Manolo Blahnik

Manolo Blahnik: the man who makes shoes so delicately, decoratively sensual – so caressing of the curve of a foot – that they don’t need a logo or a sole to identify them; they create their own walk (Vanessa Friedman). How true! He gives shape and meaning to shoes. And in many ways, he is his own best critic.
Check out the link www.manoloblahnik.com

Journey To The Stars

Academy Award–winning actress Whoopi Goldberg will narrate the American Museum of Natural History’s spectacular new Hayden Planetarium Space Show, Journey to the Stars, at the Museum’s Rose Center for Earth and Space on July 4, 2009. Check out the link www.haydenplanetarium.org

Jancis Robinson Viewpoint

New Zealand comes of age
www.ft.com/arts/columnists/robinson

Useful link:
www.jancisrobinson.com

Great review. Thanks Jancis.

Heard On The Street

Gem markets have created so much gemstones that we easily lose sight of an important fact: the real gem markets thrive on scarcity.

The Drunkard's Walk

The Drunkard's Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives by Leonard Mlodinow is a fascinating book about the factor of chance. The book will make you think. A must read.

Useful link:

www.its.caltech.edu/~len

Herb & Dorothy

Herb & Dorothy tells the extraordinary story of Herbert Vogel, a postal clerk, and Dorothy Vogel, a librarian, who managed to build one of the most important contemporary art collections in history with very modest means. Check out the link www.herbanddorothy.com

Throw Down Your Heart

The Grammy-winning banjoist Bela Fleck travels to four African countries – Uganda, Tanzania, Gam­bia, and Mali, to learn, share, and rejoice. A must see movie. Check out the link www.throwdownyourheart.com

Doyle Brunson

Meet Doyle Brunson, the 'Godfather of Poker'.

Best advice: Be slow in choosing a friend, be even slower in changing friends.

Useful links:
www.doylebrunson.com
www.bluffmagazine.com
www.worldseriesofpoker.com

Alacria Royal Collection From Carl F. Bucherer

Alacria Royal collection = Color + Brilliance + a good story
www.carl-f-bucherer.com

Paris Flea Markets

Hunting for Treasure in Paris’s Marchés aux Puces
http://frugaltraveler.blogs.nytimes.com
http://parispuces.com
www.vide-greniers.org
http://gallery.me.com/c.chase#100287

Terrific story, really.

Nancy Schuring Viewpoint

Pass the Padparadscha, Please: Gem-Enchanted Evenings at Nancy’s
http://www.colored-stone.com/stories/may09/geminars.cfm

Useful link:
www.devonfinejewelry.com

People love to hear about new gems. In the process, you may turn customers into collectors of colored gemstones. A knowledgeable consumer is always your best customer.

Art + Information

New ways for communication. Check out the links www.gapminder.org + http://baekdal.com

AGTA Forums

The American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) has launched members-only forum at www.agta.org + a public forum at www.gemstoneforums.com

Share and learn.

Chaim Even Zohar Viewpoint

Oy, the Ever CENsational Sarah
http://www.idexonline.com/portal_FullEditorial.asp

Useful links:
www.diamondintelligence.com
www.cibjo.org
www.cen.eu
www.internationaldiamondcouncil.org

Thanks Chaim for the update.

Heard On The Street

Love it or leave it. If a young person feels he has an insatiable curiosity as to everything that is going on in the gem market, he should try buying / selling gems. He will be endlessly absorbed by it, he will enjoy it and he may even make some money.

Art Market Update

Risk-Defying Sale of Contemporary Art at Christie's
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/02/arts/02iht-melik2.html?_r=1

Useful links:
www.christies.com
www.sothebys.com
www.arndt-partner.de
www.joanavasconcelos.com

Great review. Thanks Souren.

Richard Woods

Richard Woods Artworks are functional and ornamental. I liked it. Check out the link www.richardwoodsstudio.com

Random Thoughts

A word of advice: When your wife to be picks out a wedding ring, no matter what price, run, do not walk, to the counter and purchase it. Do not repeat the mistake I made many years ago and say, 'let’s think about it…'. Some mistakes are never forgotten.

