

Here is an educational clip from Ron Ringsrud about a 1400 carat (+) Colombian emerald crystal + six carat emerald @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQAn_n75Dzc

I liked this one.

Naked Truths

Sarah Valdez writes about a new generation of women trying to reflect their own sensibilities + contradictory concepts, identities and desires + humor and self-stereotyping + other viewpoints @ http://artnews.com/issues/article.asp?art_id=1276

Rough Ruby From Mong Hsu, Burma: The Route To Market

(via Kammerling, 1994) Rough ruby from Mong Hsu, Burma:

1. The initial journey is from the mine site to the town of Mong Hsu. The ruby is then taken by road to the city of Taunggyi, 275 km away. Here there is a government-sanctioned market where dealers can trade their stones legally for a fee.

2. From Taunggyi the vast majority of the rough ruby the travels east to the town of Keng Tung rather than traveling down to Rangoon.

3. The next stage is the Burmese town of Tachiliek, just across the border from Thailand.

4. From Tachiliek the rough is taken across the small Moei Kok River into Thailand.

5. Trading is intense in the small Thai town of Mae Sai, just a few hundred meters across the border. Rough untreated rubies are openly traded in shops and sidestreet tables. The center of the ruby trade is the street that has become known locally as Soi Tab Teem (Ruby Lane). Most business goes on between Thai dealers from Chantaburi and Burmese traders who make the daily trip across the bridge from Tachiliek. The cost of setting up a shop in Ruby Lane is reportedly only some US$400 +/-. A table on the main Soi costs around US$80 +/-, while on a side-Soi can cost as little as US$40 +/-. Parcels range from one to two pieces up to 1kg (5000 carats). If a sale is made, the goods are passed over and payment is in Thai baht.

6. The rough is then taken to Chantaburi where the stones are heat treated to remove the distinctive blue cores that typify this material. They are then cut and polished.

7. The fashioned and treated stones may then be sold onto larger dealers in Bangkok, to be sold on the local market to manufacturers, and to foreign buyers from all over the world.

The Logic Of Failure

Good Books: Dietrich Doerner's The Logic of Failure is a must-read book. We all know that people who are in power make stupid mistakes + Dietrich Dorner explains why they do so from psychological experiments + computer simulations with role-playing volunteers. Dorner, director of the Cognitive Anthropology Project at the Max Planck Institute in Berlin, believes that guided role-playing can help people understand what they're doing wrong and get better at making decisions. Writes Dorner: 'Anyone who thinks play is nothing but play and dead earnest nothing but dead earnest hasn't understood either one.'

The Lebanese Role

(via The Diamond World, 1981) David E Koskoff writes:

Here is an excerpt from The Diamond World:
The De Beers and Selection Trust crowd resent Jamil’s advantages, and especially the government’s unofficial but well-established policy of suffering te Koidu dealers to remain and, worse, permitting them to deal in dollars—for ‘Guinean’ stones only (but who is to say what stones come from where?). This makes Koidu a Monrovia outpost plumb in the heart of te Diminco lease. It also facilitates the laundering of black market currency transactions of whatever origin. But, says a De Beers person, “We’ve learned to live with that kind of thing.”

Notwithstanding Jamil’s overriding interests, diamond dealing among Koidu’s buyers is a highly competitive matter. Koidu dealers buy principally from Kono diggers, from the more sophisticated Maracca illicits, and from the Mandingo, many of whom are carrying in the Guinean stones. Something over 90 pecent of the black sellers are Muslim and come to the offices wearing gowns and either fezzes or the black Muslim equivalent of the yarmulke. There is also considerable trading between Lebanese themselves, and many stones have been traded several times within Sierra Leone before they are actually exported.

The Koidu dealers are a refreshingly honest lot of rogues, tremendously likable. They are quite open about the fact that all of their Guinean customers are smugglers; that many of the Sierra Leone stones in which they deal are illicitly mined, and that some of those stones may even have been stolen from Diminco; that they themselves have been knowingly if indirectly involved in illicit dealings in the past—and quite possibly, even right now. Nobody seriously maintains that the success of their operations depends principally on legitimate trade, and many of them are involved exclusively in illicit operations. Some are second-generation diamantaires and have been in the business all their lives. “Said” (as I will call him) is one of these.

Said is a solid and personable young man. He studied for two years in London but says that he did not approve of the dissolute life of hash smoking and wenching that typified te English college crowd, so left without taking a degree. He prefers life in Koidu to the sleazy sophistication of student London.

Said is only about twenty-four years old, but he represents twenty four centuries of Phoenician tradition. I asked him, “Is it better for a digger to sell his diamonds in Koidu or to the Diamond Corporation in Kenema? and in response he gave me most of what understanding I have of Lebanese trading techniques:

“That depends on whether you want to deal with me. I make you laugh, I make you cry, and I help you out in times of need. You have a bad time? Paid too much for a stone? Your old lady’s sick? You can tell me about it. I will listen. I will help. We never forget a person who is in need. The Diamond Corporation doesn’t want to know.

I give respect, dignity, I talk to them fine, and they appreciate that. In the bad times I couldn’t give good prices, but people came anyway. They said,” He’s a good boy, he gives good prices.” Maybe they knew it wasn’t so, but they came anyway because when I didn’t give good prices I still gave respect and dignity. It’s feelings you work with, not only money; you touch his feelings—he’ll never forget that.”

Said works out of an office where he greets the sellers in thier tribal gowns in his own informal western clothes. He deals with them good-naturedly, joshes, and has an easy and friendly rapport with them. They have obviously come to like him and to trust him. The trust element is all important in Koidu, as it is throughout the diamond world. Occasionally stones are left with him for safekeeping by potential sellers who must return to Guinea to discuss an offer with a partner; they may not return for their goods for over a month.

All of the Lebanese dealers have tremendous expenses for charity, handouts, and uncollectable ‘loans’. I watched while Said dispensed a stream of leaones to needy people who came in for help. To a great extent such kindness is a rather cynical casting of bread upon waters: Small courtesies today may give the opportunity for big killings tomorrow.

Said works all the time. When things slow down at his office, around six thirty at night, he closes up and goes home, but any seller can come to his house and he will return to his office at any time to close any transaction. “Work!” he said out of nowhere. And then he added, “....Money.”

For Sierra Leone, diamonds have been a curse of riches. It was once an exporter of its people’s basic staple, rice, but the diamonds and their lure drained off the agricultural workers to the diamond diggings. Now it must import rice and leave most of the potentially rich paddies idle.

The illicit dealings to which diamonds no nicely lend themselves have promoted a general spirit of lawlessness within the country and have corrupted the nation’s officials. At every turn, laws and practices have been changed to accomodate the illegal conduct of the diamond community, each time at a greater cost to the country and its citizens at large, theoretically as an effort to entice the illicit element into more nearly legitimate avenues, but at least partly as a bid by the politicians to win the goodwill of te criminal element.

