Brazilian Diamonds

Dr D B Hoover + Dr J Karfunkel has written an interesting article about large diamonds originating in Alto Parnaiba, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, in The Australian Gemmologist magazine (Volume 23, Number 10, April - June 2009). Many large diamonds have come from the region, but most production is taken out of the country leaving little evidence that such diamonds ever existed. The region is still well-known for fine pink and red diamonds. There is an interesting report by Partnership Africa Canada entitled 'Laws for the English to see'. Check out the link www.pacweb.org + www.australiangemmologist.com.au

Malaya Zircon

The Malaya zircons originate from the area of the Bombo river, which is a tributary of the Umba river. Mining is active in a region between Mkujani and Umba in the Tanga Province, Tanzania. The colors range from yellow to brown and red. Most specimens are found as water-worn pebbles. Alluvial stones could easily be confused for corundum, chrysoberyl, garnet, or spinel. Gem quality specimens when faceted show good transparency and brilliance. The stones may be heat treated to modify colors. If in doubt, always consult a reputed gem testing laboratory.

Mangenta

Hot Pink? Call It 'Mangenta'
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124346597807560297.html

Amazingly the shade magenta a.k.a hot pink is shaking things up now. It's a state of mind.

Luke Johnson Viewpoint

Rough diamonds dazzle as entrepreneurs
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6e52bd78-4a07-11de-8e7e-00144feabdc0,dwp_uuid=782015c4-f2e3-11dd-abe6-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1

I prefer the company of the down-to-earth, self-made men and women who run our industries. They know that obscure terminology and fancy projections are worthless if the underlying fundamentals of a deal are awful. I hope we never again trust overpaid fools who think they know best thanks to bogus theories.
- Luke Johnson

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

Spot on. Thanks Luke.

Simon Schubert

The German artist Simon Schubert creates works of art by folding paper into elaborate designs. Stunningly beautiful. Check out the link www.upstairs-berlin.com

Random Thoughts

Getting married is a major commitment. Love is a necessary con­dition to make a successful marriage, but love alone is not suffi­cient. Much more is needed. Before walking down the aisle, you should learn as much as possible about the one you intend to marry. Compatibility, trust, family, upbringing, religion, educa­tion, career, and financial condition all come into consideration. Marriage, after all, involves a long-term commitment. While there are no guarantees and you can never really be 100 percent certain, you should at least try to minimize the probability of making a wrong decision before tying the knot. Furthermore, when you enter into a marriage you are not likely to walk out just because a prettier face happens to come along. You are not likely to call it quits just because you have some dis­agreements. Of course, if it becomes absolutely clear that there are irreconcilable differences, divorce is always an option. But divorce is messy and extremely expensive. It should never be taken lightly. It should be employed only as a last resort. Divorce should not be the first thing on your mind when you are seriously thinking about getting married. In Warren Buffett's mind, buying a business is like getting married. One difference, of course, is that while he can have just one wife at a time, he can own as many businesses as he can afford. Yet in every case, when Buffett buys a business, he knows he is making a major commitment. This is why he tries to buy only good businesses that he plans to keep for the long run. All serious Buffett fans know this is part of his mystique.

- Vahan Janjigian
http://janjigian.blogspot.com

Spot on.

Heard On The Street

No matter what the gem market is doing, people want comfort food and comfort items + a good friend.

Frugal Traveler Update

A Two-Wheeler Tour of Wine Country
http://frugaltraveler.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/27/a-two-wheeler-tour-of-wine-country/?hpw

Useful link:
http://frugaltraveler.blogs.nytimes.com

I always enjoy your travel stories. Thanks Matt.

Martin Rapaport Viewpoint

Credit Alert
http://www.diamonds.net/news/NewsItem.aspx?ArticleID=26503

We must face the fact that credit/memo programs have hurt the U.S. market. In our eagerness to throw diamonds at every potential customer, whether they had money or not, we prostituted our product. We used every trick and gimmick to keep diamond prices artificially high, and in that process, fooled ourselves into thinking we could sell diamonds without getting paid. Where once we sold diamonds for hard cash, we now can’t get paid — even if we give diamonds away on memo programs. The U.S. market has gone from a cash cow to a credit hog.
- Martin Rapaport

Useful link:
www.diamonds.net

Martin, old habits die hard. Easy credit has given way to lower ethical standards. Thanks for the insightful article.