- John Lamberg

Brilliant!

The Wittelsbach Diamond

More Blue, Less Provenance

http://www.colored-stone.com/stories/may09/wittelsbach.cfm

Useful links:

www.graffdiamonds.com

www.acagemlab.com

I completely agree with the author (s). This diamond is a piece of history + it is a masterpiece that should be left as such. I think.

Karl Malden

Oscar-winning actor Karl Malden, best known for his roles in A Streetcar Named Desire and On The Waterfront alongside Marlon Brando, has died aged 97. I have been a huge fan of Karl Malden since I saw him in On The Waterfront. RIP Mr. Malden.

Useful link:

www.karlmalden.com

Dai Lam Ngoc Sapphire, Vietnam

A huge block of sapphire of 15 tonnes in weight from a mine in the central province of Nghe An is on display at the Ruby Plaza trade centre in Hanoi. Named Dai Lam Ngoc, the sapphire block is 2.4m in height, 1.7m in width and is the biggest of its kind to be found in Vietnam so far. A must see, really!

Rebecca Collection

Rebecca Collection by Alessandro Testi
www.testiusa.com

Very innovative indeed.

Newsweek's Top 100 Books

Newsweek's Top 100 Books: The Meta-List
http://www.newsweek.com/id/204478

Interesting list. Who's to say what the best is? This debate could go on forever, and it probably will.

Valerie Casey

Meet Valerie Casey. She is a leading thinker and practitioner in the areas of design and open innovation. She is also the founder of the Designers Accord, the global coalition of designers, corporate leaders, and educational institutions focused on creating positive impact.

Useful links:
www.designersaccord.org
www.valcasey.com
http://twitter.com/designersaccord

Dorkbot

Strange things can be done with electricity. Check out the link http://dorkbot.org

The interesting thing to me is to learn about strange things that creative people are doing right now around the world. The Dorkbot movement is broad and inclusive. I liked it.

Small Is Beautiful

Small Is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered by E. F. Schumacher is an inspiring book and still very applicable. A must read.

Useful link:

www.smallisbeautiful.org

Jorge Colombo Sketches

Finger Painting: The Apollo Theatre
http://jorgecolombo.com

Who would have thought that iPhone would be a great tool for artists. Until now. Meet Jorge Colombo.

Jeff Scher's Parade

The Parade
http://scher.blogs.nytimes.com

Useful link:
http://fezfilms.net

Spot on. The street etiquette of avoiding eye contact lets us go about our business without the distraction of interaction is not the typical New York 'street face', it's the real face of the world.

Antiques Roadshow 2009

It's part adventure, part history lesson, and part treasure hunt. In a record for the show, four pieces of Chinese carved jade and celadon from the Qianlong era (1736-1795), including a large bowl made for the Emperor, were given a conservative auction estimate of up to $1.07 million. The statement said the owner of the jade inherited the collection from her father, who bought the objects in the 1930s and 1940s, while stationed in China as a military liaison. Check out the link www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow

Bernard Madoff Saga

Finally, a federal judge in New York sentenced Bernard L. Madoff to 150 years in prison for running a huge Ponzi scheme that devastated thousands of investors, calling his crimes 'extraordinarily evil'. I think his jail cell will become is coffin. People have such a short memory, I am afraid there always will be new scammers.

India's New Gold Bullion Market

India is the world’s largest consumer of gold, importing nearly 800 tonnes a year, or 20 per cent of global demand. It will be interesting to see how the new domestic gold bullion market will evolve via The National Spot Exchange, in the coming months, offering contracts ranging in size from 8g to 1kg. I also think that fair and orderly price discovery is key to gold market's trustworthiness.

Useful link:
www.nationalspotexchange.com

Ivory Tagging

According to Professor Sam Wasser, director of the University of Washington's Centre for Conservation Biology, where the DNA elephant map was developed, scientists are able to pinpoint the area of Africa where smugglers are slaughtering elephants to feed the worldwide illegal ivory trade. Ivory is now traded globally in the same illegal manner as drugs and weapons. Hats of to Professor Sam and his team!

