China's Diamond Industry

China's Diamond Industry Retains its Sparkle
http://www.cibmagazine.com.cn/Features/Industry.asp?id=912&china_s_diamond_industry_retains_its_sparkle.html

China’s diamond business has grown from almost zero to an important market in the world within the last 10 years. [It] is still very young compared with other mature markets in the world, and has a lot of potential to grow.
- Julius Zheng, Rapaport Shanghai

Useful links:
www.dac.gov.cn
www.cnsde.com
www.wfdb.com
www.chowtaifook.com

Great review.

OpenCourseWare

Free, online lectures and course materials to everyone.
http://www.ocwconsortium.org
http://ocw.mit.edu
http://academicearth.org
www.carnegiefoundation.org

I think it’s a unique framework to learn.

Heard On The Street

The catch: blink and you’ll miss them. It takes fast action to reap the benefits.

99% Conference

Designing the Obama Campaign
http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/cool-hunting/cool-hunting/99-conference-scott-thomas-designing-obama-campaign-video

Useful links:
www.the99percent.com
http://simplescott.com

Great presentation. I loved it.

The Story Of The Nezu Museum Clock Collection

An Imperial Journey
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124227873589918631.html

Useful links:
www.nezu-muse.or.jp
www.christies.com

A great story. These clocks do more than tell time.

A Remarkable Ivory Carving

German 'Venus' may be oldest yet
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8047319.stm

Useful links:
www.urgeschichte.uni-tuebingen.de
www.nature.com

The expert's interpretation of the artefact (mammoth ivory) via radiocarbon dating technique was interesting.

Pantone Color Report

Pantone's color seers say earth tones for fall
http://www.nationaljewelernetwork.com/njn/content_display/colored-stones/color-market-reports/e3id8b91cde574aee6562e7eff139bdd6fa

The fall 2009 palette is more unique and thoughtful than the typical autumnal hues of years past. Designers recognize the desire for fundamental basics that speak to the current economic conditions, but also understand the need to incorporate vibrant color to grab the consumers' eyes and entice them to buy.
- Leatrice Eiseman

Useful links:
www.pantone.com
www.colorexpert.com
www.jic.org

What really intrigues me is the descriptive terms used in the industry to connect the dots: 'American Beauty', a balanced, true red; 'Purple Heart,' a jewel-tone purple; 'Honey Yellow,' a warm, more subdued version of the sunny 'Mimosa Yellow,' Pantone's 2009 Color of the Year; 'Burnt Sienna,' an earthy shade of orange; 'Rapture Rose,' combining the vibrancy of fuchsia and the softness of pink; 'Warm Olive,' a rich yellow-green; and finally 'Majolica Blue,' a deep teal. It's fascinating, really.

Ken Gassman Viewpoint

IDEX Online Research: Jewelry Wholesale Census Shows Industry Growth
http://www.idexonline.com/portal_FullNews.asp?SID=&id=32355

Useful links:
www.kennethgassman.com
www.bls.gov
www.census.gov
www.jewelersboard.com

Great review.

Modern Art Trove

A Grand and Intimate Modern Art Trove
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/14/arts/design/14inst.html?hpw

Useful links:
www.artic.edu
http://rpbw.r.ui-pro.com
www.metmuseum.org

A must visit.

Too Busy To Shop

Too Busy to Shop: Marketing to Multi-Minding Women by Kelley M. Skoloda is an insightful book on how to unlock the secrets to marketing to women. A must read.

Useful links:
www.kelleymurrayskoloda.com
www.ketchum.com/multiminding
http://www.toobusytoshop.blogspot.com

Design For A Living World

'Design for a Living World' Preview: 10 Products That Stay True to Their Origins
http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/michael-cannell/cannell/greening-production-design-living-world

Useful links:
www.cooperhewitt.org/exhibitions/Design-for-a-Living-World
www.nature.org/design
www.tedmuehling.com
www.katespade.com
www.tarazistudio.com
www.pentagram.com
www.jongeriuslab.com
www.fuseproject.com
www.mayalin.com
www.readymadeprojects.com
www.isaacmizrahiny.com
www.christienmeindertsma.com

I loved it. What we need is responsible consumption.

Cannes Film Festival 2009

The 62nd Cannes film festival opened on May 13, 2009, with Disney/Pixar's 'Up'. The event runs until May 24, 2009 when the Palme d'Or prize will be announced.