Eno Artwork

Eno Artwork
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/arts_and_culture/8068173.stm

All the things that humans do, including imagining, are the way we deal with emergencies including the global financial crisis. So to imply, 'oh God, there's a crisis, no time for imagining any more' - it's not true. This is the time for imagining and the way we learn to imagine, one of the ways we learn to imagine, is through the experience of art. The human ability to imagine made people "capable of surviving. By allowing ourselves to let go of the world that we have to be part of every day, and to surrender to another kind of world, we're allowing imaginative processes to take place.
- Brian Eno

Useful links:
http://luminous.sydneyoperahouse.com
www.enoshop.co.uk

Immersive experience, really.

Online Games Update

The Game of Life
http://www.wired.com/dualperspectives/article/news/2009/05/games_wired

Games create drama and excitement. We've done that for years with videogames, and now we can apply that thinking to the rest of life.
- Jane McGonigal

Useful links:
www.seriosity.com
www.avantgame.com
http://en.oreilly.com/et2009
www.playbe.com
www.denniscrowley.com

Games can change behavior.

Global Business BBC

Peter Day's Comment
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/business/2009/05/090526_peter_day_comment_may_26.shtml

Useful link:
www.intel.com

Computer chipmaking is a ruthless business. I think Andy Grove was right: Only the paranoid survive. Thanks Peter.

Energy [R]evolution

Energy [R]evolution Report via Greenpeace + European Solar Thermal Electricity Association + International Energy Agency's (IEA) SolarPACES group. http://www.greenpeace.org/raw/content/usa/press-center/reports4/energy-r-evolution-a-sustain.pdf

Useful links:
www.greenpeace.org
www.estelasolar.eu
www.solarpaces2009.org

Rhodochrosite From China

Rhodochrosite From China #1/2
http://www.collectorsedge.com/news.aspx?showarticle=38
http://www.collectorsedge.com/news.aspx?showarticle=39

Useful link:
www.collectorsedge.com

Interesting specimens. I liked the color. Some looked very similar to the specimens from the now-closed Sweet Home mine in Colorado, U.S.A.

Urban EcoMap

Urban EcoMap = A free web-based carbon footprint-tracking tool that breaks down emissions information from energy, waste, and transportation by zip code. I wish cities in India had their own carbon footprint maps to improve the environment and became part of the solution. Check out the link http://sf.urbanecomap.org

Gem Market News

According to gem dealers based in Bangkok, glass-filled rubies processed in Thailand are sold in Burma (Rangoon/Taunggyi) as African ruby. Furthermore, heat-treated flame-fusion rubies are also sold as natural. An amazing twist of fate. Active gem markets in Mogok include the Garden Gem Market, Le-U, Mogok Cinema, Mintado and Kyatpyin Cinema. If in doubt, always consult a reputed gem testing laboratory.

Jorge Colombo

Jorge Colombo's phone drawing can tell a story.
www.jorgecolombo.com

Dead Aid

Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is a Better Way for Africa by Dambisa Moyo is a thought-provoking book on the pros and cons of aid culture in Africa. A must read.

Useful link:

www.dambisamoyo.com

DanceAfrica 2009

DanceAfrica 2009 = A vast genre of African dance
www.bam.org
http://seewedancecompany.com
www.evidencedance.com

Polaroid Project

Polanoid = An online source where people can upload scanned Polaroid pictures.
http://polanoid.net

Global Business BBC

Peter Day's Comment
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/business/2009/05/090519_peter_day_comment_may_19.shtml

Useful link:
www.audurcapital.is

Truly remarkable.

Land Art

Andrew Graham-Dixon viewpoint on land art
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cultureshow/videos/2008/06/s5_e2_land

Useful link:
www.andrewgrahamdixon.com

I loved it.

Gemstone Treatments

A word of caution! Dyed grossular garnets are being sold as rubies in South Asia/Southeast Asia. If in doubt, always consult a reputed gem testing laboratory.