By opening the diamond lands to the diggers in 1956, the country gave up the significant tax income that would otherwise have come to it from the much more heavily taxed SLST and reduced the country’s total mineral wealth potential by giving lands over to less efficient producers. About all that was gained for the country was the legitimizing of the diggers, and the dubious possibility that the diggers might henceforth pay some export duties. There was no point to asking them to pay income taxes. If required to to so, the newly legitimate diggers and dealers would retaliate by smuggling their stones across the border to Liberia, and the country would lose the export duty as well. On De Beer’s advice, the diggers and dealers were exempted from the income tax. Everyone else must pick up the share of taxes that the diamantaires, some of the country’s wealthiest men, might otherwise have evaded anyway. The exemptions lures laborers to socially unproductive pursuits, and encourages the channeling of Lebanese capital into tax-exempt diamond investments, rather than into investments that would be both taxable and otherwise more desirable from soceity’s viewpoint.

All this was done ostensibly in the hopes that the diamond people would at least pay the export duty. But they didn’t. Smuggling went right on. So on the Diamond Corporation’s urgings the export duty was reduced from 7.5 percent to 2.5 percent, about the same as Liberia, where a 3 percent duty is computed somewhat more leniently. Would the diamond men at least give the state that much? The answer has been yes and no. With the drop in duty early in 1978, smuggling declined to very little. Then, a 5 percent devaluation of the leone in the fall of 1978 badly affected confidence in the leone and was an impetus to increased smuggling to Monronvia, where the stones could be sold for dollars. The hosting of the OAU conference and other government improvidences is likely to lead to further devaluation of the leone, and increased smuggling.

The country received real tax moneys from SLST, and both taxes and dividends from Diminco, but these moneys have largely been squandered, rather than invested in capital improvements r job-creating enterprises of lasting benefit to Sierra Leone. The country has gotten nothing out of the alluvial diamond mining scheme other than the increased popularity of its ‘statesmen’.

It can’t last longer. Diminco will almost certainly cease to be profitable in the next few years, and the alluvial-scheme patches are already being worked over for the second and third times. Grave economic adjustments are ahead for the country when Diminco ceases contributing, and for the diggers when they have to hang up their sieves. When it’s all over, all that Sierra Leone will have to show for it will be an emotional and fiscal letdown, and the remembrances of good days gone by.

I hope the new government will utilize the natural resources in a constructive manner with good management + compassion. The people of Sierra Leone have suffered enough.

What You Can Learn From The Office

(via Fastcompany) Liz Webber writes about America's favorite fictional boss @ What You Can Learn from The Office

I really enjoyed it + the biggest mistakes:
- Don't Tell Everyone the Boat is Sinking When It's Not
- Don't Blackmail Employees into Doing Your Laundry
- Don't Try to Steal the Show at an Employee's Wedding
- Don't Rip Up Students' Textbooks at a College Lecture
- Try to Avoid Accidentally Dressing in Drag
- Don't Call a Client a "Beeyotch"
- Don't Buy Lingerie for Employees
- Don't Make Employees Compete Survivor-style for Your Job
- Don't Sell Your Condo on eBay Before You Land a Job Promotion
- Try Not to Hit Employees With Your Car

I've seen many bosses who are like the fictional boss in the movie, but my favorite movie is One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest. It's amazing to see someone act so well.

Chocolate vs. Colored gemstone consumers

The image of dark chocolate + the publicity about its health benefits has made it a popular chocolate choice among the consumers because many manufacturers have started to introduce product labels with percentage of cocoa content.

The U.S based Chocolate Manufactured Association (CMA) have taken the initiative by releasing a guide to cacao content labels (defining cacao percentages as the total percentage of ingredients (by weight) which come from the cacao bean + possible inclusion of chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, cocoa powder + explanation on how this percentage relates to flavor, sweetness and health) to educate chocolate consumers.

Why can’t the colored gemstone industry + gem testing/grading laboratories + trade associations do the same?

By the way I like chocolates, dark chocolates. I also like colored gemstones.

The Lebanese Role

(via The Diamond World, 1981) David E Koskoff writes:
I have read the book several times. What interests me is the characters, traditions and cultures + the way diamonds are described and traded by locals and international markets + the role of immigrants in diamond producing countries. I was really touched by the violence and sufferings of Sierra Leoneans + the movie Blood Diamond added a bit more luster (I think) to the character (s) of the trade. It's educational.

Here is an excerpt from The Diamond World:
The Lebanese community, and principally the Koidu Lebanese, represent the alternate market in which the diggers and small dealers can sell their stones. The Lebanese are the dominant economic factor in Sierra Leone, and in much of the rest of West Africa. They first began to arrive in Sierra Leone in the mid-1890s. They arrived very poor, lacking skills or useful experience, ignorant of the country and of the native languages. They took to trading and shortly became established participants in the life of the country. Until the diamond rush of the 1950s, however, they remained a largely impoverished community, many of whom lived in the style of the black Africans, some of them marrying Sierre Leonean women.

At the time of the illicit diamond rush, the Lebanese were in a position to take a big chunk of the traffic, but the Mandingo were ahead of them. Until the late 1950s the Mandingo held their own against the Lebanese for control of the non-Diminco production, but gradually the Lebanese became the dominant factor. ‘They are firm and controlling people and they know the black,’ an Antwerp rough dealer explained to me. H.L. van der Laan, author of The Lebanese Traders in Sierra Leone, believes that it has more to do with historical and economic circumstances: The Lebanese had greater access to finance; they could make bigger deals and could finance mining operations that were beyond the Mandingo traders. They also had greater rapport with the officials of the British colony of Sierra Leone, and after 1961 with the officials of the independent nation of Sierra Leone. Mandingos found it increasingly difficult to get or to renew buyer’s licences.

Today virtually all of the Lebanese are wealthy by Sierra Leone standards, and many of them are wealthy by American or European standards, living as well as is possible in an underdeveloped country, and refueling with regular vacations abroad. Though their wealth orginates in the diamonds, they have used their diamond money to gather control of every other aspect of the country’s economy, with the predictable result that most black Sierra Leoneans resent them. Where has the country’s diamond wealth gone? Any black man in Sierra Leone can tell you in a word: ‘Beirut’, a convenient oversimplication.

The diamond diggers and smaller African dealers are largely very tribal people, and though they may have ill will toward the Lebanese, still, they feel more comfortable dealing with Lebanese whom they have known for years than with a European. They are more likely to trust a Lebanese-especially those diggers who either began or are now operating illicitly. Every digger knows that he can bring his stones directly to the Diamond Corporation in Kenema for sale or for an offer, but few do, even though they know that their Lebanese buyer may sell their stones to the Diamond Corporation at a profit. Many of them are financially tied to a particular Lebanese, and most of the rest are tied to one by a sense of trust.

