Art Identification: Analytical Methods

It's really encouraging to see modern approaches in art identification via X-ray fluoroscopy/Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source or CHESS. It is just the latest example showing how science can reveal secrets concealed beneath the surface of paintings and manuscripts. www.acs.org

Random Thoughts

Every single biography on a genius, or highly successful person, that I have ever read has clearly shown me the necessity of complete immersion in one’s field of endeavor to be above average. And as I am average in just about everything I must exude greater then average effort in order to achieve better then average success.

- David Lamb

Spot on.

Science Visualization Videos 2009

The videos/images were educational + stunningly beautiful and descriptive. I liked it.

Useful link:
https://hpcrd.lbl.gov/scidac09

Diamonds Are A Cheat’s Best Friend

Meet Robert Charlton, wealthy English businessman and a philandering one at that, who used diamonds to say sorry to his wife for his infidelity. He gave a diamond jewelry to his wife whenever he strayed. Recently, the cheat diamonds were auctioned by Woolley and Wallis on behalf of Marie, the couple’s only child. What a story!

Useful link:
www.woolleyandwallis.co.uk

GPS Drawing

Jeremy Wood, an artist based in London, coined the term 'GPS drawing' nearly a decade ago and continues to maintain a website compiling his and other GPS-produced images from around the world. I liked it.

Useful links:
http://gpsdrawing.com
www.jeremywood.net
www.nytimes.com/2009/08/20/fashion/20GPS.html?_r=1

Kevin Cyr

I really liked Camper Bike, a functioning sculptural piece. www.kevincyr.net

EcoSheet

A company called 2K Manufacturing, can turn mixed plastic into a composite board called EcoSheet. Truly amazing + a big step of progress in recycling. Good for business + good for the environment.

Useful links:
www.eco-sheet.com
www.wrap.org.uk

Hope Diamond

The Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Hope Diamond. Three contemporary settings have been designed by Harry Winston Inc. to mark the occasion. The public is invited to vote online for their favorite beginning today, August 19, 2009. Check out the link www.mnh.si.edu

Heard On The Street

Enjoy your business and know the industry and its future. Be efficient. Nothing drains profits like waste. You need to be good every day.

The Liar In Your Life

The Liar in Your Life: How Lies Work and What They Tell Us About Ourselves by Robert Feldman describes just how prevalent lying has become. This is so true! A must read.

Useful links:

http://feldman.socialpsychology.org

www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1917215,00.html

Random Thoughts

The thing I say is this. No two relationships are the same. If you have a ring that is unique or unusual, that's what sells it. Young people love the old jewelry. It's innate.

- Marlene Harris
www.marleneharriscol.com

So true, really.

Michelle Kaufmann Designs

The Sisters of St. Francis Sacred Heart Province have gone green and modular who believe that ecology and spiritually are connected. I really liked the concept. The Franciscan sisters have set a good example.

Useful link:
http://blog.michellekaufmann.com

The National Geographic Society Treasures

The National Geographic Society is opening up its archives to the fine-art market for the first time, putting 150 vintage prints up for sale. On September 17, 2009, the Steven Kasher Gallery in Chelsea will open its first exhibition of National Geographic pictures — 150 vintage prints from a dozen photographers. Don't miss.

Useful links:
www.nationalgeographic.com
www.stevenkasher.com

Global Business BBC

Alberto Vollmer tells Peter Day how the theft of a security guard’s gun led him to set up a project which has cut crime in his area by 40% and has now become an integral part of this 200 year old family business. Inspiring story, really. Thanks Peter.

Useful link:
www.ronsantateresa.com

The Southern Utes Bioenergy Project

I thought the Southern Utes communities alternative energy idea was a brilliant + inspiring business model. They have done their homework (science + environmental optimism + Native American capitalism). I hope the work of the project can be sustained long term to benefit future generations.

Useful links:
www.southern-ute.nsn.us
www.solixbiofuels.com
www.nrel.gov

Changle, Shandong Province, China

Mining for blue sapphires in Changle was an interesting story. According to Zhao Shi Jun, director of the Changle China Gem City Development and Construction Administration Committee, about 70 percent of the gemstones mined in Changle are send to Thailand for processing. Obviously they would be heat-treated (with mixed results) to make it more saleable. Who knows, there will be more surprises for the colored stone industry from China in the coming years.