Useful link:
www.festival-cannes.com

Cannes 2009: The films in competition - PALME D'OR
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8014606.stm

PhotoScribe

PhotoScribe™ will launch its first collection of personalized stainless steel jewelry, a one-of-a-kind jewelry with a lifetime guarantee.

Useful links:
www.photoscribe.com
www.memorialpendant.com

Today personalization is a major consumer trend, and I think PhotoScribe's concept definitely connects the dots. Brilliant idea, really.

Psychedelic Trip

David Kraftsow’s YooouuuTuuube project is an interesting mashup. The simple-to-use site turns YouTube’s video archive into a mesmerizing swarm of microvideos arrayed in a grid.

Check out the link www.yooouuutuuube.com

Give it a try. I enjoyed it, really.

Random Thoughts

It's wonderful to be trusted. Some think if we just had more compliance checks and process, virtue would be maximized. At Berkshire, we have subnormal process. We try to operate in a web of seamless trust – deserved trust – and try to be careful whom we let in.

- Charlie Munger
www.berkshirehathaway.com

Andrew Rogers

The 'land art' of Andrew Rogers
http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0512/p17s01-algn.html

In every society, there's a normal bell (curve) distribution of intelligence, but some lack opportunity. In the West, if you work hard and have some intelligence you can get somewhere. Life's a matter of choice. But there [in remote regions], destiny's a matter of chance.
- Andrew Rogers

Useful link:
www.andrewrogers.org

A must see.

Ernesto Neto

Hey, Drill This! Park Avenue Armory Goes Sci-Fi
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/13/arts/design/13neto.html?_r=1&8dpc

In the end, there’s a way these pieces express themselves that is beyond the rationality of the design I make. You know, man? I just sit back and watch it come to life.
- Ernesto Neto

Useful link:
www.armoryonpark.org

How true!

Harish Hande Viewpoint

Powering our way out of poverty
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8046112.stm

Useful links:
www.selco-india.com
www.ashdenawards.org

Spot on.

Polar Music Prize 2009

Peter Gabriel and Venezuelan composer Jose Antonio Abreu have won this year's Polar Music Prize. Congratulations!

Useful links:
www.polarmusicprize.com
http://petergabriel.com
www.musakad.se

A New World Record Price For A Blue Diamond

Blue diamond fetches record price
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8047042.stm

Revealed: cruel fate of miners who found perfect blue diamond
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/may/10/south-africa-cullinan-miners

For people who are looking to buy something that nobody else has, or somebody who wants something that is beyond beautiful, a blue diamond is going to be very difficult to find, so when they appear on the market, you have to have a go.
- David Bennett

Useful links:
www.petradiamonds.com
www.sothebys.com

Sweet price, really.

Heard On The Street

You shouldn't judge customers by the way they dress, speak or act.

The Story Of Stuff

The Story of Stuff with Annie Leonard
www.storyofstuff.com

A great video about the effects of human consumption + the style of the animation makes it easy to watch.

Thai Gem & Jewelry Industry Update

Polishing away a big blemish
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/search/read.php?newsid=30102297&keyword=Anthony+Brooke

The US economic recession and recent enforcement of the Tom Lantos Block Burmese JADE (Junta's Anti-Democratic Efforts) Act has led to a 40-per-cent year-on-year plunge in Thai shipments in the first quarter of this year.
- Anthony Brooke

Useful link:
www.thaigemjewelry.or.th

Spot on.

Russia Stockpiles Diamonds

Russia Stockpiles Diamonds
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/12/business/global/12diamonds.html?_r=1&src=twt&twt=nytimes

Diamonds are an exception. If you don’t support the price, a diamond becomes a mere piece of carbon.
- Andrei V. Polyakov

Useful links:
http://eng.alrosa.ru
www.polishedprices.com
www.riotinto.com
www.bhpbilliton.com
www.debeersgroup.com

It would be interesting to see how Russians are going to jump-start demand by selling diamonds under long-term contracts to wholesale buyers in Belgium, Israel, India and elsewhere.

Random Thoughts

Memory believes before knowing remembers. Believes longer than recollects, longer than knowing even wonders.

- William Faulkner
http://faulknersociety.com

Adventures Of An IT Leader

Adventures of an IT Leader by Robert D. Austin + Richard L. Nolan + Shannon O'Donnell is an interesting book that provides a different kind of reading and learning experience. A must read.