In the days when the Diamond Corporation was the only exporter, a Lebanese could tell the buyer if he didn’t get his price, he would take the stone away. The buyer understood what that meant: that the stone would be smuggled across to Monrovia and sold on the outside market to a competing buyer—the stone would be traded outside De Beers’ control. But that kind of talk did not make much sense coming from a native Kono digger. The result was that the Diamond Corporation did pay the Lebanese a better price than the African—and may still.

Koidu, the commercial center for the Kono district and the Yengema lease area, and center of the Lebanese diamond traffic, is a busy, out-of-repair backwater city of tin shacks and shanties and scattered masonry structures that house the Lebanese-owned stores. In Koidu everything turns on bribery, from electricity and telephone service to the more conventional corruptions of police. Diamond dealing has always been illegal in Koidu.

The Koidu trade is much less active today than it was in the raucous fifties and sixties, but is still very far from dead. Much of the trade is ‘licit’ from Sierra Leone’s point of view—except for the fact that its mere existence is illicit. It involves buying the diamonds illicitly mined in neighboring Guinea, which are smuggled from Guinea into Sierra Leone. Koidu is on a convenient road link to the diamondifeous area of Guinea; it is closer to Guinea than Monrovia, where the Guineans would otherwise to; there are more buyers—and thus more competition—in Koidu than in Monrovia; and the Koidu Lebanese are officially unofficially (or unofficially officially) permitted to pay for Guinean stones in US dollars (also the official unit of currency in Liberia). Many of the Koidu dealers end up smuggling stones to Monrovia principally to get dollars with which to purchase more Guinean stones. The Guineans are fond of Liberian currency, more than of leones, let alone of sylis (the Guinean unit of currency).

Jamil, charming and colorful, shrewd and hardworking, has risen to the top of the heap. He is an Afro-Lebanese (his mother is from the politically important Temme tribe) and an ostensible Muslim, though not one thta would pass any mullah’s muster. He drinks liquor and works on Friday.

Jamil started, so it goes, as a lorry driver involved in small scale diamond smuggling, then became bigger and with the aid of a ‘handyman’ was able to rope lesser illicit dealers into his arena. Out of it came an empire that extends to most aspects of the Sierra Leone economy, and to all of the seamier aspects of it. President Stevens is generally believed to have interests in many of Jamil’s ventures, and Jamil is reputed to enjoy a second-to-none influence with the head of state. This is the kind of legend that revolves around one or more people in every African country; in the case of Sierra Leone’s Jamil, it may have some truth to it.

In 1959 Jamil was arrested, sentenced to six months in jail, and banished from the Kono diamond district for unlawful possession of diamonds—no disgrace in Sierra Leone, where diamond offenses have always been viewed ad tut-tut matters. In 1965 he was rehabilitated, issued a diamond dealer’s license, and permitted to return to Kono. There he quickly rose to the top as the partisan of the prime minister, Sir Albert Margai. When Margai used the threat of expulsion from Kono to raise campaign contributions from the Lebanese, Jamil was one of the bag men, assessing contributions on an ability to pay basis. Meanwhile, Henneh Shamel, Jamil’s main rival, cast his lot with Stevens and the opposition party, and with Steven’s success, Jamil faded rapidly into obscurity, while Shamel rode high and ostentatiously to the front as the king of the diamond dealers.

In November of 1969 an SLST shipment of one month’s diamond production was waylaid at the small Hastings Airport south of Freetown by armed thieves who made off with $3.4 million worth of stones. People high up in company security had to have been involved. Shamel was arrested and charged with having masterminded the theft, but at trial he was acquitted. The presiding judge criticized the prosecution for having presented its case badly. Two days later Shamel left the country.

Shamel was declared a prohibited immigrant and barred from returning to Sierra Leone. Thereafter, Jamil began working his way into Steven’s good graces, and has continually improved his position since. Insofar as the country’s diamond policy is concerned, he probably has more input than anyone else in Sierra Leone. His allocation of the Dominco production is likely to increase—at least so long as President Stevens remains in office—to the extent that it is advantageous for Jamil to have it increase. He was almost certainly responsible for the government decision in 1974 to make export licenses available to others than the Diamond Corporation. He became a licensed exporter, but so long as the export duty remained pegged at 7.5 percent he exported almost nothing through official channels. Within ten days after the duty was reduced to 2.5 percent in 1978, Jamil surged past the Diamond Corporation to become the number one alluvial-scheme exporter.

Jamil’s considerable experience has made him a thoroughly competent rough evaluator, and he now has a network of trading and diamond cutting contacts in Antwerp, but at this point he is more of a financier than a diamantaire himself. He is the godfather of the Lebanese diamond traders, most of whom conduct their diamond businesses to greater or lesser degrees as his agent. Any Lebanese who becomes big enough works for Jamil or gets out. One of his Koidu operatives explained why: ‘He’s got the cash, the guts, and the power. He gets people to cooperate with him.’ Jamil doesn’t have to use threats of violence to secure cooperation (though many claim that he will); he influences people through matters such as who gets a renewal of his diamond dealer’s license or a permit to reside within Kono. Most of the Lebanese export under Jamil’s license, sending their goods either to Jamil’s Antwerp man, Sulaimen, or to other buyers. Sulaimen get the biggest chunk. He too is an Afro-Lebanese and brother to one of Jamil’s high-ranking lieutanants.

The Lebanese Role (continued)

Duel In The Sun

Greatest Opening Film Lines (Duel in the Sun -1946):
Deep among the lonely sun-baked hills of Texas, the great and weatherbeaten stone still stands. The Comanches called it Squaw's Head Rock. Time cannot change its impassive face, nor dim the legend of the wild young lovers who found Heaven and Hell in the shadows of the rock...

I liked this one.

Who Are The Great Women Artists?

Ann Landi writes about art historian Linda Nochlin + her provocative and soul-searching examination of women’s status, past and present + the social structures surrounding the production of art + other viewpoints @ http://artnews.com/issues/article.asp?art_id=1275

Doing Business 2008

Doing Business Report 2008 is out now. The World Bank has released its annual ranking of the ease of doing business in 178 economies. For complete listings visit the Doing Business site.

Identification Of Rough Ruby And Sapphire

There are a number of features to look out for:

- The first might a six-sided or triangular cross-section or, if present, the appearance of raised triangular growth surfaces on flat terminating faces.

- There may be a series of intersecting fine lines meeting at 120/60º visible on top surfaces.

- The hexagonal bipyramid form typical of sapphire is very distinctive.

- And the presence of horizontal striations on pyramid or prism faces is a useful confirmation (quartz is the only other mineral to show this feature and can be distinguished by its much lighter feel or heft in the hand).

Identification Of Rough Stones

There is much information to be gained by examining and being able to identify rough stones. The skills required are of greatest importance to prospectors and miners. Examining the mineral content of river or stream gravel can indicate the gem-bearing potential of the area, the relative closeness of a nearby gem deposit, and not least, the gem species present.