The Human Family Tree

Strangers from one of the most diverse streets in the world help reveal just how closely related we all are. Tune in August 30, 2009 on National Geographic Channel.

Heard On The Street

In the gem industry, there's free education from dealers that you work with. And there is great education out on the internet. Trust your own love of gemstones and your taste. If you look at gemstones and one really speaks to you and you love it, then that's the one you should buy, because more likely that's the one you will sell.

Random Thoughts

I'm not an elitist, so I think it must come from the people who go to the opera. Perhaps the fact that most of it is sung in a foreign language makes people feel detached from it. But most of us are from very ordinary backgrounds.

- Kiri Te Kanawa
www.kiritekanawa.org

So true!

Diamond Market Report

Everyone is seeking low price points because consumers have lowered their expectations and are happy to buy the look at a reduced price. But, in the quest for cheap goods, there have been reported cases of buyers being duped by diamonds sold with counterfeit certificates. These are usually High Pressure-High Temperature (HPHT) diamonds, cut to the same dimensions as genuine diamonds certified by world-recognized gemological laboratories, but then sold with counterfeit certificates nearly identical to real certificates. Even in checking online with the certifying laboratories' web pages, the diamonds match the description exactly. Only when the buyers become suspicious and send these diamonds to the laboratories for actual verification is the fraud discovered. Very crude attempts also are being made to sell diamonds that do not match their certificates in quality or color. This happened during the June Hong Kong show. Except for the few sharp buyers who were put on alert by the price discripancies there were many who thought they had concluded the deal of their lives by buying at way below market prices and who then passed on their mistakes to unsuspecting clients down the pipeline. It is normally a dead giveaway when you can buy diamonds much cheaper from one company while other sellers are pricing goods plus or minus a few percent from market prices. But in the past few months, due to the unprecedented pressure manufacturers and dealers were getting from their bankers, big price differences became the norm and diamonds were, in some cases, sold at giveaway prices. This lowered the guard of buyers. The recent misleading and counterfeit instances have reminded dealers of the importance of knowing the source of the diamonds they are buying so they can assure their clients that they come from bona fide sources and are the same diamonds described in the accompanying certificates.

- Gaston D'Aquino
Rapaport Diamond Report, Vol. 32, No. 8, August 2009
www.diamonds.net

P.T. Barnum said it best, 'There's a sucker born every second'. Buyer beware.

World Beach Project

I thought V&A’s World Beach Project was brilliant. www.vam.ac.uk/collections/textiles/lawty/world_beach The patterns made with stones were stunningly beautiful.

Lowering Lead Guide

According to Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers of America (MJSA) new federal limits regarding the amount of lead allowed in children's products, including jewelry, took effect on August 14, 2009, dropping from 600 parts per million (ppm) to 300 ppm. The new limits are part of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008, which Congress passed in the wake of a number of recalls of children's products due to high lead levels. The law applies to all products made for children 12 and under.

Useful link:
www.mjsa.org

Zoltan David

Meet Zoltan David, and explore his one-of-a-kind award-winning jewelry that speaks. www.zoltandavid.com

Coral Update

I found Wolf Hilbertz's technique for growing corals very interesting. A team of researchers on Vabbinfaru island in the Maldives submerged a huge steel cage called the Lotus on the sea floor. The 12-metre structure, which weighs 2 tonnes is connected to long cable which supplies a low-level electric current. The electricity triggers a chemical reaction, which leads to calcium carbonate coming out of solution in the water and being deposited on the structure. Corals seem to find that irresistible, perhaps because they use the same material to grow their protective skeletons, and the Lotus has been so thoroughly colonised by coral that it is difficult now to make out the steel shape beneath all the elaborate shapes and color. Really amazing!

Useful links:
www.wolfhilbertz.com
www.mrc.gov.mv

Random Thoughts

There really are two very different philosophies on how to buy estate jewelry. One is buy everything that comes your way at a price and then try to move a lot through the trade and only keep the pieces you like best. Another is to be selective and buy only things that you really feel you're willing to live with for a while, because you are going to live with them for a while. We tend to opt for the second of those options. We try to buy things that we think are really great examples of the period. We don't want to buy lesser pieces with lesser stones and lesser quality manufacturing because, in the end, those are not what we want to represent to our clients.