Useful links:
http://conservationbiology.net
http://depts.washington.edu/conserv/Introduction.html

The Art Of Jeff Koons

The art of Jeff Koons creates a world beyond taste. He is a mega-artist and a business artist. He is also the sculptor of Michael Jackson and Bubbles. I don't know if there are hidden meanings in his works, but they are unique/different. Really.

Useful link:

www.jeffkoons.com

Random Thoughts

The love of money as a possession - as distinguished from the love of money as a means to the enjoyments and realities of life - will be recognized for what it is, a somewhat disgusting morbidity, one of those semi-criminal, semi-pathological propensities which one hands over with a shudder to the specialists in mental disease.

- John Maynard Keynes
www.maynardkeynes.org
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Maynard_Keynes

Spot on.

Diamond Traders Of Hoveniersstraat

Pallavi Aiyar's post in Business Standard (June 27, 2009) on Indian diamond traders and the Antwerp diamond market was interesting. The Mehtas and Shahs, who are the 21st century high priests of Hoveniersstraat, control up to 70 per cent of Antwerp’s diamond trade today, a figure that was associated with the Jews only a few decades ago. Sign of the times, really.

Dan Graham

A practitioner of conceptual art + art critic + theorist.
www.dangraham.org
www.whitney.org

Tea Drinking

According to public health nutritionist Dr Carrie Ruxton, and colleagues at Kings College London, drinking tea is actually better for you than drinking water + tea replaces fluids and contains antioxidants so it's got two things going for it. Just do it.

Useful links:
www.tea.co.uk
www.teausa.org
www.tea.ca

The Roskin Gem News Report

Gary Roskin, who most recently was a senior editor at JCK Magazine is launching The Roskin Gem News Report on the July 4, 2009. Check out the link www.roskingemnews.com

Cabulous Gems

Fabulous, Cabulous!
http://www.lapidaryjournal.com/feature/fabulous-cabulous.cfm

The gem trade is a huge international business, but the small, independent gem cutter who gathers rough, seeks the best potential in a certain slab, and brings the inner beauty of that stone to light in a splendid cabochon is often the best source for unique or rare material for artisan jewelry making.
- Helen I. Driggs

Spot on.

Pearl Market Update

The Secrets of Pearl Success
http://www.modernjeweler.com/print/Modern-Jeweler/The-Secrets-of-Pearl-Success/1$961

Useful links:
www.cpaa.org
www.cpaaforums.org

Fascinating post. Hopefully, this will encourage more people to appreciate pearls.

Heard On The Street

You wait ages and nothing, then it all turns up at once.

One Small Step Can Change Your Life

One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way by Robert Maurer is a great book about accomplishing your goals one small step at a time. A must read.

Useful links:

www.scienceofexcellence.com

http://litemind.com

http://mappio.com

Gunpowder Art

Cai Guo-Qiang turns gunpowder into art
www.caiguoqiang.com

Seeing is believing.

Disruptive By Design

Steve Levy recently interviewed Jeff Bezos at the Wired Disruptive by Design event in New York. I thought Tim O'Reilly's interview notes were brilliant and insighful. Check out the link http://radar.oreilly.com/2009/06/jeff-bezos-at-wired-disruptive.html

Art Market Update

Hippie Picasso
http://www.economist.com/opinion/displayStory.cfm?story_id=13934210

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

All manipulators lose money. If I died tomorrow, the Picasso market would go on. The art market is something for beauty and intelligence. It’s not supposed to be a casino.
- David Nahmad

Spot on.

The Williams Institute Report

I was intrigued by The Williams Institute report, a research arm of UCLA's law school, on gay marriages and the way they spend money on gifts, jewelry, wedding dresses, honeymoon, etc. This is definitely a financial windfall. Really.

Useful links:
www.census.gov
www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute
www.bridalassn.com
www.theweddingreport.com

Copenhagen Co’creation Summit

Copenhagen Co’creation Summit = A unique knowledge-sharing network set up by the Danish Design Association. Check out the link http://copenhagencocreation.com

Paul Graham's Business School

The Start-up Guru: Y Combinator's Paul Graham
http://ycombinator.com
http://startupschool.org

Paul is a transformational figure. He has produced many promising companies around the world creating hundred of jobs + wealth for investors, founders, and for society at large.