Factors To Consider
Crystal form: Determination of gem species by studying crystal form (prism, pyramid, pinacoid, dome) enables thte separation of the more valuable gem species from those worth less (distinguishing ruby from garnet). They may be hard, resistant to chemical weathering, and have high enough density to become concentrated in river beds or terraces where suitable traps are present forming placer deposits. Gem species that often occur together in gem gravels include: ruby and red/pink corundum; sapphires of various colors; spinels of various colors; red and reddish brown garnets; zircons of various colors.

Associated gem species: Sometimes gem species occur in common with one another: if the geology and occurrence of similar associations are well-known, then the discovery of one member of a mineral collection can indicate the possible presence of gem materials (sapphire and zircon in the basaltic rocks of Thailand, Cambodia and Australia; ruby and red garnet in the basaltic rocks of Thailand and Cambodia; ruby and spinel in the marbles of Mogok, Burma).

Degree of wear: How abraded is the gem material? Are the crystal faces clean and lustrous with sharp angles, or has the crystal begun to assume a rounded shape? Answering these questions can provide us with an idea of the distance the gem material has traveled from its source rock. The more rounded and fragmentary the material, the greater this distance is likely to be.

Percentage of gem quality material: (a) What amount of the gem bearing gravel is gem quality material? (b) What kind (species) of material is present and in what quantity (how much is present)?

Cost effectivenness: (a) Does the quality of the material justify mining it? (b) Is the necessary machinery (and labor) available?

Businesses Beware: The World Is Not Flat

HBS professor Pankaj Ghemawat explains why the world is not flat + his interpretion (s) @ http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/5719.html

To me it looks like one should keep an open mind/cautious when business gurus make god-like statements about business-related concepts. There must be a way to simplify complicated concepts so that the layperson understands what is more important.

A List Of Jeweler And Gem Trader Traits

- Acts
- Adaptable
- Common sense
- Courageous, but prudent
- Connects the dots
- Curious
- Discreet
- Forceful, but self-controlled
- Forms own ideas
- Gets to crux of matter
- Hands-on
- Good in a fight
- Honest
- Insight
- Independent in thought and action
- Interpretational skills
- Knowledgeable
- Loved by subordinates, colleagues
- Master of tracking
- Observant
- Optimistic
- Practical
- Perseverance
- Resourceful
- Scientific
- Persistent
- Unassuming

How To Sell More Diamonds

Finding a good salesperson is as rare as hen's teeth. They are a dying breed or endangered species. Naturally a good salesperson must have analytical skills to satisfy a customer. The customer (s) may or may not be familiar with diamonds. From my experience on the field even knowledgeable salesperson does stupid things. I would describe it as momentary autism (Malcolm Gladwell jargon). They just go blank or inert. If you talk to the experts they would say: you should be tactful, diplomatic, must have insight to read face (s) + mind (s), have zen-like patience, and perseverance + a pleasing personality, approachable + speak simple and precise language to communicate and so on.

In my view, with all the information in the world + non-stop training about diamonds, treatments, synthetics and imitations, what is important is to have the innate ability to connect the dots. I know there are many diamond salesperson who don't like diamonds. For them it's a job--period. I am always intrigued by the great spiritual leaders of the past. How did they communicate with the masses? Look at Jesus and Buddha. In my view they were good salesperson, in a different way. They knew how to connect with people. They knew how to interpret complex concepts in simple language + sell ideas. I think this is what is lacking in today's diamond salesperson. Diamond salespeople must have a memorable face not a poker face.

How To Sell More Diamonds (continued)

The Art Of Travel

Travel: The Economist writes about the consolidation in package-tour industry + the impact + other viewpoints @ http://www.economist.com/daily/news/displaystory.cfm?story_id=8694578

Nonprofit Motive

New Business Models: Scott Kirsner writes about new trends in venture philanthropy or virtue capital, taking financial metrics and applying them in the social sector + new models for determining social return on investment (s) + other viewpoints @ http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/7.09/philanthropy_pr.html

The Medium Of The Moment

Deidre Stein Greben writes about advent of photography in the art world + the impact + the new collectors (private, trade, institutions) + the desirability factors + other viewpoints @ http://artnews.com/issues/article.asp?art_id=1259

The Geuda Story

Geuda is the milky corundum, formerly discarded as worthless by the Sinhalese cutting industry that constitutes the greatest reserve of high quality heat-treatable material available. Experts believe Sri Lanka, by common consenses, has the world’s largest deposits of this particular type of corundum rough.

The term geuda itself refers to a semi-transparent to semi-translucent corundum which appears silky or milky under reflected light (normal viewing conditions), but viewed under transmitted light (the light traveling through the stone before reaching the eye) gives a characteristic ‘tea’ color known in the trade as the ‘diesel’. Both these effects are due to the presence of impurities within the crystal, that under the correct heat treatment procedures it can (if the concentrations are correct) give rise to a strong blue coloration and an increase in transparency.

Milky Or Silky Effect
This is due to the presence of inclusions of rutile (TiO²). These may be in the form of long slender needles or as clouds of minute particles.

Diesel Or Tea Effect
Iron oxide impurities give rise to brownish patches or streaks that may or may not be randomly distributed through the crystal. Sometimes the oxide patches will be oriented parallel to the crystal faces.

Together these two sets of impurties have the potential to cause blue coloration if unlocked from the structure of the crystal and allowed to combine. These color causing agents (iron and titanium) may be activated by heating the corundum under certain conditions at around 1650ºC. If the most favorable ratio of iron/titanium is present a fine blue color of uniform distribution may be achieved, as will considerable improvements in transparency and luster. In general, the degree of milkiness and the intensity of the diesel effect are proportional to the color that results from heat treatment. Less diesel will result in a pale or lighter shade of blue, while intense diesel will give a dark blue color. If there is too much silk or milkiness, it is possible that some will remain after heating, which will influence the eventual transparency.

Local Classification Of Geuda
Over the years a considerable number of names, and a local classification have evolved. Here are a number of the most frequently used terms:

Diesel Geuda: Milky white intense brownish diesel.

Silky Geuda: Intense inclusions of rutile in the form of silk. May often display a strong diesel effect. Often further classified by its body color (yellow silky geuda)

Waxy Geuda: Material with waxy or dull appearance. May show a moderate diesel effect.

Milky Geuda: Dull white milky appearance with a diesel effect. The term blue geuda will refer to a blue milkiness with a diesel effect, while yellow geuda will indicate material with a yellowish milkiness, and so on.

Young Geuda: May be any body color, with a small amount of silk and/or diesel effect.

Thick Geuda: Opaque material with characteristic intense milkiness or diesel effect causing a dramatic reduction in transparency.

Dalan Geuda: The lowest grade of material made of mixed varieties (rejects) of geuda, usually with little silk or diesel effect. The lowest potential for successful treatment.

These coloquial names are based on the degree of concentration of the milkiness (observed under reflected light) and the intensity of the diesel effect (observed with transmitted light). The terms can be quite subjective, however, with different dealers categorizing the same materials under different names. For instance a milky geuda with a intense diesel effect may be described as diesel or milky.