Useful links:

www.theinnovationpractice.com

www.cutter.com

Art Market Update

A poet of light
http://www.economist.com/opinion/displayStory.cfm?story_id=13636129

Useful links:
www.smk.dk
www.nmwa.go.jp
www.royalacademy.org.uk
www.artdaily.com
www.sothebys.com

Color Grading Diamonds

- Color Grading D-To-Z Diamonds At GIA
http://www.diamonds.net/news/NewsItem.aspx?ArticleID=26332

- Color Grading Diamonds At GIA: The First Fifty Years
http://www.diamonds.net/news/NewsItem.aspx?ArticleID=26331

- GIA Master Stones: Only Precision Will Do
http://www.diamonds.net/news/NewsItem.aspx?ArticleID=26330

- Today, GIA uses 'working master sets' of 10 stones to grade the most commonly submitted diamonds, which fall between D and N. Starting with O, the lab doubles up, with one stone per two-grade range, from O-P down to Y-Z. The GIA Laboratory also, however, uses a face-up Z master at the lowest end of that color range to delineate the border between the D-to-Z scale and the start of the fancy-color scale. Because dirt can accumulate on diamonds and affect their appearance, GIA “boils” each master set in sulfuric acid every two to four weeks. The authors reported that some master sets submitted to GIA for review had their color altered by as many as four grades because of dirt that had accumulated on their bruted girdles. To avoid abrasions and chips that can also affect color appearance, GIA lab graders use rubber-tipped tweezers to handle all master stones.

- Now for the human element. Staff members must pass a number of color vision tests and then successfully complete several weeks of training before they are accepted as color graders. Because different individuals can have different color perceptions — a critical concern given the extremely fine borders between color grades — all diamonds receive a minimum of two agreeing opinions before a color grade is assigned. Some stones require more opinions. For example, larger and potentially D-color diamonds are assigned to the most experienced graders. All color graders must take an hour-long break from color grading after every hour of grading to minimize eye fatigue. Round brilliants are viewed table-down on a white tray with master stones in the E to N range — since most of the diamonds graded range from D to M. The grader typically rocks the tray containing the masters and the client stone to eliminate distracting reflections. Fancy shapes at the lower end of the color scale are observed both table-up and table-down, then averaged to reach the overall grade. Potentially fancy-color stones are graded face-up at Z. Rather than attempting to match the diamond to a single master stone, GIA brackets the diamond between two masters, allowing the grader to quickly narrow the potential grade. Once the most appropriate master stone has been determined, the grader observes the diamond on both sides of that master — but never touching it — because the left eye and the right eye may perceive depth of color differently. Fancy shapes are more difficult to grade because they can show different amounts of color depending on viewing angle. GIA has found that the best average color is observed when the stone is viewed face-down with its long axis at a 45-degree angle to the grader, close to the master stone but without any overlap. In this position, it exhibits neither the most intense color nor the washed-out areas.

Great review. Thanks to GIA.

OpenBlue

OpenBlue = real and near-real time consumer mapping and tracking system for the jewelry industry.

Useful link:
www.openbluelive.com

The visual demonstration was awesome. Brilliant idea.

FLOW

Is There a Market for 'Conscious Capitalists'?
http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/07/is-there-a-market-for-conscious-capitalists/#more-10789

Useful links:
www.flowidealism.org
www.friedmanfoundation.org

Excellent post! It's worth reading.

Souren Melikian Viewpoint

A Scarcity of Goods Hovers Over Art Market
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/09/arts/09iht-melik9.html

The goods simply aren’t there anymore. Mostly locked up in museums or scattered worldwide, they surface in bits and pieces at ever more widely spaced intervals.

Interesting review.

Michael M Collection

Meet Michael M + explore father + son design teams' one-of-a-kind pieces with unusual translucent diamonds in slices, asymmetrical cuts, and fancy colors. http://blogs.modernjeweler.com/blog//2009/05/07/show-preview-michael-m-gets-fancy

Useful link:
http://michaelmcollection.com

Stunningly beautiful!

English National Opera

The English National Opera is drawing in new audience members via innovation with classics and contemporary operatic work. Check out the link www.eno.org

Heard On The Street

Different types of commodities will react differently as the global economy improves, based on their own specific supply-and-demand conditions. This makes timing a turnaround complicated.

