Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative

Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative
http://eitransparency.org

The EITI is a coalition of governments, companies, civil society groups, investors and international organizations. The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) supports improved governance in resource-rich countries through the verification and full publication of company payments and government revenues from oil, gas and mining.

At first it was hard to believe, but if EITI could persuade companies to publish what they pay and for governments to disclose what they receive, then I must say it's a success. Hats off to the initiative!

Beurs voor Diamanthandel

Beurs voor Diamanthandel
www.diamondbourseantwerp.com

Check out the link for up-to-date information about the Antwerp diamond center.

Ida

Paleontologist as rock star: How one tiny fossil sparked a media circus
http://features.csmonitor.com/innovation/2009/05/20/paleontologist-as-rock-star-how-one-tiny-fossil-sparked-a-media-circus

Useful links:
www.revealingthelink.com
www.amnh.org
www.senckenberg.de
www.uio.no

Interesting discovery.

Marshall Goldsmith Viewpoint

Are You Full of Mojo or Nojo?
http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/may2009/ca20090519_071833.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index+-+temp_managing

Useful links:
www.marshallgoldsmithlibrary.com
http://discussionleader.hbsp.com/goldsmith

Truly inspiring, really. Thanks Marshall.

SCORE

SCORE = nonprofit organization + provides people with useful advice on how to run their companies. Check out the link www.score.org

Iwokrama International Centre

Growing on trees
http://www.economist.com/world/international/displayStory.cfm?story_id=13684132

Useful links:
www.iwokrama.org
http://canopycapital.co.uk

A great article. Financial innovation/engineering combined with science could generate wealth in a whole new way.

Jewelry Week

The Las Vegas Antique Jewelry & Watch Show opens from May 28 to June 1, 2009, at Bally's. The annual trade-only event, which opens two days before the JCK Show, will feature rare and unusual antique and vintage pieces from famous brands including Cartier, Rolex, Tiffany's, Harry Winston, Patek Philippe and Van Cleef & Arpels. Check out the link www.dmgantiqueshows.com

Greenland Rubies

Canadian company caught in middle of fight over Greenland rubies
http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5ggEo7H8KAyoewlx10_0P7Qepkj-g
http://www.fairjewelry.org/archives/526

The mine, now entering the feasibility and regulatory phase, could open as early as 2011. When it does, it could break the deadlock on the global ruby market now held by the military junta in Myanmar, also known as Burma.
- Andrew Smith, CEO, True North Gems

Useful links:
www.truenorthgems.com
www.bmp.gl

Opal News

Opal News from Brazil and China
http://www.multibriefs.com/briefs/agta/opal.htm

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

Interesting market update. Thanks Frank.

Random Thoughts

Common sense tells us that the only way to increase the value of diamonds is to make them scarce, that is to reduce production.

- Ernest Oppenheimer (1910)

Was he right?

Luke Johnson Viewpoint

Time of trial brings out our litigious side
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/705ef73a-4471-11de-82d6-00144feabdc0.html?nclick_check=1

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

Brilliantly said. Thank you, Luke.

Brian Dettmer

Brian Dettmer takes old books and turns them into beautiful works of art. Check out the link www.briandettmer.com

Scent Opera

This Opera Hasn't Even Opened, But We Know It Smells
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124277733367437141.html

Perfumery should be the same kind of discipline as music or visual art. You need that nurturing of crazy ideas.
- Christophe Laudamiel

Useful links:
www.guggenheim.org
www.senseofsmell.org
www.thierrymugler.com
www.firmenich.com

I think to create music based on the scents is a brilliant idea. Hats off to Christophe Laudamiel, Valgeir Sigurdsson, and Nico Muhly!

Heard On The Street

Read Albert Jay Nock's Memoirs of a Superfluous Man, because it will teach you the idea of being your own man.

A Design Axe

It's the beauty of the artwork that got my attention. Maine-based Best Made Company have designed one-of-a-kind design axe (s) almost too beautiful to use. I liked them, really.

Useful links:
http://bestmadeco.com
http://partnersandspade.com

Isabel Samaras

Meet Isabel Samaras, and explore her unique portraits that mix iconic popular culture figures with classic painting themes and other themes.