Random Thoughts

The only thing money gives you is the freedom of not worrying about money.

- Johnny Carson
www.johnnycarson.com

Spot on.

Art Market Update

The Rage to Buy Vanishing Art Works
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/27/arts/27iht-melik27.html?_r=1

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

Great review. Thanks Souren.

Bill Cunningham Viewpoint

On the Street / Tea Trot
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/06/25/fashion/20090628-street-feature/index.html#

Brilliant. I loved it. Thanks Bill.

The Hurt Locker

The Hurt Locker: This film looks, feels and smells real.
http://thehurtlocker-movie.com

The film is based on recently declassified information about a U.S. Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) (bomb squad) team in present day Iraq. Don't miss this movie.

Energy Report

Opportunities in Rare Earths
www.theenergyreport.com/pub/na_u/954
www.theanchorhouse.com

Demand for rare earths are increasing + 95% of the rare earths comes from China. It's an amazing story about China.

A Norwegian Farmhouse

Jarmund/Vigsnaes's modern farmhouse design
www.jva.no

Great design, really. I loved it.

A Little Diamond Smuggling

When you are in Tanzania, everyone has a gemstone story. There is no easy way of knowing who is real/fake. You will have to figure out how to identify a genuine trader/gemstone fast. Traders are everywhere. Then there are issues concerning authenticity, quality and value. Always do the right thing. http://www.usaid.gov/stories/madagascar/ss_md_gems.html

Maira Kalman Viewpoint

Time Wastes Too Fast
http://kalman.blogs.nytimes.com

Useful link:
www.mairakalman.com

A great storyteller, really. Thanks Maira.

China's Art Market

According to Hurun’s latest China rich list, there were about 51,000 people in China who had 100 million yuan or more; of these, 1,050 were in Shanxi, a class of new rich, dubbed 'Coal Bosses'. Probably it could be much larger, but interestingly the rich are investing in Chinese art. Shanxi’s new rich have a reputation for brashness and ostentatious spending, and a lot of China’s finest treasures are in the hands of Shanxi collectors. According to Christies, Americans are its biggest clients in this category of art, but Shanxi buyers are catching up. Let's go to Shanxi, really.

Useful links:
www.chaks.com.hk
http://en.artron.net
www.tefaf.com
www.intl-risk.com
www.berwald-oriental.com
www.hurun.net
www.chinamuseums.com

Firsthand Experience

Firsthand Experience and The Subsequent Role of Reflected Knowledge in Cultivating Trust in Global Collaboration by Mark Mortensen (MIT Sloan School of Management) + Tsedal Beyene (Harvard Business School) explains the benefits of face-to-face meetings vs video conferences + e-mails. I couldn't agree more. When you travel to meet distant colleagues and customers, you gain valuable insights not only into those cultures you're visiting, but also into your own business + such knowledge is relevant to relationship building. Hats off to Mark + Tsedal! http://www.hbs.edu/news/pdf/TsedalBeyeneonFirstHandExperience.pdf

James Ensor

He knew all the right art-world people but hated most of them and was sure they hated him. He was an aggrieved traditionalist with a pop-culture itch, equally entertained by Rubens and tabloid cartoons. He was a sophisticated artist who helped shape early Modernism, not in a Paris studio but in an attic room over a novelty shop in a resort town on the North Sea.......

Useful link:
www.moma.org

Nandan Nilekani

Nandan Nilekani, the co-chairman of Infosys Technologies has been named the new head of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIAI), a post that carries the rank of cabinet minister. He was hand-picked by the prime minister to head the ambitious project to provide every citizen with a unique national ID by 2011. Good luck!

Useful link:

http://imaginingindia.com

The Accidental Billionaires

The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal by Ben Mezrich is an interesting tale of intrigue and suspicion that follows Facebook's young founder on his ruthless rise to prominence in Silicon Valley. A must read.