- Benjamin Macklowe
www.macklowegallery.com

Spot on.

Why Consumers Buy Fakes

Peggy E. Chaudhry +  Stephen A Stumph's opinion piece on fakes was educational and insightful. Thank you.

Why consumers buy fakes
1. Quality and performance. Consumers would buy a fake if they thought it was just as good as a legitimate product.
2. Cost. Consumers would buy a fake because they cannot afford a genuine product.
3. Sentiment. Consumers would buy a fake because they do not like the big businesses that make the authentic products.
4. Ethics. Consumers would buy a fake because they do not think it is illegal or immoral to do so.
5. Ease. Consumers would buy a fake because it is easy to obtain.

What companies can do
1. Fakes Are Poor Substitutes.
2. Pirates Are Not Robin Hoods.
3. We’re Not Faceless Corporations.
4. Push Ethical Concerns.
5. We’re Making Things Tougher.

Studio Gorm

I was really impressed with the concept of living kitchen modeled on nature's cycle by the brilliant designers from Studio Gorm. Hats off to John Arndt + Wonhee Jeong!

Useful link:
www.studiogorm.com

Leila Taghinia-Milani Heller

Meet Leila Taghinia-Milani Heller, the Arianna Huffington of the Iranian art world + the social connector for many artists. www.ltmhgallery.com

Horse Tradin'

Horse Tradin' by Ben K. Green is an important book that will help you understand why the market fluctuates so much from minute to minute, day to day + lessons in bargaining, deception, marketing, human relations, self awareness, and economics. A must read.

Sensate: Bodies And Design

Designs via the human body. I liked it.

Useful links:
www.sfmoma.org/multimedia/videos/359
www.alexschweder.com/work/sac_of_rooms.html

Heard On The Street

If you want to find one good gemstone you need to research 10. If you want to find 10 good gemstones you need to research 100. Now be realistic. Who is going to research 100 gemstones? Who has the time, energy, resources, knowledge +++ to play on this field? Really. Most of us are involved in other things such as running a business, earning a living, holding together a fragile marriage +++. You know what you need? You need management. Money management that is. So true!

The Phillips Collection

A great review. Hats off to Duncan Phillips! www.phillipscollection.org

Art Market Update

Souren Milikian's opinion piece on Corot to Monet, A Fresh Look at Landscape from the Collection (National Gallery) was brilliant.

Useful link:
www.nationalgallery.org.uk

Edinburgh International Book Festival

An inspiring book festival indeed. Give it a try. www.edbookfest.co.uk

The Red Flags Rule

Effective October 1, 2009, the Red Flags Rule, which has been in effect since January 1, 2008, will require jewelry retail businesses to implement a written Identity Theft Prevention Program. The goal of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) program is to prevent thieves from stealing identity information for fraudulent purposes. http://www2.ftc.gov/redflagsrule

Like A Rolling Stone

It was in 1965 that Bob Dylan wrote Like A Rolling Stone, with its line: 'How does it feel to be on your own, a complete unknown? Like a rolling stone?'. A song which definitely wakes you up. What a great song!

Useful link:
www.bobdylan.com

Le Grotte della Civita

The best advice I can give you is to take a walk, alone, through the area and breathe in the air of the stones. Tonio Acito. So true. I never realized rock churches were so beautiful, some of them dating back to the days when Matera was part of the Byzantine Empire. Artistically impressive, really. Thanks John for sharing the info.

Useful links:
www.sassidimatera.com
www.sassiweb.it

Random Thoughts

Cheese is something people are much more interested in and knowledgeable about than they were 20 years ago. But people are still pretty limited. They know Swiss, cheddar, goat cheese, blue cheese, brie — and that's about it. But they keep learning. It's like what happened with wine. Fifty years ago, Americans didn't drink any wine. Then they discovered European wines. Then people started trying to make wine in California. Now people know American wine and European wine and they're starting to learn about grapes, like the difference between Merlot and pinot grigio. I think that will happen with cheese. I also think we'll see a lot more American-made cheeses from specific producers. That, to me, is the next big wave. We finally discovered wine, but cheese is about 20 years behind.

- Liz Thorpe
www.murrayscheese.com

So true!