Useful links:
www.astrocat.com/samaras
http://isamaras.wordpress.com

Keep up the good work, Isabel. I liked it.

Star Of Josephine

Sotheby’s has named Joseph Lau Luen-Hung, a real estate investor who owns a 71 percent stake in Chinese Estates Holdings, as the buyer of the cushion-shaped 7.03-carat, vivid blue, IF diamond that fetched a record-breaking $9.48 million at auction which took place May 12, 2009 in Geneva, Switzerland. According to Sotheby's, Lau has named the stone 'Star of Josephine'. www.sothebys.com/video/privateview/GE0902/index.html

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

Christoph Niemann

Over the Wall
http://niemann.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/18/over-the-wall

Useful link:
www.christophniemann.com

A unique artistic expression. I loved it.

Greendex Map 2009

2009 Greendex Map of the World
www.nationalgeographic.com/greendex
www.globescan.com

Interesting survey. I fully agree with your comment: make the right thing, provide the right opportunities, and consumers will do the right thing.

Color Chart

Does colour have meaning in art?
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/visual_arts/article6313057.ece
http://www.tate.org.uk/liverpool/exhibitions/colourchart/default.shtm
http://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2008/colorchart/flashsite/index.html

Useful link:
www.tate.org.uk/liverpool

Great review. A must visit.

Vulcano Torre del Greco

Vulcano Torre del Greco is a newly established all-in-one trading center supplying coral, gold jewelry, and cameo in Torre del Greco in Naples, Italy. A great place to do business.

Useful links:
www.vulcanotorredelgreco.it
www.palombacoralli.it

Pierre Paulin

Meet Pierre Paulin, the famous French designer + explore his new creations. Check out the link http://pierrepaulin.com

R. Buckminster Fuller

Buckminster Fuller's Otherworldly Designs
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124234010853121195.html

Useful links:
www.mcachicago.org
www.bfi.org

A must visit.

Heard On The Street

In life, things are always changing. It is best to have more than one way to get what you want. Be good, and be happy.

Random Thoughts

Cinema is such a youthful art that it makes children of us all.

- Francis Ford Coppola
www.zoetrope.com
www.ffcpresents.com

Spot on.

Paul Hawken

Meet Paul Hawken, environmentalist, entrepreneur, and author. He believes companies should integrate biomimicry - the art of designing things by imitating how nature operates - into their products. Check out the link www.paulhawken.com

100 Most Creative People In Business

100 Most Creative People in Business
http://www.fastcompany.com/100

Read full review + I really enjoyed it.

Q & A With Martin Lindstrom

How Shoppers Make Decisions In Recession
http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1899035,00.html

Companies will start to play a mind game with consumers that is slightly different from what we've seen in the past. Some companies assume that the consumer doesn't have any money. But now they're learning that that's not the case. Consumers still do have money — at least many do — but the reason that they're not spending it is because they're afraid they may lose the money in the future.
- Martin Lindstrom

Useful link:
www.martinlindstrom.com

A very interestingly insightful interview.

Sabido & Basteris

Sabido & Basteris
http://blogs.modernjeweler.com/blog//2009/05/14/show-preview-sabido-basteris

Useful link:
www.sabidobasteris.com

Beautiful and inspiring.

Art Market Update

Optimistic Buyers Push Up Sales of Contemporary Art
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/16/arts/16iht-melik16.html?_r=1

Unbelievable prices. Recession? What recession?

Chaim Even Zohar Viewpoint

It Ain't Over 'Til the Fat Lady Sings
http://www.idexonline.com/portal_FullEditorial.asp

Useful link:
www.diamondintelligence.com

Troubling, but interesting story.

Random Thoughts

Well, let me put it this way. Anyone who's ridden a horse knows that the secret of success is to have the horse think that it's doing what it wants. So, I think that when people feel like somebody else is telling them what to do, there's going to be resistance. If they think it's what they themselves want, then they sign right up. Lao Tzu said this 2,500 years ago: When the best leader leads, the people say we did it ourselves.

- Tim O'Reilly
www.oreillynet.com
http://oreilly.com

Spot on.