Useful link:

http://benmezrich.com

Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson has died at the age of 50. It's just unimaginable that Michael Jackson is no more, it's just unbelievable. He was one of my favourite artist. My thoughts go out to his children and the rest of his family. RIP Mr Jackson.

Useful link:

www.michaeljackson.com

Chaim Even Zohar Viewpoint

Mounting Financial Perils
http://www.idexonline.com/portal_FullEditorial.asp

Useful link:
www.diamondintelligence.com

I think banks are smart–you don’t get something for nothing. Thanks Chaim for the insightful piece.

Blood Diamond Issues

I think, Ian Smillie, the leading architect of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) was right. The peculiar system has been letting all manner of crooks off the hook. According to Global Witness, one-hundred percent of Venezuela's diamonds are being smuggled; Guinea has reported an unfeasible 500 per cent increase in diamond production year on year; and Lebanon is exporting more rough diamonds than it imports despite having no local deposits. I know people who have bought/sold rough diamonds from the so-called dealers (South Africa via Zimbabwe, Iran, Venezuela via Lebanon/Iran), and it's an open secret. Diamonds travel quickly. What's the point of having a stick if the stick is never used? Sad, really.

Useful links:
www.globalwitness.org
www.pacweb.org
www.kimberleyprocess.com

Edge

Edge = Brilliant minds
www.edge.org

Spinning Memos Into Tales

Hollywood's Peter Guber: Spinning Memos into Tales
http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=2270

Useful links:
www.mandalay.com
http://leadershipconference.wharton.upenn.edu
www.whartoninteractive.com

Stories are more memorable and engaging than slide presentations, memos or sales pitches. Everyone is a factory of old stories. How true! Thanks Peter.

The Mack Center

Innovation: Sometimes It Takes a Village
http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=2272

Useful links:
http://mackcenter.wharton.upenn.edu
www.innocentive.com
www.4inno.com

Spot on.

Woodstock Stories

Taking Woodstock
www.woodstockstory.com

Taking Woodstock is the new film from Academy Award-winning director Ang Lee. Can't wait. Really.

JW Waterhouse

In pictures: JW Waterhouse at the Royal Academy
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/arts_and_culture/8116369.stm

Useful links:
www.johnwilliamwaterhouse.com
www.royalacademy.org.uk

JWW is famous for his paintings of female characters from mythology and literature. Beautiful paintings indeed.

Obama’s BlackBerry

The imagined e-mails and text messages in 'Obama's BlackBerry', by the comedy group Kasper Hauser, is hilariously funny. Check out the link www.kasperhauser.com

Chuck Close

Meet Chuck Close, an American painter and photographer who has achieved fame as a photorealist, through his massive-scale portraits. Check out the link www.chuckclose.coe.uh.edu

Random Thoughts

When I was young, maybe 6 or 7 years old, I'd play on the Navy golf course with my pop. My dad would say, "Okay, where do you want to hit the ball?" I'd pick a spot and say I want to hit it there. He'd shrug and say, "Fine, then figure out how to do it." He didn't position my arm, adjust my feet, or change my thinking. He just said go ahead and hit the darn ball. My dad's advice to me was to simplify. He knew that at my age I couldn't digest all of golf's intricacies. He kept it simple: If you want to hit the ball to a particular spot, figure out a way to do it. Even today, when I'm struggling with my game, I can still hear him say, "Pick a spot and just hit it." When I'm making adjustments during a round, I know some of the television commentators theorize that I'm changing this or moving that, but really what I'm doing is listening to Pop.

- Tiger Woods
www.tigerwoods.com

Great advice.

Heard On The Street

Great people have great timing. Take windfall profits when you have them.

Frugal Traveler Update

Frugal Travel: A Woman’s Perspective
http://frugaltraveler.blogs.nytimes.com

Useful link:
http://wanderlustandlipstick.com

Great advice.

New Gemstone Treatments

New Gemstone Treatments - A Coming Crisis
http://www.colored-stone.com/stories/may09/new-gemstone-treatments.cfm

Useful links:
www.gps.caltech.edu/~grr
www.jwkustos.com

A new thinking in forensic gemology. Really. Thanks Joel.