About Jim Collins

For This Guru, No Question Is Too Big
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/business/24collins.html?em

Useful link:
www.jimcollins.com

Impressive shortlist: Creative 53% + Teaching 28% + Other 19%. Hats off to Jim. You are just plain lucky.

Afghan Emerald

Dynamite sticks and gem stones
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8060813.stm

You need luck in this place if you want to get rich.

Gabriel García Márquez

Gabriel García Márquez: A Life by Gerald Martin is a fine tribute to a remarkable writer of our time. A must read.

Useful link:
www.pitt.edu/~hispan/faculty/martin.html

Bill Cunningham Viewpoint

On the Street / Boundless
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/05/24/fashion/20090524-street-slide-show/index.html#

Great review. Experimental and colorful. Thanks Bill.

The White Ribbon

Michael Haneke's work, 'The White Ribbon', has won the Palme d'Or, the main prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Check out the link www.festival-cannes.fr

Heard On The Street

To be an intelligent gemstone dealer, you must be unemotional/inversely emotional.

Ancient Gem-Studded Teeth

Ancient Gem-Studded Teeth Show Skill of Early Dentists
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/05/090518-jeweled-teeth-picture.html

Ancient peoples of southern North America went to "dentists"—among the earliest known—to beautify their chompers with notches, grooves, and semiprecious gems, according to a recent analysis of thousands of teeth examined from collections in Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History.

Useful link:
www.inah.gob.mx

Picasso Cézanne Exhibition 2009

Unlocked: Picasso’s chateau of love
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/visual_arts/architecture_and_design/article6350372.ece

Useful links:
www.museegranet-aixenprovence.fr
www.picasso.fr
www.musee-picasso.fr
www.museupicasso.bcn.es
www.graphikmuseum-picasso-muenster.de

A unique time capsule. A must visit.

Everlasting Moments

Everlasting Moments
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2009/may/24/everlasting-moments-film-review
http://www.ifcfilms.com/viewFilm.htm?filmId=1216

Great performance. A true masterpiece. Hats off to Jan Troell.

Art Market Update

Piling in
http://www.economist.com/opinion/displayStory.cfm?story_id=13721075

Useful links:
www.sothebys.com
www.christies.com
www.bonhams.com
www.keverne.co.uk
www.asianartgallery.co.uk

Great review.

The REFRACT House

I was really impressed with the REFRACT House, an innovative solar project created by Team California (CCA + University of Santa Clara architecture and design students) for the 2009 Solar Decathlon. Check out the link www.cca.edu/academics/architecture/refract

Useful link:
www.solardecathlon.org

A very nice story indeed.

Spoleto Festival 2009

Spoleto Festival 2009 is a 17-day feast of cultural events, ranging from rock opera to chamber music. Check out the link www.spoletousa.org

Random Thoughts

Crooks, scandals, and scalawags are good. Con artists of all forms offer us a sort of perverse education. They are a key ingredient to avoiding stagnation and achieving a constantly evolving Wall Street, for without them we would never learn the often-costly lessons of excessive greed and blind trust that prompt change and reform. In the way a child learns not to touch a red-hot stovetop, the stock market has learned—sometimes over and over again—to be skeptical of just-too-good-to-be-true investment opportunities and the people promoting them. Because the root of all swindles, greed, is inherent to human nature, Wall Street will never lack for its share of con artists and con games, regardless of what drastic measures Washington might think it's taking. So, rather than condemn such swindlers, we can easily learn from their stories.

- Ken Fisher
www.kenfisher.com

Spot on.

Ai Weiwei

The Collector: Ai Weiwei
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124287520377742255.html

Useful links:
www.aiweiwei.com
http://blog.sina.com.cn/aiweiwei

Interesting character. He was spot on collecting. You need a better appreciation of art to understand it.

Bert + John Jacobs

A fortune coined from cheerfulness
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/80274aa0-448a-11de-82d6-00144feabdc0.html

Useful link:
www.lifeisgood.com

Inspiring story. A great business name + selling a message of optimism and an appreciation for the small pleasures of life makes all the difference in a day. The little things in life are the big things. Hats off to Bert + John.