Advice For The Young

(via designboom) Italian designer Guilio Iacchetti writes:

Be silent, and listen a lot
After that, then you can ask and talk.

I liked this one.

Heat From The Street

Energy: The Economist writes about new way (s) of collecting solar energy + innovative technique (s) used by Arian de Bondt, an engineer from Dutch building company called Ooms + other viewpoints @ http://www.economist.com/science/tq/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9933350

Kayne West

(via Rob Bates) I liked the Kayne West video on diamonds @ Diamonds from Sierra Leone + now has jewelry line.

De Beers Dandelion Diamond

(via Rob Bates) I liked the De Beers' Dandelion Diamond commercial (here) + the Spotrunner presentation + the DPS info @ dps.org

Demoralization, Resentment, Anxiety, Stress

Amei Wallach writes about the growth of museum (s) + the corporatization + the creation of the Association of Art Museum Curators (AAMC) for ethical/professional policies + other viewpoints @ http://artnews.com/issues/article.asp?art_id=1241

Tortoise Shell vs. Imitations

For thousands of years Tortoise shell has been associated with jewelry and personal items such as combs, eyeglass frames and art objects. They were popular with both the ancient Greeks and wealthy Romans. Many types of tortoise shell objects have been used for furniture inlays, eyeglass frames, decorative boxes, rings, bracelets, and earrings. In Japan, tortoise shell crafting or bekko, has been an important industry since at least the 17th century, centered in Nagasaki. Bekko objects such as hair ornaments are still being created today from stockpiled material. The source material comes from two species of sea turtles: the hawksbill and the rare green turtle. The shell tend to show attractive patterns from light to dark brown patches and other desirable shades. The popularity of tortoise shell from 18th through 20th century caused these animals almost to extinction leading to a near-worldwide ban in the 1970s + international trade in tortoise shell products.

Common imitations include plastic, phenol formaldehyde resin (bakelite), polyester resins (PET and polyurethane) among many others. Sometimes the identification could be a challenge for various reasons. For instance plastics and horn can imitate blond tortoise shell quite easily and the differences in luminescence may not be always diagnostic. Plastic (s) could be altered via change (s) in its chemical compositions, polymerization or the applications of dyes. Identifications may not be always that easy. Since tortoise shell and their imitations are fashioned into ornamental materials, standard tests beyond UV luminescence and hotpoint may not always be possible. It’s catch-22. According to experts, Tortoise shell and its imitations can be identified with standard (microscope, refractive index, specific gravity, UV fluorescence, etc) + analytical (photoluminescence spectroscopy, transmission infrared spectroscopy, specular reflectance infrared spectroscope, vis-nir spectroscope, raman spectroscopy), gemological tests.

Alaskan Amber

Here is an interesting story on amber. The Inuit people in Alaska is known to have collected amber from northern beach gravels between Harrison Bay and Smith Bay on the Artic Ocean
because with (geologic) time and erosion the fossil resin may have been exposed, loosened and tumbled by rivers or washed out to sea + since amber floats in seawater, again with time the currents may have deposited amber chunks along the Alaskan coast in a random fashion. The locals, according to John Sinkankas, who is an expert on North American gemstones, referred to the amber as auma, meaning live coal. From a gemological perspective the amber specimens from the region showed familiar inclusions such as gas bubbles, network of fissures due to stress, tree debris, mosquito, spiders, beetles, ants, and bees.

The Weather Channel

Good Books/Business Models: (via Emergic) The Weather Channel: The Improbable Rise of a Media Phenomenon is written by its founder Frank Batten. Here is a fascinating story of a channel + concept almost no one expected to succeed. I enjoyed reading it.

Here is what the description of The Weather Channel: The Improbable Rise of a Media Phenomenon says (via Amazon.com):
Twenty years ago, who'd have believed that millions of viewers would follow the twists and turns of storms developing across the globe with the rapt attention once reserved for thriller movies? That a single television channel could simultaneously inform and entertain us, enrich our lives and, at times, help save them?

This is the remarkable story of The Weather Channel, a cable network that succeeded when almost all the experts predicted it would fail. Told by one of the key figures in the network's success, former Chairman and CEO Frank Batten, this is at once a deeply personal account of high-stakes entrepreneurship and a fascinating case study of a media business both experiencing and driving major change.

There are colorful personalities-from the on-camera meteorologists to the whiz kids recruited to help build the company's core technology. There are adventures and dramas-from the glitch-filled national launch that was saved by luck and a mysterious stranger to The Weather Channel's near-death experience as its owner, Landmark Communications, was poised to lose its entire $31 million investment in the network. There are unexpected plot twists, risky ventures, failures, and victories.

Batten's engrossing narrative reveals for the first time how The Weather Channel works its magic-and the technological, meteorological, and business innovations that have made it all possible. He takes us behind the scenes as his unique network evolved from struggling start-up to media powerhouse, from editorial cartoon fodder to vital public service.

Along the way, he shares hard-won business lessons on breaking from convention and taking educated risks; bringing a great idea to market; strengthening a brand; leveraging disruptive technologies; managing through failure; preserving a spirit of risk-taking through periods of intense growth; and more.

An absorbing tale of success against the odds, this book will appeal to entrepreneurs in all industries, as well as to the millions of fans of The Weather Channel.

Here is a review about the book (via Amazon.com):
In 1982, Frank Batten flipped a switch and began what he called "a weather forecast that will never end." There's probably no better emblem of niche media than the Weather Channel and its super-specialized field of interest. After 20 years of mapping high-pressure fronts and covering hurricanes, however, "We have built one of the strongest brands anywhere in the media business," writes Batten, former chairman and CEO. Most of The Weather Channel concentrates on all the problems Batten and his media company experienced in the early 1980s when they hatched their idea for all-weather programming and struggled to get it on the air. "I'm sure that we tried to do too much, too fast," says Batten, who nevertheless endorses the too-much, too-fast approach: "I'm convinced that if we hadn't acted as aggressively as we did--if we hadn't spent the money, rushed down the road, and pushed ourselves and our partners ... The Weather Channel may never have been." Batten concludes by discussing the future of weather predictions (they're going to get a lot better, he thinks) and offering unconventional advice to aspiring media tycoons (don't offer stock options to employees). This book will appeal to aficionados of isobars and other weather events, as well as readers interested in how to start a thriving business.
- John Miller

The Timorous Beasties

(via The Guardian) Stuart Jeffries writes about the Timorous Beasties + their wall paper designs + other viewpoints @ http://arts.guardian.co.uk/art/design/story/0,,2008228,00.html

Useful links:
Dominic Lutyens on the subversive designs of the Timorous Beasties
Timorous Beasties website
Download your free Timorous Beasties wallpaper

A Work In Progress

Melinda Henneberger writes about Leonardo da Vinci's techniques + the character + his paintings + experts interpretation (s) on his work of art + other viewpoints @ http://artnews.com/issues/article.asp?art_id=1240

How To Sell More Diamonds

One of the interesting thing that I have noticed during my travel (s) in Southeast Asia and South Asia is the way jewelry retailers display their products. Diamonds are still the bread and butter of the industry. Sometimes what is missing is an attractive display. A good window display is like the human face. It should be simple, attractive and memorable. Naturally the store (s) must have an attractive window in order to turn passersby into customers. It's shocking to notice that only a very few stores display their products to fit the lifestyle and spending power of the people in the area. To me most window displays look like dog displays. There is lack of creativity and imagination. Most jewelry store's window display (s) are packed with old and new designs in a hurry to make money. You need to have an eagle-eye and zen-like patience to identify the designs you like. Today no one has the patience or time to look, decide and buy. We have morphed into a pack of rats running in all directions to make a living. And most jewelers don't understand what consumers want. Most jewelers believe that customers will just walk in and buy. A big mistake.