Maasai Sunstone

In search of East Africa's eye-catching Maasai sunstone
http://www.jewelryartistmagazine.com/feature/feb05.cfm

Maasai Sunstone: Found first by a young Maasai man on tribal grazing lands in about 2000, the stone's basic color, red orange, mimics the bright hues of the Maasai people's dress. Since the Maasai have found several of East Africa's gem deposits, it seems fitting that at least one of their stone discoveries should carry their tribal name.
- Don Thompson

I completely agree. Thanks Don for the explanatory essay on East African gemstones.

Antwerp's Diamond Quarter

Recession takes the sparkle out of Antwerp's diamond quarter
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jun/23/diamond-gems-trade-antwerp-belgium

Useful link:
www.diamantkring.org

Four out of five uncut diamonds produced anywhere in the world + more than half of the polished stones travel from Australia, Russia, Canada, India, Botswana and London to Antwerp for buying and selling. The diamond trade is dominated by minorities such as Orthodox Jews, Indian Jains, Maronite Christians from Lebanon and Armenians.

Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland

Tim Burton's next movie, a remake of Alice in Wonderland is set for release in March 2010. USA Today got an exclusive first look at the production stills. They are gorgeous. Can't wait. Check out the link http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2009-06-21-alice-in-wonderland_N.htm

Useful link:
www.timburton.com

The End Of Overeating

The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite by David Kessler is a fascinating exploration of us. A must read.

A New Kind Of MBA

The Jack Welch MBA
http://www.economist.com/businessfinance/displayStory.cfm?story_id=13892633

Useful links:
www.myers.edu
www.jwmi.com
www.welchway.com
http://everybodysbusiness.msn.com
http://twitter.com/jack_Welch

I hope the new MBA will teach students to serve society rather than maximise profits.

Green Art Movement

Barbican goes green for eco show
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8110349.stm

Useful link:
www.barbican.org.uk

Brilliant showcase by eco-artists. Don't miss.

Lloyd Russell

The best green designs are simple and functional. Check out the link www.lloyd-russell.com

Random Thoughts

When I was a young infantry officer at Fort Benning, we had a lot of old captains who had served in World War II and Korea. They were not going to go higher in rank, but, boy, did they know about soldiering. So I didn't learn this piece of barracks wisdom from an Eisenhower or Pershing. I heard it from these wonderful reserve captains. This is the story: There was a brand-new second lieutenant who was very ambitious and wanted to be a general. So one night at the officer's club the young officer spotted this old general sitting at the bar. So he went up and said, "How do I become a general?" And the old general answered, "Son, you've got to work like a dog. You've got to have moral and physical courage. There may be days you're tired, but you must never show fatigue. You'll be afraid, but you can never show fear. You must always be the leader." The young officer was so excited by this advice. "Thank you, sir," he said, "so is this how I become a general?" "No," said the general, "that's how you become a first lieutenant, and then you keep doing it over and over and over." Throughout my career, I've always tried to do my best today, think about tomorrow, and maybe dream a bit about the future. But doing your best in the present has to be the rule. You won't become a general unless you become a good first lieutenant.

- Colin Powell

Spot on.

Gem Lab Research Update

Lead glass treated star rubies + Maxixe beryl
http://www.gemlab.net/website/gemlab/fileadmin/user_upload/Research/Gemlab_Research_Newsletter_06-09.pdf

Useful link:
www.gemlab.net

If in doubt, always consult a reputed gem testing laboratory.

Art Meets Wildlife

Trouble in Paradise, an artistic installation at the Schönbrunn zoo in Vienna, Austria by artist-duo Steinbrener/Dempf was a brilliant idea. Check out the link www.steinbrener-dempf.com + www.zoovienna.at

Guggenheim Forum

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Forum
http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/exhibitions/forum

Meet the experts in various fields and learn more about them.

The Wedding At Cana

If you’re in town for the Venice Biennale, don’t miss the marriage of High Renaissance painting and advanced technology that is 'The Wedding at Cana,' by the British filmmaker Peter Greenaway. Check out the link www.petergreenaway.info

'The Wedding at Cana' runs until early August, then again from late August through the second week of September; Palladian Refectory, San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice.
www.changeperformingarts.it

It is the best unmanned art history lecture you’ll ever experience.