Art Market Update

Reconstructing the Afterlife in a Vanished Religion
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/23/arts/23iht-melik23.html

Useful link:
http://www.louvre.fr

Great review.

Andesine Update

Richard W. Wise Viewpoints
http://gemwiseblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2009/05/grain-boundary-diffusion-in-tourmaline.html

Useful link:
www.rwwise.com

I think the issues on treatments are so complex and disturbing I wonder who is winning/losing. It's sad really.

Lead-glass Filling Update

Durability of significant fissure filled ruby with lead-glass
http://www.gaaj-zenhokyo.co.jp/researchroom/kanbetu/2009/2009_01_01-01en.html

Useful link:
www.gaaj-zenhokyo.co.jp

Dr. Jun Kawano was spot on. A must read.

The Art Of Tony Curtis

The artistic side to film legend Curtis
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/arts_and_culture/8064207.stm

Useful link:
www.tonycurtis.com

I'm a huge Tony Curtis fan. There is no much difference between painting or acting because you need an audience for both. He was spot on.

Russell Shor Viewpoint

Russell Shor's blog
http://experts.foreignpolicy.com/blog/7310

Spot on. Only luck can fix it. In Russia, diamonds are forever a complicated business.

Chelsea Flower Show 2009

Chelsea Flower Show 2009: the highlights
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/chelseaflowershow/5360913/Chelsea-Flower-Show-2009-the-highlights.html

Useful link:
www.rhs.org.uk/whatson/shows/chelsea2009

It is a beauty, really.

SENSEable City Lab

MIT's SENSEable City Lab could change the whole experience of urban travel. Check out the link http://senseable.mit.edu + http://mobile.mit.edu

Meteorite Men

Meteorite Men
http://meteoritemen.com
http://science.discovery.com

For thousands of years meteorites have slammed into the earth’s surface, each one carrying an invaluable record of the very beginnings of the solar system. But finding meteorites, some buried over centuries by thick layers of dirt and sediment, is no easy task. Now, Science Channel is bringing viewers on a search for alien treasures and revealing these lost pieces of our universe for the first time in Meteorite Men.

Don't miss this show.

Imperial White Jade Quianlong Yubi Seal

Legacies of Imperial Power: Qianlong Imperial Seals from the Estate of Emile Guimet
http://www.sothebys.com/app/live/lot/LotDetail.jsp?sale_number=HK0281&live_lot_id=2003
http://www.beaussant-lefevre.com/html/fiche.jsp?id=934986
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hYLejNHjf6GyZ1BfW1zLxFH685Wg

A Qianlong Yubi seal carved from snow-white jade sold for about $8.16 million at Sotheby’s.

Emeralds, A Passionate Guide

Emeralds, A Passionate Guide by Ronald Ringsrud
www.emeraldpassion.com
www.emeraldmine.com

A must read.

The Prince Of Asturias Prize 2009

British architect Norman Foster has been awarded one of Spain's highest honours, the Prince of Asturias Prize for Arts. The Prince of Asturias awards are also given in the fields of writing, social sciences, scientific research, communications and humanities, international cooperation, public service and sports. Named after Crown Prince Felipe, they are presented in the northern Spanish city of Oviedo, capital of the Asturias region.

Useful links:
http://fundacionprincipedeasturias.org
www.fosterandpartners.com

Vietnamese Art

Forged art legacy of Vietnam war
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8061207.stm

Useful link:
http://vnfineartsmuseum.org.vn

According to Nora Taylor, a leading art historian and Vietnamese painting expert from Chicago University believes that about half of the paintings displayed at the museum are in fact copies. It's sad really.

ImaGem

ImaGem's latest technologies in diamond cut grading. Check out the link http://imageminc.com

Chaim Even Zohar Viewpoint

Innovative Credit Creation in Antwerp Diamond Industry
http://www.idexonline.com/portal_FullEditorial.asp

Useful links:
www.diamondintelligence.com
www.awdc.be

If it's a real solution to a real problem, then the AWDC deserves to be complimented.

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.