Heard On The Street

Everything you need to know about gem markets you can learn at rock concerts. The effect is the same.

Artists Taking The Lead

Artists Taking the Lead is the first major project in the four-year Cultural Olympiad, which aims to showcase British art and culture. I thought it was a unique way to engage with the public. I liked it.

Useful link:
www.artiststakingthelead.org.uk

Hypermusic Prologue

Lisa Randall's experimental opera, Hypermusic Prologue: A Projective Opera in Seven Planes was brilliant.

Useful link:
www.physics.harvard.edu/people/facpages/randall.html

New York Jewelry Show

Tony Siederman's viewpoints were interesting. Gem dealers and jewelers are looking at new ways to cut costs, testing cause-related marketing tools to do the right thing—giving loyal customers new reasons to be in the store.

Power Plant

Go to the Royal Botanic Gardens for an immersive experience.

Useful links:
www.powerplant.org.uk
www.rbge.org.uk

Casa Sacerdotal Diocesana de Plasencia

What a brilliant makeover! I think the Catholic Church in India should take a look at Plasencia, and do something to inspire the communities they serve, really. Hats off to Andres Jaque Arquitectos!

Useful link:
http://andresjaque.net

Kiri Te Kanawa

The Maori soprano, Kiri Te Kanawa is to retire from the opera, after a career spanning four decades. She is one of the most famous figures of the opera world. She will always be a much-loved figure in the arts world.

Useful link:

www.kiritekanawa.org

Lessons From Israel

Gideon Tolkowsky's opinion piece on Israeli high-tech startups was brilliant. Corporate culture is like the scent that is in the carpet. You can vacuum the carpet day in and day out; you can send it to the cleaners again and again; the scent remains. Therefore, it had better be the right scent -- the right corporate culture -- from the beginning. Companies that cultivate a global culture, from the day their founders write the first page of their business plan and from the day they recruit their first employee, have the best chance of growing in today's global economy. So true!

Useful link:
www.bmecapital.com

Chaim Even Zohar Viewpoint

Spot on. I think most diamond traders don’t care about the Kimberly Process, really. In my opinion the KP mechanism is visibly included. The twig is bent so shall the tree grow.

Useful links:
www.kimberleyprocess.com
www.diamondintelligence.com

India Art Summit 2009

The second edition of India’s Modern and Contemporary Art Fair is scheduled from August 19 - 22, 2009 at Pragati Maidan (ITPO), New Delhi. Don't miss.

Useful link:
www.indiaartsummit.com

China's Green Energy Revolution

Peter Ford's opinion piece on China's position in green technology was spot on. The US is very innovative, but everything comes to fruition in China. So true!

Useful links:
www.wwf.org
www.panda.org
www.wsgr.com
www.china-greentech.com
www.clearworldnow.com
www.yinglisolar.com
www.ecust.edu.cn
www.tpri.com.cn
www.ennsolar.com
www.e3g.org

Why Diamonds Are A Criminal's Best Friend

Diamonds are a criminals best friend. They are easy to conceal and carry, and with the right contacts and networks it is easy to cash them. In fact diamonds are the ultimate currency of the global underworld. What is intriguing about the £40 million raid on Graff's jewelry store last week is how could this happen again? Most security problems aren't just technical, they're organizational. People understand risks – but do security staff understand people? The raid on Graff's jewelry store proves that it's not over. They will do it again.

Useful link:
www.graffdiamonds.com

Nancy Lublin Viewpoint

An interesting perspective on poker vs running a not-for-profit. The four lessons: (1) You've got to know when to hold 'em (2) Know when to fold 'em (3) Know when to walk away. And know when to run (4) You never count your money when you're sitting at the table. There'll be time enough for counting when the deal is done, in fact made sense. Thanks Nancy.

Useful link:
www.dosomething.org

Dave Salmoni

Dave Salmoni is a well-trained and skilled animal whisperer, and specializes in natural history filmmaking. A truly amazing person. Check out Discovery Channel's Rogue Nature series, Animal Planet's Predator versus Prey +++

Useful links:
www.dave-salmoni.com
www.triosphere.co.za

Russell Simmons Viewpoint

Interesting indeed. I don't think it's wrong to make a style statement with your choice of jewelry. He was spot on. You design and you do what you feel and this feels more honest.