There are many ways to attract passersby into customers. According to Diamond Promotion Service experts jewelers should think first and act by doing the right thing:
- Display colorful posters.
- Use different accessories to capture a mood.
- sophisticated for a traditional display (works of art, fabrics, antiques)
- unusual for a more original display (boxes, toys)
- Take care in arranging your display.
- select one special piece of jewelry and give it emphasis by surrounding it with less important pieces.
-arrange the jewelry: in curved lines to suggest feminity / in converging lines to suggest infinity / in broken lines to suggest movement / in vertical lines to suggest elegance.

I think it makes sense. Today I see more people with low attention span (s) than before. This phenomenon could be due to our life-style. I think it would be refreshing if the jewelers change window display (s) periodically to attract/retain customers. I also believe the same concept should work in the colored stone industry. At times I notice that there is chemical mis-match between colored stone and diamond jewelry retailers. Either they don't understand color (s) or they don't have the product knowledge or they just don't know how to sell.

How To Sell More Diamonds (continued)

How To Bargain

(via Dailyspeculations/David Lamb): The November issue of Consumer Reports magazine features 'How to Bargain for Almost Anything.'

The section headings are:
1. Gauge the seller's need.
2. Be discreet.
3. Know what's a fair price.
4. Be empathetic.
5. Deal with a decision maker.
6. Negotiate from a position of power.
7. Time your shopping.
8. Find fixable flaws.

The top products or services that buyers were successful in lowering prices were:
1. Furniture
2. Medical bills
3. Home electronic products
4. Large and small appliances
5. Floor and demo models
6. Bank and credit card fees
7. Jewelry
8. Cell-phone plans

I liked this one.

The Beneficiation Of Antwerp

Chaim Even-Zohar writes about the Belgian diamond sector + reorganization and splitting up of the HRD + Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC)'s main products (HRD certificates + gemological educational programs) + the new rough diamond distrubution models + other viewpoints @ http://www.idexonline.com/portal_FullEditorial.asp

Classics Of Everyday Design

(via The Guardian) Jonathan Glancey's classics of everyday design @
Classics of everyday design No 26
Classics of everyday design No 27
Classics of everyday design No 28
Classics of everyday design No 29
Classics of everyday design No 30

I liked this one.

Louise Bourgeois

(via The Guardian) Louise Bourgeois is 95 and still making art + her total internal reflections @ http://arts.guardian.co.uk/art/visualart/story/0,,2184670,00.html

Ex-Abs

Deidre Stein Greben writes about artists switching camps, from abstraction to representation or vice versa + total internal reflections of artists + other viewpoints @ http://artnews.com/issues/article.asp?art_id=1634

Gold Hallmarking In India

Finally the Indian government has decided to act. From New Year (2008) it will become mandatory for gold to be embossed with Bureau of Indian Standards' hallmarking + the measure (the percentage of impurity in the yellow metal is 11-39 per cent) not just protects the public, but also boosts export of jewelry. The experts estimate that India consumes on an average 800 tonnes of gold each year. We shall wait and see how the standardization across the industry is going to work.

The Man Who Listens To Horses

Good Books: I am not an expert on horses, but a friend of mine asked me to read about Monty Roberts. There is so much more to Monty's story that I find applicable to the gem and jewelry markets, and to life. The book is called, The Man Who Listens to Horses. It's a must read.

De Beers’ Supply Structure

It's amazing to see in less than a decade, the diamond industry evolving from a single-channel supply industry into a multi-channel supply industry + De Beers’ century long dominance of the diamond market and its fall – from 90 percent of the rough diamond supply to about 40 percent + the diamond market impact + the new players and market-driven concepts.

The Fourth Antwerp Diamond Conference to be held on October 15 - 16, 2007 will bring together key players including Gareth Penny, managing director of De Beers; Varda Shine, managing director of the Diamond Trading Company; Sergey Vybornov, president of Alrosa; Jean-Marc Lieberherr, general manager of Rio Tinto Diamonds; Chris Ryder, marketing director of BHP Billiton Diamonds + representatives from middle-tier diamond mining companies. As usual there will be a lot of talk + interesting discussions + a grand reception.

Import Ban On Burmese Gemstones

Jewelers of America (JA) represents 11,000 member stores in the US. They are asking the U.S. Congress to amend the Burmese Freedom & Democracy Act of 2003, which bans the importation of products from Burma, so that it includes gemstones mined in that country. JA wants effective democratic reforms in Burma. They also want to make sure the sourcing of gemstones are done the right way. Even though the US may be perceived as the largest consumer market for gems and jewelry, I think the industry as whole should take a common stand and find innovative/practical/realistic ways to enforce compliance rules and regulations. No one has ever come up with a brilliant plan/ideas to do so instead it's hard talk with no results. Only an educated consumer (s) could make the big difference. If they stop buying, then there is no business for Burmese stones. It's Catch-22. Many businesses will go under. What's Plan B? What are the alternatives?

Ben Franklin On Humility

(via Dailyspeculations/Charles Pennington) From the Autobiography of Ben Franklin:
'I added humility to my list, giving an extensive meaning to the word. I cannot boast of much success in acquiring the reality of this virtue, but I had a good deal with regard to the appearance of it. I made it a rule to forbear all direct contradiction to the sentiments of others, and all positive assertion of my own. I even forbid myself, agreeably to the old laws of our Junto, the use of every word or expression in the language that imported a fix'd opinion, such as certainly, undoubtedly, etc., and I adopted, instead of them, I conceive, I apprehend, or I imagine a thing to be so or so; or it so appears to me at present. When another asserted something that I thought an error, I deny'd myself the pleasure of contradicting him abruptly, and of showing immediately some absurdity in his proposition; and in answering I began by observing that in certain cases or circumstances his opinion would be right, but in the present case there appear'd or seem'd to me some difference, etc. I soon found the advantage of this change in my manner; the conversations I engag'd in went on more pleasantly. The modest way in which I propos'd my opinions procur'd them a readier reception and less contradiction; I had less mortification when I was found to be in the wrong, and I more easily prevail'd with others to give up their mistakes and join with me when I happened to be in the right.'