Random Thoughts

One of the economists who has heavily influenced the way I think is Hyman Minsky, who always said, 'Stability begets instability.' The very idea is that the more stable things appear, the more dangerous the ultimate outcome will be because people start to assume everything will be all right and end up doing stupid things.

- James Montier
www.sgcib.com
www.societegenerale.fr

Carve Your Own Road

Carve Your Own Road: Do What You Love and Live the Life You Envision by Jennifer Remling + Joe Remling is an inspiring book with advice on how to make a smooth transition from the career world to self-employment. A must read.

Useful link:

www.carveyourownroad.com

Affordable Art Fair 2009

Affordable Art Fair 2009
www.aafnyc.com

The fair aims to lure new art buyers and longtime patrons, but as always you will have to wait until the last day to know.

Poems On Space

The Poetry of the Heavens
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124182418636102361.html

The telescope is a cathedral-like space. Under the stars you can feel dizzy. It's unbelievably beautiful, a combination of form and formlessness, chaos and regularity. Often the chaos is much more interesting.
- Paul Murdin

Useful links:
www.ast.cam.ac.uk
www.gulbenkian.org.uk

How true! Poetry fills the gap.

Random Thoughts

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.

- Theodore Roosevelt
www.theodoreroosevelt.org

Spot on.

Sustainability + Traceability

Historic Futures = tracks commodities (cotton, gold, etc) through the long and previously opaque supply chains, using Internet-based systems and RFID tags so that consumers understand the history of everything they buy. Brilliant idea, really!

Useful links:
www.historicfutures.com
www.stringtogether.com
www.loveearthinfo.com

The Quartermaster Collection

The Quartermaster Collection, containing many of Australia's most valuable and highest quality gold coins will be auctioned on June 4, 2009, at the Sydney Mint Auditorium, 10 Macquarie St. Sydney, and NSW, Australia. Every coin in the collection includes a record of provenance, which is an important element for many collectors of Antiquities.

Useful link:
www.monetarium.com.au

Leah Heiss

Explore Leah Heiss's jewelry + artefacts via nano technology.
http://heiss.anat.org.au

Aroma Jewels

Meet Kendra Grace, an artisan perfumer and jewelry specialist + explore a range of jewelry which incorporates a drop of fragrance inside gems for a ‘time release’ evaporation effect.

Useful links:
www.aromajewels.com
www.naturesgeometry.com

Bill Cunningham Viewpoint

On the Street / In Bud
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/05/08/fashion/20080509-street-feature/index.html#

A new fashion note. Thank you Bill. I loved it.

Forevermark In Hong Kong

Diamonds are Forevermark
http://www.luxury-insider.com/Current_Affairs/post/2009/05/Diamonds-are-Forevermark.aspx

Useful links:
www.chowtaifook.com
www.forevermark.com
www.shaunleane.com
www.steinmetzdiamonds.com

Stunningly beautiful, really.

Heard On The Street

Bulls make money; bears make money, but pigs get slaughtered.

Transcendent Man

Transcendent Man = A documentary about Ray Kurzweil's life
http://transcendentman.com
www.kurzweiltech.com
www.kurzweilai.net
www.tribecafilm.com
www.singularitysummit.com
http://singularity.com

Prophetic (?) + Mind-bending (!) / Terrifying (!)

Great Lessons From Starship Enterprise

12 Leadership Lessons From the Bridge of the Starship Enterprise
http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/kit-eaton/technomix/12-leadership-lessons-bridge-starship-enterprise

Useful link:
www.startrek.com

Great advice, really.

Guy Bourdin

Unseen: Guy Bourdin
www.guybourdin.org
www.thewappingproject.com

Guy Bourdin has been hailed as one of the greatest fashion photographers of all time. Unseen: Guy Bourdin, opens at The Wapping Project in London, on May 9, 2009.

Earth Art

Where the Ocean Meets the Mountains
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/08/arts/design/08lin.html?_r=1&em

Useful links:
www.stormking.org
www.mayalin.com
www.henryart.org
www.corcoran.org

A must visit.