Useful link:
www.simmonsjewelryco.com

Design Thinking 2009

Tim Brown's (IDEO) viewpoint on Design Thinking at TED Global in London was inspiring.

Useful links:
www.ted.com
http://designthinking.ideo.com

Fluorescence Blues

Michael Cowing's opinion piece on fluorescent diamonds and the techniques to separate true-white diamonds from false ones was insightful. www.acagemlab.com

Random Thoughts

You need to listen to adversaries and understand where they are coming from. Then find a way to find common ground with them. After all these years of working with different groups, I've gotten comfortable with Mick Jagger's idea that you don't always get what you want, but you get what you need.

- Jim Rogers
www.duke-energy.com

Spot on.

Asteroid Impact Craters

The asteroid impact craters actually looked like beautiful sculptures. Check out this link http://geology.com/meteor-impact-craters.shtml

Project Colorblind

I found Continuum's project Colorblind very interesting. Find out what they have discovered. www.dcontinuum.com

Artificial Leaf Project

I found the artificial leaf project intriguing. If all goes well, the researchers could eventually mimic, photosynthesis, and build artificial systems that can do the same to generate clean fuels such as hydrogen and methanol. These would then be used in fuel cells to make electricity or directly to power super-clean vehicles. Brilliant.

Useful links:
www.bio.ic.ac.uk/research/Barber
http://web.mit.edu/chemistry/dgn/www
www.ukerc.ac.uk

London Jewel Heist

How could the two robbers armed with handguns get away with 43 jewels and watches worth £40m? Hard to believe, really.

Useful link:
www.graffdiamonds.com

Lord Of War Update

A Thai court has rejected a US request for the extradition of Viktor Bout, an alleged Russian arms dealer a.k.a the 'Merchant of Death'. He is believed to have inspired Nicolas Cage's character in the 2005 film 'Lord of War'. He appeared on UN Security Council resolution travel ban list - along with the then Liberian President Charles Taylor and some of his ministers - as 'Victor Anatoljevitch Bout alias Butt, Bont, Buttee, Boutov, Sergitov Vitali', and was described thus: 'Businessman, dealer and transporter of weapons and minerals. Arms dealer in contravention of UNSC resolution 1343. Supported former President Charles Taylor's regime in efforts to destabilise Sierra Leone and gain illicit access to diamonds.' This is Thailand (TIT). Stay tuned.

­Peabody Essex Museum

The ­Peabody Essex Museum is exhibiting a visiting collection of work that reveals the very foundation of maritime painting—70 seascapes by Dutch contemporaries of Rembrandt and Vermeer. Don't miss. Thanks B L Scherer.

Useful link:
www.pem.org

Global Business BBC

In the latest edition Peter Day talks to Sunny George Verghese, Group Managing Director and CEO, Olam International about globalization and its impact on branding. Spot on.

Useful link:
www.olamonline.com

Campbell Bridges

It has been reported that Campbell Bridges, the first person to introduce Tanzanite (1967) and Tsavorite (1967-Tanzania/1970-Kenya) to the world has been killed over an unknown dispute at a mine in the Taita Taveta District in Tsavo National Park.

Useful links:
www.tsavorite.com
www.gemstone.org

Bethan Laura Wood

Bethan Laura Wood's beautiful designs caught my attention. Fresh and eye-catching, really.

Useful link:
www.woodlondon.co.uk

World Expo 2010

In 2010, Shanghai will host the World Expo. What's intriguing is the presence of design-conscious countries and their stunningly beautiful pavilions. Don't miss. http://en.expo2010.cn

The Energy Report

The report on uranium was interesting. I believe global acceptance of nuclear energy will have a big impact on uranium over the next decade as countries move towards a viable non-greenhouse gas-generating alternative to oil or coal. Of course safety measures must be carefully considered. That's the way to go.

Useful links:
www.theenergyreport.com
www.mineralfields.com

The Coffee World And Climate Change

Peter Baker's opinion piece was educational and insightful. As the New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman put it, globalisation is where everything is connected and nobody is in charge. Spot on. How do you tackle climate change and price stability?