I liked this one.

Memories Of My Life

Good Books: (via Dailyspeculations) I enjoyed reading Memories of My Life by Francis Galton. As Victor Niederhoffer rightly put it 'Memories of My Life' has a freshness and decency of spirit, and is an illustration of how amazing and creative the human mind can be + it has insights into most scholarly fields, and advice and examples of living a good life on almost every page. I liked this one.

The collected published works by Galton are available at Galton.org
Google allows you to download the book for free.

L'amour fou

(via The Guardian) Total internal reflections of Robert Hughes on surrealism, the most popular art movement of the 20th century + The Victoria and Albert's big show for this year, Surreal Things: Surrealism and Design + the unique designs @ http://arts.guardian.co.uk/art/design/story/0,,2041396,00.html

Useful link: vam.ac.uk/surrealthings

Classics Of Everyday Design

(via The Guardian) Jonathan Glancey's classics of everyday design:
Classics of everyday design No 21
Classics of everyday design No 22
Classics of everyday design No 23
Classics of everyday design No 24
Classics of everyday design No 25

I liked this one.

Nonsmoking Capricorn Museum Seeks Networking, Dating, Serious Relationships, Friends

Carly Berwick writes about the new trends among institutions to use MySpace, Facebook, and other social networking web sites to reach new people and forge virtual communities + other viewpoints @ http://artnews.com/issues/article.asp?art_id=2366&current=True

Walker Art Center
Andy Warhol Museum
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Tate Gallery
Brooklyn Museum
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Guggenheim Museum New York
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
Metropolitan Museum

Modernizing The Modern

Kelly Devine Thomas writes about New York’s Museum of Modern Art + what the museum has been, what it is, and what it wants to be + other viewpoints @ http://artnews.com/issues/article.asp?art_id=1630

Common Gemstone Treatments

Tourmaline, often occurs in very dark shades of green, so dark as to appear almost black. This as well as the dark blue material can sometimes be made lighter (and the green possibly more greenish) by heat treatment. The temperature must be controlled carefully as overheating may cause destruction through loss of water. Such heat treated materials tend to be somewhat more brittle than untreated material, which may show itself in a tendency to abrade along facet junctions. Sometimes heat treatment of dark green tourmaline results in a structural alteration at the surface; this is believed to be the cause of so-called satellite reading noted when a refractive index is taken on such material.

Zircon. Heating to temperatures in the range of 900° - 1000°C is used to produce the commercially most important colors of zircon. Reddish brown stones are first heated in a reducing atmosphere, which may alter the color of the stones to blue, colorless, or an undesirable off-color. Those that have not turned blue or colorless may next be heated in oxidizing environment, converting some to colorless and others to a yellow, orange or red color. Stones that still have not taken on a marketable color may be heated further in either atmosphere, and some stones may go through several heating. While virtually all of the heat treated may be quite stable to light and reasonably high temperatures, some heat treated zircons will revert to their original pre-treated color over time. As a precaution, such treated zircons are sometimes exposed to sunlight for several days or stored in the dark for as long as a year in an attempt to weed out unstable stones.

Tanzanite, the important gem variety of zoisite, is one of the most strongly pleochroic gems. Most of the material as mined exhibits three pleochroic colors: violet to purple, blue, and yellow to green. The third of these colors gives the stones a rather unattractive muddy appearance. Heating to relatively low temperatures bleaches the unwanted yellow to green pleochroic component, leaving the desirable violet and blue colors. Proper magnifications may reveal evidence of heat treatment, although it is usually assumed that the material in the gem market has been heat treated.

Fall Forward

Economist writes about the strong art market (despite trouble with sub-prime mortgages and other issues) + the new mood in the art market + the expensive works by familiar artists + other viewpoints @ http://www.economist.com/daily/columns/artview/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9928476

The White House Washington

Bonnie Barrett Stretch writes about the portrait of George Washington that has hung in the White House since 1800 + the controversy + various interpretations by historians and experts + the real story and other viewpoints @ http://artnews.com/issues/article.asp?art_id=1608

Mind Games

John Cassidy writes about the emerging field of neuroeconomics, which uses state-of-the-art imaging technology to explore the neural bases of economic decision-making @ http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/09/18/060918fa_fact?printable=true

Neuroeconomics is an interesting concept. Sometimes I wonder what goes on in my head when I make stupid decisions when buying gemstones, jewelry + anything.

Cat People

Greatest Opening Film Lines (Cat People - 1942):
Even as fog continues to lie in the valleys, so does ancient sin cling to the low places, the depressions in the world consciousness.

I liked this one.

Classics Of Everyday Design

(via The Guardian) Jonathan Glancey's classics of everyday design:
Classics of everyday design No 16
Classics of everyday design No 17
Classics of everyday design No 18
Classics of everyday design No 19
Classics of everyday design No 20

I liked it.

New Breed Of Entrepreneurs

New Business Models: Bryan Gardiner writes about Nicholas Reville + Participatory Culture Foundation, a 501(c) (3) non-profit, making and distributing a popular internet video platform, to promote and build an entirely new, open mass medium of online television + revenue models, and other viewpoints @ http://www.wired.com/techbiz/people/news/2007/10/nonprofit_software

The Branding Of Damien Hirst

Pernilla Holmes writes about Damien Hirst, the creator of today’s priciest artworks, curator, collector, entrepreneur, restaurateur, and clothing designer + other viewpoints
@ http://artnews.com/issues/article.asp?art_id=2367&current=True

Portrait Painter Of The Republic

Bonnie Barrett Stretch writes about works by enormously talented and complicated Gilbert Stuart (1755–1828), the father of American portraiture + the original work's enormous prestige and value + other viewpoints @ http://artnews.com/issues/article.asp?art_id=1602

A Rare Diamond

It has been reported by Sotheby's that a diamond weighing 84.37-carat brilliant-cut, D-color with flawless clarity (GIA) could fetch $12 million - $16 million. The diamond will be auctioned at its 'Magnificent Jewels' sale in Geneva on Nov. 14, 2007. The diamond, along with other highlights from the Magnificent Jewels sale, will be on view at the following locations in advance of the sale: Hong Kong, Oct. 3-8; Paris, Oct. 11-12; New York, Oct. 14-17; Rome, Oct. 18-19; Los Angeles, Oct. 22; London, Oct. 24-26; Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Oct. 29-30; Bahrain, Oct. 31-Nov. 1; Geneva, Nov. 10-13, selected lots, Nov. 14. The winning bidder will have the honor of naming the stone.

Visions Of A Driven Man

The Observer writes about Luigi Colani, 'arch eccentric' and organic futurist who put the curve into Sixties design (s) + his mood and style + other viewpoints @ http://arts.guardian.co.uk/art/design/story/0,,2031092,00.html

Jewelry Savvy: What Every Jewelry Wearer Should Know

Ken Gassman writes about Jewelry Savvy: What Every Jewelry Wearer Should Know by Cynthia Sliwa/Caroline Stanley + other viewpoints @ http://www.idexonline.com/portal_FullMazalUbracha.asp?id=28097

Can Blue Nile Keep Sparkling With Diamond Jewelry Focus?