The Edinburgh International Film 2009

The Edinburgh International Film Festival will host 23 world premieres in its programme. The full listing also includes 16 international premieres and 135 features from 33 countries. The 63rd EIFF will run from 17 - 28 June 2009. Check out the link www.edfilmfest.org.uk

Statement Jewelry

Dress Sense: The Light Fantastic
http://moreintelligentlife.com/story/dress-sense-light-fantastic

A cocktail ring is seen to its best advantage when the hand holds a cocktail glass. It is the olive or the lemon peel in the martini, designed to be viewed through refracted light. It’s a showy, show-off piece and no one expects it to be real. Diamanté and rhinestones find their natural home in such big rings—and their size is their point, for the cocktail ring is cheap, false and doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not. This is not the Crown Jewels we’re wearing, it’s disposable luxe. It belongs in cocktail-party conversation, brittle and, in the 1930s sense, “gay”.
- Linda Grant

Useful link:
www.lindagrant.co.uk

Spot on.

Contemporary Jewelry

Golden globes
http://www.economist.com/books/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13606326

Our clients don’t come to find what they already know, they come to be excited about things they don’t know.
- Paul Derrez

Useful links:
www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk
www.droog.com
www.galerierobkoudijs.nl
www.louisesmit.nl
www.marzee.nl
www.galerie-ra.nl

The Netherlands boasts the largest concentration of serious contemporary-jewelry galleries in the world. Amazing, really.

A Whole New Mind

A Whole New Mind: Moving from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age by Daniel H. Pink is a fascinating book that explores different form of thinking and a new approach to life. A must read.

Useful link:
www.danpink.com

Heard On The Street

Shortcuts usually grease the rails to disappointing outcomes. Easy come, easy go.

Jean Van Hamme

Meanwhile, in Brussels, Our Hero Fights a Comic-Book Crisis
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124173342051198053.html

Useful links:
www.comicscenter.net
www.fine-arts-museum.be

Jean Van Hamme = A great storyteller.

Turner And The Masters

In pictures: Turner and the Masters
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8036756.stm

Useful link:
www.tate.org.uk

Fair Trade Jewelry

Does Fair Trade Jewelry Exist?
http://www.diamonds.net/news/NewsItem.aspx?ArticleID=26247

Useful links:
www.fairtradefederation.org
www.wfto.com
www.fairtrade.net
www.communitymining.org
www.transfairusa.org
www.ddiglobal.org
www.greengold-oroverde.org
www.vukani.co.za
www.fairjewelry.org
www.tiffanyandcofoundation.org

Spot on.

Champagne Diamond Design Competition

Rio Tinto Diamonds launches its Champagne Diamond design competition
http://www.riotintodiamonds.com/ENG/media/media_releases_1149.asp

Useful links:
www.riotintodiamonds.com
www.ncdia.com
www.argylediamonds.com.au

Philippe Tournaire

Meet Philippe Tournaire, who crafts miniatures of actual buildings into 18-karat gold and platinum rings.

Check out the link www.philippetournaire.com

Chaim Even Zohar Viewpoint

Swiss Cheese with One Hole Too Many: Supplier Debt Forgiveness
http://www.idexonline.com/portal_FullEditorial.asp

Useful link:
www.diamondintelligence.com

These are not normal days.

Agates And Jaspers

Agates and Jaspers
www.theimagebooks.com/gemmail
www.theimage.com

A must see.

Experimental Geography

Experimental geography as art
http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0505/p17s01-alar.html

Useful links:
www.jeremydeller.org
www.creativetime.org
www.newmuseum.org
www.ici-exhibitions.org
www.paglen.com

Experimental geography = Cartography + art + political activism + geography + theater. Interesting medium, really. I liked it.

Anaconda Wave Power Generator

Anaconda Wave Power Generator
www.checkmateuk.com/seaenergy

I hope Anaconda will provide electricity at a much lower price than other wave power devices.

Contemporary Art Daily

Contemporary Art Daily
http://www.contemporaryartdaily.com/2009/03/david-hockney-at-la-louver

Useful link:
www.davidhockney.com

Luke Johnson Viewpoint

Poor children of the rich and successful
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0eb8e182-3989-11de-b82d-00144feabdc0.html?nclick_check=1

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

Spot on. Thank you Luke for the insightful essay.

Research: The Traveler’s Best Friend

Research: The Traveler’s Best Friend
http://frugaltraveler.blogs.nytimes.com

How true!

Pink Sapphire Price Volatility

Pink Sapphire PriceVolatility
http://www.gemguide.com/news/AGTAMAY2009PinkSapp.htm

Useful links:
www.gemguide.com
www.agta.org

I think the colored stone industry have a lot to learn from the diamond sector. Prices for colored stones are simply too high.