Useful links:
www.cabi.org
www.scidev.net
www.guardian.co.uk/environment/network

Artists Pay For Stay With Artwork, Not Cash

Hotel Marienbad in Auguststrasse has opened its doors to artists, asking them to pay for bed and board not with money but with a work of art. A great project indeed. In fact I loved it.

Useful links:
www.kw-berlin.de
www.art-in-berlin.de/incbmeld.php?id=1405

Customer Experience

Strativity Group's research findings on customer experience was interesting. Consumers want an immersive experience, and they are willing to pay for it. Period.

Useful link:
www.strativity.com

The Jewelers Vigilance Committee Views

The Jewelers Vigilance Committee (JVC) has launched a free electronic newsletter, eNews and Views, for members that contains important information for the retail industry. Check it out.

Useful link:
www.jvclegal.org

Art Market Update

Souren Milikian's opinion piece on Sothebys and Christies was interesting. For years, the two auction giants have been at each other’s throats for art-market supremacy, and I think they will continue to do so to get a bigger market share. If history repeats itself, and the unexpected always happens, how incapable must man be of learning from experience. George Bernard Shaw.

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

Alex Katz

A Katz painting, for all its coolness, projects feeling. So true! It's really amazing at 82, he is still young and competes with artists half his age for the audience.

Useful link:
www.alexkatz.com

Gary Hamel Viewpoint

What a brilliant post! What everyone learned is that when you treat people like adults, they act like adults. So true!

Useful links:
http://blogs.wsj.com/management
www.garyhamel.com

The Gold Report

Brent Cook's views on the economy + Chinese purchasing + investment in gold and base metals stocks was interesting. www.theaureport.com

Noguchi Museum

The Noguchi Museum in Long Island City, New York is indeed a work of art. Don't miss.

Useful link:
www.noguchi.org

David Byrne

David Byrne's musical artwork was brilliant. I loved it. www.davidbyrne.com

The Cove

The Cove is a documentary about dolphin slaughter in Japan. The filmmakers literally took their life in their hands to make it. I think it's one of the best eco-documentaries of the year. http://thecovemovie.com

Heard On The Street

I have often tried to explain to the young ones how I can be wrong most of the time and still make money in business. Luck is important in any undertaking.

Panama Canal

4% of world trade passes through the Canal, and thanks to its widening. We will be in optimal condition, starting from 2015, to deal with what could be a possible increase of up to 6% of world trade through the Isthmus of Panama. Vielka Vasquez de Avila, University of Panama.

Useful link:
www.pancanal.com

I hope the environmental impact would be minimal.

Cathédrale d'Images

Fifty years ago, Picasso acted in Jean Cocteau's Testament of Orpheus, filmed in a limestone quarry in Les Baux-de-Provence. The quarry, now a cave-like gallery, is home to a Picasso exhibit in which his paintings are projected onto the irregular stone walls, which reach up to 40 feet high, accompanied by music from Miles Davis and Vivaldi. It's an immersive experience. Don't miss.

Useful link:
www.cathedrale-images.com

Earth's Oceans

I have always wondered whether the impactors were icy comets or rocky asteroids. Maybe it's both. Perhaps it was an happy accident. Every time I drink a glass of water I think about it.

Useful links:
www.nbi.ku.dk
www.astrobiology.cf.ac.uk
http://geosci.uchicago.edu/~dauphas

Beautiful Losers

The new film explores underground subcultures in 1990s New York. www.beautifullosers.com

Jim Rogers News

Jim is well respected for good reason. He is usually spot on, and he isn't afraid to speak his mind.

Useful links:
http://jimrogers.tk
www.youtube.com/user/JimRogersChannel

Gem Mining In The Kaluganga River, Sri Lanka

The Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) has filed a case in the Court of Appeal challenging licenses issued by Hasitha Thilakaratne, Gem & Jewellery Authority chairman, to mine gems in the Kaluganga River bed at Kahangama, where mining has allegedly damaged the environment. I hope they do the right thing. Check out the link www.ejustice.lk

Random Thoughts

Thousands perhaps are in the backwaters of life because of the debacles in 1997 and 1998. These stories should be a lesson to those trading today, with the same systems enlivened with better kinds of flashing lights. It was some kind of miracle that I took $25,000 and turned it into $115,000 back in the heydays. The market just went up and up and I could not pick a bad stock. I would make $10,000 in a few days. Then the market turned and I did not recognize it, played the same game, did not change my style, kept reading web pages from the bulls. But the bears had taken over. Then by the time I recognized my error the bulls had taken charge again and by that time I was listening to the bears. I lost both ways.