Doug Tsuruoka writes about the online seller of diamond rings + their customer base (according to analysts 70% men) + the commodotization concept and other viewpoints @ http://www.investors.com/editorial/IBDArticles.asp?artsec=17&artnum=1&issue=20071002

The Blow-Up Artist

John Cassidy writes about Victor Niederhoffer, stock market (winner/loser) wizard + his interpretation (s) on everything related stocks, valuations + other viewpoints @ http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/10/15/071015fa_fact_cassidy?printable=true

Useful link:
www.dailyspeculations.com

It's an interesting site on investments + strategies based on theory/practice + one could also use the concept for learning gemstone pricing because there are parallels + speculators who are knowlegeable and know their product (s) tend to make spectacular mistakes/make money as well.

The Byzantine Empire

Economist writes about the fluid and perpetually evolving relationship between the competing influences of classical Greek learning, Greek Christianity and popular Byzantine culture + the brilliance of Byzantine art + other viewpoints @ http://www.economist.com/books/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9900058

Hilarious Shockers

Robert Rosenblum writes about Steve Gianakos and William Anthony + their unique paintings and drawings + humor/shock + other viewpoints @ http://artnews.com/issues/article.asp?art_id=1593

Selling Diamonds

(via Diamond Promotion Service): 44. Cut. Most diamonds have inclusions, and a tinge of color; so those with better clarity and color command premium prices. It is the opposite with the last of the Four C’s. Most diamonds are perfectly cut; so any deviation from that precision detracts from the price.

If two similar diamonds are placed side by side, and one is less brilliant and fiery than the other, the fault lies in the cutting. A careful examination of that stone will show that its facet angles and proportions do not match those of the perfectly cut diamond. So it cannot command as high a price.

There is a slight price differential in the shapes of finished diamonds. A marquise, for example, may cost slightly more than a round diamond of the same size and quality because it takes more time and skill in the cutting process. In general, however, it is not possible to lay down hard and fast rules about price differentials in relation to different cuts because each stone really has to be judged individually. In the very small diamonds, full cuts cost more than single cuts of the same size and quality.

45. Any customer has a wide range of diamonds available to him for any price he wants to pay. If he is primarily interested in size, he can get a larger diamond if he is less demanding in color, clarity or cut. If he demands top color or top clarity, he will have to accept a smaller diamond at the same price. If he demands both top color and top clarity, he will have to settle for a still smaller diamond.

Diamonds of comparable quality, whether they are small or large, have the same brilliance, the same beauty. Therefore one forfeits nothing but size when choosing a smaller diamond over a larger one. It is just as meaningful, just as eternal.

46. Treated diamonds. A recent development in diamond technology, starting after World War II, is the changing of a diamond’s color by irradiation.

The natural color of a diamond is determined by its atomic structure, which can be responsible for the absorption of parts of the light rays passing through it. When that structure is modified by the bombardment of neutrons in a cyclotron or atomic pile, the absorption pattern changes and the diamond changes color. The new color is apparently permanent, because the earliest stones that were treated still retain their colors. Treated diamonds are not radioactive; the radiation emanating from them is less than from a watch with phosphorescent hands and numerals.

Although any diamond can be given a new color by irradiation, the treatment is usually given only to off-white stones toward the bottom of the color scale, because they can be more valuable as good yellows or greens, for example, than as lesser quality whites. A treated diamond can be as beautiful as a natural diamond of the same color, but it will not command the same price. Furthermore, it will always be identified as a treated diamond when offered for sale.

47. Imitations. In all probability, the first diamond imitation appeared not long after the first diamond. Imitation diamonds have been made of glass, quartz, beryl, zircon and a number of synthetic minerals. Many years ago, imitations may have been designed for fraud; now they are advertised as frankly fake stones.

Imitations have no re-sale value. Nor to they have a long life-span. Unlike diamonds which are forever, imitations have a short-life span, not in excess of four years. Due to softness, imitations lose their sharp edges and shape.

A diamond substitute will not fool a trained diamond expert. No matter what it is, its hardness is far less than that of a diamond; therefore, it cannot be cut with precision, polished for permanence, nor made resistant to scratches and other damage. Some imitations, such as synthetic rutile, strontium titanate and yttrium aluminum garnet, have a certain metallic brilliance which lasts for a few years. None has the lasting beauty of a diamond.

Some excellent designers have used skillfully chosen imitations in well-designed pieces of jewelry, even in engagement rings. But these remain expensive costume jewelry, without the value or the symbolism that the diamond gives precious jewelry.

48. Recutting. Both the value and the beauty of an ‘old’ diamond can be enhanced by recutting. The process is much the same as original cutting; but it’s faster, and therefore not as expensive.

Before Tolkowsky’s establishment of the ideal proportions for diamond, cutters conserved as much original weight as possible. There are round diamonds in the old European and old miner cuts that are thicker than modern stones and look ‘sleepy’ by comparison. Although as much as 40 percent of the weight of an old diamond may be lost in recutting, that loss can be more than offset by the gain in beauty and value if the stone is sizeable.

There are such other old cuts as the rose and the cushion. Recutting these to ideal proportions can entail a greater weight loss than recutting old miners. Because there is an antique charm to such cuts, it is frequently wiser to capitalize on that feature and to leave them as they are.

Conclusion
These pages have not answered all the questions a customer can ask about diamonds. But they do answer the principal questions of fact.

However, customers can also ask questions that are prompted by hearsay, questions of fiction. Here are some examples.

Aren’t diamonds unlucky?
If they are, there are millions of unlucky people in the world. Stories of unlucky diamonds are based on coincidences; and coincidences can be used to prove anything under the sun.

Aren’t diamonds over-priced?
The retail prices of diamonds give a fair return to everyone who has worked with them, from the mine to the jeweler’s counter. Demand sometimes sets unusually high prices on unusual diamonds, like the million dollars plus that Richard Burton paid for that diamond for Elizabeth Taylor; but any price that’s met as a matter of choice cannot be an overprice.

Aren’t some diamonds destroyed to keep prices up?
No. Only in times of severe recession are some diamonds temporarily withheld to keep the market stable, thus protecting those who own the diamonds and those millions of people all over the world whose livelihood depends on them. Diamonds have never been destroyed to keep them off the market; they are too precious and too hard to find.

Aren’t diamonds controlled by a monopoly?
There are literally thousands of independent businessmen engaged in diamond mining, cutting, wholesaling and retailing. The Central Selling Organization in London is the selling agent for mining companies and governments which produce about 80 percent of the world’s rough diamonds and its prices are followed by the producers of the other 20 percent. But the price of diamonds at the rough stage is only a small fraction of the retail price of diamonds.