Eric Braunwart Viewpoint

Social Responsibility and Environmental Sustainability in the Jewelry Industry
http://www.colored-stone.com/stories/may09/fair-trade.cfm

Useful links:
www.columbiagemhouse.com
www.fairtradegems.com

Just try it. It works. Thanks Eric.

Futuresonic Festival 2009

Futuresonic 2009 and the Social Technologies Summit will take place 13-16 May 2009, featuring world premieres of astonishing artworks, an explosive city-wide music programme, and visionary thinkers from around the world. Check out the link www.futuresonic.com

The Ultimate Trophy

The Ultimate Trophy: How the Impressionist Painting Conquered the World by Philip Hook analyses public's change of heart toward Impressionism. Impressionist works have become a currency in their own right, being bought and sold like blue-chip stock - coveted as much for their monetary worth as for their intrinsic beauty. A must read. Philip Hook is a senior director of Sotheby's and appears regularly as picture expert on BBC1's hugely popular The Antiques Roadshow. www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow

Angels & Demons

Angels & Demons
www.angelsanddemons.com
www.danbrown.com

Should be an interesting religious conspiracy movie. Despite all the supposed controversies, remember that it's just a film.

Global Business BBC

Peter Day's Comment / Car Crash
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/business/2009/05/090505_peter_day_comment_may_05.shtml

Useful link:
www.lean.org

Only the paranoid survive in business.

The Retailers' Reference Guide

The CIBJO 2009 Congress in Istanbul has launched 'The Retailers' Reference Guide: Diamonds, Gemstones, Pearls and Precious Metals' to help the global jewelry sector compete against other luxury products. It covers diamonds, gemstones, pearls and precious metals in a clear and concise manner that is accessible to jewelry retail staff at all levels. Check out the link www.cibjo.org

Natural History Auction

Natural History Auctions
http://www.bonhams.com/cgi-bin/public.sh/pubweb/publicSite.r?sContinent=USA&screen=NaturalHistory

Since collector interest in colored stones has grown exponentially in the past several years, it would be interesting to see real time results from the auctions.

Chaim Even Zohar Viewpoint

2008 Diamond Pipeline: From Market Buoyancy to Global Credit Crisis, Deflation and Recession
http://www.idexonline.com/portal_FullNews.asp?SID=&id=32309
http://www.idexonline.com/pdf_files/IDEX_Online-2008_Diamond_Pipeline.pdf

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

Great review. It was educational and insightful. Thank you Chaim.

Malcolm Gladwell Viewpoint

How David Beats Goliath
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/05/11/090511fa_fact_gladwell?currentPage=all

Useful link:
www.gladwell.com

A very thoughtful story. A must read.

Buckminster Fuller Challenge 2009

The Buckminster Fuller Challenge
http://challenge.bfi.org

MIT's Sustainable Personal Mobility and Mobility-on-Demand Systems concepts won this year's $100,000 Buckminster Fuller Challenge, an annual contest that asks entrants to create designs with maximum social impact.
http://cities.media.mit.edu/projects/citycar.html
http://cities.media.mit.edu/projects/scooter.html

Brilliant + bold + visionary + beautiful!

World's Most Popular Museums

Taking in some culture
http://www.economist.com/daily/chartgallery/displayStory.cfm?story_id=13565756

Useful link:
www.theartnewspaper.com

Great story.

Random Thoughts

The best advice is to learn from mistakes and move on. If every shot you hit in golf was a hole-in-one, you’d lose interest. You gotta hit a few in the woods.

- Warren Buffett
www.berkshirehathaway.com

Spot on.

Clayton's i-House

Clayton's I-House: Prefab Green Homes Get Affordable
http://www.popularmechanics.com/home_journal/how_your_house_works/4299495.html

Useful link:
www.claytonhomes.com

I loved it. It's energy-efficient than traditional homes + the most affordable option for a low-carbon lifestyle.

Sustainable Energy

Sustainable Energy - Without the Hot Air by David J.C. MacKay is a fascinating book about energy options in a human-accessible form. A must read.