- Ken Smith

Spot on.

Japanese Akoya Pearls

Mikimoto's new akoya pearl culturing project in Ainoshima was interesting. If they are able to harvest akoya pearls with good color and luster, then it's good news for the pearl industry.

Useful link:
www.mikimoto.com

The Fantasticks

A great musical. Really. www.fantasticksonbroadway.com

Innovation In A Downturn

The Mckinsey report was insightful. It's amazing how innovation transforms traditional businesses to successful business models of tomorrow. A New Normal. Really.

Useful link:
http://whatmatters.mckinseydigital.com

Copenhagen Consensus Centre Report

The scientists proposal of using cloud ships to launch clouds into the sky via 1,900 unmanned wind-powered ships criss-crossing the oceans, sucking up sea water and spraying it from the top of tall funnels to create vast white clouds was interesting. The Copenhagen Consensus Center estimates that it will only cost US$9 billion to launch in the next 25 years, compared to the US $250 billion that many countries plan to spend on climate change every year. It's mind boggling, really. The question is, will it work?

Useful link:
www.copenhagenconsensus.com

Random Thoughts

The worst thing you can do in a trade is try to get back to even. I call that the 'prayer trade.' I can spot guys on the floor who have it on because they shake back and forth, basically in prayer, mumbling, 'Oh, please God, just let it come back to me. Let me break even.' What is that? Break even? That’s a loser. I’m not in this business to break even. There’s always opportunity in the markets, so forget breaking even. If breaking even is your goal, you’re not trading anymore.

- James Lackey

So true!

Butler & Wilson

I think imitation jewelry will never go out of style. For 40 years Butler & Wilson has been the jewelry company of choice for film stars and princesses, they have made imitation into chic, and its amazing their deliciously sparkling gems and fantastically oversized jewelry has adorned the pages of Vogue for four decades. A great story indeed. Hats off to Simon Wilson!

Useful link:
www.butlerandwilson.co.uk

Thirty Second MBA

I loved it. Directly from the people who make business happen. Good advice from the trenches. Short. Sweet. Unfiltered. Entertaining. Relevant. Thanks, Fast Company. 30 Second MBA

Shepard Fairey Update

Shepard Fairey is back with a new Barack Obama portrait with a brow knit in determination, surrounded by a halo of stars. It's on the cover of the August 20, 2009 Rolling Stone. www.rollingstone.com

Useful link:
http://obeygiant.com

Gemfields Report

Gemfields auction results were interesting. They were able to sell 26 of 27 parcels of rough emeralds in London for US$5.9 million, an average of US$4.37 per carat. The 1.36 million carats offered in the auction represented the higher quality stones produced at Kagem, but only 5% of total production by volume. The only parcel that failed to reach its reserve price contained just over 3,000 carats for which Gemfields wanted US$300/carat. Great timing. www.gemfields.co.uk

Chaim Even Zohar Viewpoint

Spot on Chaim. Lack of action will damage both KP (The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme) and the diamond industry, and impact consumer confidence. It's a catch-22 situation.

Useful links:
www.kimberleyprocess.com
www.riotinto.com
www.acrplc.com
www.worlddiamondcouncil.com
www.globalwitness.org

Robert Young Pelton

I am a big fan of anything Pelton. He is an author, journalist and documentary filmmaker. www.comebackalive.com

Certified Gold Coins

Collectors are investing in certified gold coins because they believe it's the only real money in existence. The basic fact that gold retains its value over time has been true for thousands of years and is still true today. Want to give it a try? www.encoregold.com

Useful links:
www.pcgs.com
www.ngccoin.com

Ten Mysteries Of You

There is nothing more fascinating to most of us than ourselves. The New Scientist report on human behavior was interesting. www.newscientist.com

Overnight Success Phenomena

Great review. No one knows for sure as to why ideas and behaviors catch on and spread like wildfire, and then boomerang. Could it be state of mind? Momentary autism? I think it's 'This is here today, gone tomorrow' syndrome. Forever. Really.