The Art Of Ventriloquism

Bright Lights, Wide Eyes: Nostalgic Collections That Speak Volumes
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/22/arts/design/22private.html?_r=1

Useful links:
www.venthavenmuseum.net
www.signmuseum.net
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ventriloquism

Just as no two humans are smart in precisely the same way, no two of these creatures are dummies in precisely the same way. A must visit.

Random Thoughts

The principle of medieval trade was admittedly comradeship and justice, while the principle of modern trade is avowedly competition and greed.

- GK Chesterton (1926)

Spot on.

Devorah Sperber

Meet Devorah Sperber, an American installation artist known for creating works out of spools of thread, chenille pipe cleaners and map tacks that act as optical illusions. Check out the link www.devorahsperber.com

It's immersive and beautiful, really.

Toughen Up

It's his story. Michael Hill Jewellery has more than 250 outlets across New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the United States of America, and the company is renowned as a world leader in efficient and innovative business.

Useful link:

www.michaelhill.com.au

Waterpod Project

Meet Mary Mattingly, designer + the genius behind the project.
www.thewaterpod.org

New Acropolis Museum

New Acropolis Museum
http://theacropolismuseum.gr

The new museum houses sculptures from the golden age of Athens. BBC's Malcolm Brabant has the story. Check out the link http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/7381738.stm

Chocouture Diamond Collection

The 24k gold + diamond chocolates in the Chocouture Diamond Collection feature edible gold leaf + sugar (diamond) set in a chocolate that is made with a single-malt Scotch ganache. When consuming, please remember to not bite down on the diamond. While it is made out of sugar and edible, it is like hard candy. Check out the link www.chocolatines.com

Bill Cunningham Viewpoint

On the Street / Comfy
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/06/19/fashion/20090621-street-feature/index.html#

A new influence. It's terrific. Thanks Bill.

Chinese Freshwater Cultured Pearl Grading

China has introduced a new standardized set of pearl samples for grading Chinese freshwater pearls via National Gemstone Testing Center (NGTC) + Gems & Jewelry Trade Association of China + leading pearl companies (Zhejiang Shanxiahu Pearl Co Ltd/Zhejiang Jiali Pearl Jewelry Co Ltd/ Zhejiang Ruan's Pearl Holding Co Ltd). Check out the link http://www.pearls.com/news2/pp48/Taijin%20Lu.pdf

Useful link:
www.ngtc.gov.cn

Alternative Energy Forum 2009

Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Benaroya Hall - Grand Lobby
200 University Street Seattle, WA 98101
www.fastcompany.com/alternative-energy
www.dsireusa.org
www.homepower.com
www.energystar.gov
http://aceee.org
www.nrel.gov
www.awea.org

Don't miss!

Choosing A Diamond

Here's how to get the most bling from your engagement ring. Learn how to interpret the 4 C's: color, clarity, cut, carat weight. Explore all your options and be a smart buyer. No two diamonds are alike. Just make sure the diamonds are properly certified by a reputed diamond grading laboratory.

The cut of your diamond typically has the biggest impact on its price--about 25% to 50%. Carat weight will influence about 10% to 20% and color and clarity each make up the last 10% to 15% of the price.
- Sherri Hendricks, Vice president
www.diamonds.com

Virgin Mary Image In Quartz

We believe this to be a miracle from God. The gemstone has a very strong, positive energy which can be easily felt by holding or even touching the stone.
- Rev. Dr. Douglas Van Dyke, D.D

It was a very unusual gem material indeed, but it was unnecessary for Rev Douglas Van Dyke to make god-like statements. Make your own judgment. Check out the link http://www.image2.com/Site_2/Welcome.html

Art Market Update

Old Masters and maestros
http://www.economist.com/opinion/displayStory.cfm?story_id=13888724

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

A unique way to promote London-based dealers + identifying undiscovered paintings is what every dealer dreams of.