Useful links:

www.withouthotair.com

www.inference.phy.cam.ac.uk/mackay

Botanical Paradise

Kew Gardens: 250 years of the botanical paradise
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/gallery/2009/may/04/kew-gardens-queen-visit?picture=346843397

Useful link:
www.kew.org

The Gardner Heist

Inside the Gardner Case
http://www.artnewsonline.com/issues/article.asp?art_id=2677

More than 19 years after the largest art theft in history—the works are now valued at between $500 million and $600 million—no one has been arrested.

Useful links:
www.gardnermuseum.org
www.boser.org

Great story.

Marshall Plan Revisited

Selling the Marshall Plan on celluloid
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8032492.stm

Useful links:
www.sellingdemocracy.org
www.barbican.org.uk

Interesting historic film.

Katherine Jetter

Meet Katherine Jetter + explore her fine jewelry collection, especially her opal designs.
http://blogs.modernjeweler.com/blog//2009/05/01/show-preview-katherine-jetter

Useful link:
http://katherinejetter.com

Social Entrepreneurs

The Most Promising Social Entrepreneurs
http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/may2009/sb2009051_730988.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index+-+temp_small+business

Useful links:
www.betterworldbooks.com
www.impactmakers.org
www.stonyfield.com
http://academicearth.org
www.cleanfish.com
www.bigbellysolar.com
www.craftnetwork.com
www.pharmajet.com

Impressive nominations.

Francis Alÿs

A gem of a one-woman show
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/may/03/francis-alys-saint-fabiola

Useful links:
www.npg.org.uk
www.davidzwirner.com

Tellingly different, really. Thank you Laura.

The Art Market

Art prices likely to be hammered at NY auctions
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/bf0912c0-3829-11de-9211-00144feabdc0.html?nclick_check=1

We have cut our valuations 40-50 per cent since the start of the year. We have seen some absolute forced borrowing but everyone, rich and poor, is facing liquidity problems.
- Ian Peck

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

Interesting review. We shall wait and see.

Afghanistan's Emerald Miners

Afghanistan's emerald miners
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2009/may/01/afghanistan-emerald-miners

Great commentary.

Random Thoughts

The best protection against inflation is your own earning power. If you are the best at what you do, you will get your share of the national pie no matter what inflation does. The second best protection is owning a wonderful business that does not need capital. With these guidelines, I'd say invest in yourself. It's always been the best investment you could make.

- Warren Buffett
www.berkshirehathaway.com

Spot on. The best advice.

The Green Effect

National Geographic + SunChips = The Green Effect
http://greeneffect.nationalgeographic.com
www.sunchips.com

Apostolos Doxiadis

Bertrand Russell's mathematical quest adds up to unlikely graphic novel hit
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/apr/27/graphic-novel-logicomix-bertrand-russell

Useful links:
www.apostolosdoxiadis.com
www.logicomix.com

A unique intellectual adventure, really.

Antique Jewelry & Art Conference 2009

The 31st annual Antique Jewelry & Art Conference (Jewelry Camp) will be held July 17 - 19, 2009 at Long Island’s Hostra University.

Useful links:
www.jewelrycamp.org
www.newarkmuseum.org
www.center4jewelrystudies.org
www.macklowegallery.com

Random Thoughts

Sadly, there's no twelve-step process for eradicating envy from your life. The best advice for investors is probably Sir John Templeton's admonition: 'It is impossible to produce superior performance unless you do something different from the majority.' On a more personal level, we'll leave the last word to Charlie Munger: 'Learn how to ignore the examples from others when they are wrong, because few skills are more worth having.'

- Value Investor Insight
www.valueinvestorinsight.com

Spot on.

Turner Classic Movies

Turner Classic Movies will change your life. Check out the link www.tcm.com

Peter Greenaway

Diagnosis Murder
http://www.artnewsonline.com/issues/article.asp?art_id=2676

Useful links:
www.petergreenaway.info
www.rembrandtresearchproject.org

Interesting dramatization.

Baroque Art

Step Into the Age of Excess at the Victoria & Albert Museum
http://www.time.com/time/travel/article/0,31542,1894842,00.html

Useful link:
www.vam.ac.uk

I love baroque art. It's natural and spontaneous.

Bill Cunningham Viewpoint

On the Street / Premature Summer
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/05/02/fashion/20090503-street-feature/index.html#

Great commentary. Thank you Bill.

Art Market Update

The smallest, most personal of jewels
http://www.economist.com/opinion/displayStory.cfm?story_id=13601243

Useful links:
www.wartski.com
www.christies.com

Brilliant collection, really.