Kikunoi

The Art You Can Eat
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124242719429025155.html

After spending three days in Kyoto, where visitors can eat variations of kaiseki for breakfast, lunch and dinner, I began to see why this centuries-old cuisine holds so much fascination for the most inventive chefs of Europe and America. Kaiseki is a tonic to the senses from every direction, and something no Western restaurant I've ever dined can approach. It demands perfection from the freshness and preparation of the ingredients to the dishes they are served on. The noise in some New York restaurants makes it impossible to concentrate on your meal; kaiseki diners sit in a tranquil, private room and gaze onto a Japanese garden while polite, efficient waitresses in kimonos cater to every need. The cost, at Kikunoi, is $150 a person -- a bargain compared with, say, the $275 tasting menu at Thomas Keller's Per Se in New York.
- Stan Sesser

Useful link:
www.kikunoi.jp

A kaiseki dinner at Kikunoi is an experience visitors won't quickly forget. The simplicity of a kaiseki dinner masks its complexity. A must visit, really.

Diamond Market Update

De Beers woos safe-haven investors
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f1525262-4172-11de-bdb7-00144feabdc0.html?nclick_check=1

Diamonds are of limited interest to a lot of people because of the difficulty in buying and ­selling. Gold remains the ultimate hedge.
- Nigel Rendell, RBC Capital Markets

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

According to Brock Salier, a mining analyst at Ambrian, diamonds represent a much riskier investment than gold. Unlike the yellow metal the stones, traded through auctions and private tenders, have no public market price and there is no instrument investors can use to hedge against fluctuations. I think he was spot on.

Yves Behar

Meet Yves Behar, a master designer + explore his laboratory works via www.fuseproject.com

The Four Filters Invention Of Warren Buffett And Charlie Munger

The Four Filters Invention of Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger by Bud Labitan is an insightful book about the investment methodology of Buffet/Munger. A great read.

Useful link:
www.frips.com

Bill Cunningham Viewpoint

On the Street / Swoosh!
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/05/16/science/20090517-street-feature/index.html#

Great designs. They were fascinating. I enjoyed it.

Body Language

The Definitive Book of Body Language by Barbara Pease + Allan Pease is a great book with useful information that will help you understand the intentions and views of people you are interacting with. A must read.

Useful link:

www.peaseinternational.com

Art Market Update

Crossing to safety
http://www.economist.com/opinion/displayStory.cfm?story_id=13682122

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

Great review. Rumours are an essential part of the art market. According to Adam Lindemann, in the heat of a boom market, the latest is the best. In a softer market or connoisseur’s market, people seek out earlier work because they think it’s safer. Spot on.

Eurovision 2009

Norway's Alexander Rybak wins the Eurovision Song Contest, held in the Russian capital, Moscow.

Check out the links www.eurovision.tv + www.myspace.com/alexanderrybak

Jancis Robinson Viewpoint

Bordeaux versus the rest of the world
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/72bd3364-40db-11de-8f18-00144feabdc0.html

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

Great review.

Hella Jongerius

Hella Jongerius
Design + craft + art + technology = Traditional + contemporary + high tech + low tech + industrial + artisanal.

Useful links:
www.jongeriuslab.com
www.designonscreen.org
www.vimeo.com/4171019

Kavi Gupta Gallery

Kavi Gupta Gallery
www.kavigupta.com

Take a look, enjoy.

Bel Canto

Bel Canto: French cuisine + theatrical entertainment of the highest order.
www.lebelcanto.com

A must visit.

Paula Crevoshay

Meet Paula Crevoshay, the Queen of Color. http://www.crevoshay.com

Tetro

A story told by a master. Francis Ford Coppola is back. Check out the link www.tetro.com

Mara G. Haseltine

Meet Mara G. Haseltine, a globally recognized environmental artist + explore her unique artworks/environmental projects at www.calamara.com

Diamonds Are A Miner's Best Friend

Diamonds are a miner's best friend
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/8038583.stm

The idea of finding that single diamond or seam of gold which would change their lives for ever and make them wealthy beyond their wildest dreams spurs them on.

How true! Old habits die hard.

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.