Is The Kimberley Process Still Working?

Listen to interesting viewpoints on the Kimberley Process.

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

Stuller Collections

Check out the new titles from Stuller: The Findings Collection, Vol. 74; The Metals Book, Vol. 76; The Finished Jewelry Collection, Vol. 78; and The Diamond and Gemstone Book, Vol. 72. www.stuller.com

Random Thoughts

Avalokiteshvara is sometimes depicted holding a blooming lotus — a symbol of spiritual purity. It comes up from the mud, flowers, and remains untouched by the dirt that surrounded it. You could say the same thing for the wonderful richness of Buddhist art.

- John Clarke
www.vam.ac.uk

Spot on.

Borrowing Brilliance

Borrowing Brilliance by David Kord Murray is an entertaining, easy-to-read book about innovation. The book has useful advice on how to do the right thing. Give it a try.

Useful link:

www.borrowingbrilliance.com

Letters from A Self-Made Merchant To His Son

Letters from A Self-Made Merchant to His Son by George Lorimer is a great book that teaches business technique and survival + it's also about a father's relationship with his son. A must read.

Charles Saatchi

Charles Saatchi interview with the Guardian was extraordinarily brilliant. One great insight, really.

Art is no investment unless you get very, very lucky, and can beat the professionals at their game. Just buy something you really like that will give you a thousand pounds' worth of pleasure over the years. And take your time looking for something really special, because looking is half the fun.
- Charles Saatchi

Useful links:
www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk
www.artoholic.com

Torpedo Factory

The Torpedo Factory is a great place to visit. Artists work in a variety of media, including painting, fibre, printmaking, ceramics, jewelry, stained glass and photography.

Useful links:
www.torpedofactory.org
www.multipleexposuresgallery.com

Outside Lands Music And Arts Festival 2009

Check out the must-see up-and-coming artists at this year’s Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival in San Francisco. www.sfoutsidelands.com

Random Thoughts

The real trouble with this world of ours is not that it is an unreasonable world, nor even that it is a reasonable one. The commonest kind of trouble is that it is nearly reasonable, but not quite. Life is not an illogicality; yet it is a trap for logicians. It looks just a little more mathematical and regular than it is; its exactitude is obvious, but its inexactitude is hidden; its wildness lies in wait.

- G. K. Chesterton

So true!

David Stevenson Viewpoint

Diamonds are (may be) a guy’s best friend. David's opinion piece in the Financial Times was interesting. I have always been intrigued by emotional assets and their long-term returns. Whether it turns out to be correct over the long-term only time will tell, but his points were certainly worth pondering.

Useful links:
www.diapasoncm.com
www.emotionalassets.com

Shopportunity

Shopportunity!: How to Be a Retail Revolutionary by Kate Newlin makes you want to be a different shopper. A must read.

Useful link:

www.katenewlinconsulting.com

The Great Look Up

The Great Look Up has been created to do one thing; get people to look up at the stars. Just do it.

Mural Arts Program

Fluxspace = A great place for an immersive experience. Thanks, Randy. Nice article.

Useful links:
www.muralarts.org
www.fabricworkshop.org

Moon Rock Imitation

A treasured piece at the Dutch national museum, a supposed moon rock from the first manned lunar landing has been identified by the experts as petrified wood. What a story! How could this have happened?

It's a good story, with some questions that are still unanswered. We can laugh about it.
- Xandra van Gelder, Rijksmuseum

Useful links:
www.rijksmuseum.nl
www.nasa.gov

Treasures Of The Earth

Treasures of the Earth by Saleem H. Ali links human wants and needs by providing a natural history of consumption and materialism with scientific detail and humanistic nuance. A must read.

Useful link:

www.uvm.edu/~shali

Maira Kalman Viewpoint

Maira's work was brilliant. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Keep up the good work.

Useful links:
http://kalman.blogs.nytimes.com
www.mairakalman.com

Jeff Koons Viewpoint

Peter Aspden's interview with Jeff Koons was interesting. A truly idea person.

Once you are born, you are already participating in time. You have to become aware of your own mortality. It’s a great time to be alive.
- Jeff Koons
www.jeffkoons.com

The Road: The Movie

The book and the movie tell a powerfully simple story about a man and boy walking through the ashy remains of a desolate world, just trying to stay alive. Don't miss.

Useful link:
www.theroad-movie.com

Watermelon Juice For Ethanol

A new study published in Biotechnology for Biofuels reports that waste watermelons could provide the raw material to be fermented into ethanol. Who would have thought watermelons would be a ready source of feedstock to make ethanol? We are living in interesting times.

Useful link:
www.biotechnologyforbiofuels.com

Recycle Lacma

Recycle Lacma is Robert Fontenot's take on the practice of deaccessioning. I thought it was interesting.

Useful links:
http://recyclelacma.blogspot.com
www.lacma.org
www.aam-us.org
www.elizabethdeegallery.com
www.artleak.org

Chaim Even Zohar Viewpoint

I thought Chaim's views on ABN AMRO Bank/International Diamond and Jewelry Group (ID&JG) restructuring was educational and insightful. How do they affect the diamond industry? Only time will tell.

Useful links:
http://idjg.abnamro.com
www.diamondintelligence.com

Art Conservation

Brilliant work. It's really amazing to see X-ray probes, ultraviolet scans, infrared reflectograms and molecular spectroscopy in use to preserve world's masterworks.

This specialization is a real rarity. It is in a curious spot between science, artisan skills and artistry, requiring very complicated judgment and knowledge from lots of different fields. That's why there are so few experts.
- George Bisacca, Metropolitan Museum of Art

Useful links:
www.getty.edu/conservation
www.caltech.edu

Late Heavy Bombardment

Interesting theory. No one knows what caused the bombardment. Nothing like it has happened since. That's what the experts say. Stay tuned.

It is literally a revolution in our ideas about how our solar system evolved. It could be that our form of life today -- every living thing that we see today -- is due to this bombardment that happened 3.9 billion years ago.
- William Bottke, Southwest Research Institute

Useful links:
www.arc.nasa.gov
www.oca.eu
www.swri.org
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov

Forte, Gimenes & Marcondes Ferraz

I liked Fernando Forte's designs, especially the Tic-Tac house. This one was brilliant.

Useful link:
www.fgmf.com.br

Fine Jewelry Trends 2009

New York’s Fall 2009 fashion week showcased telling fashion and fine jewelry pairings. Check out the link www.jic.org

Annenberg Space For Photography

There are important stories everywhere. The passion to tell an important story through pictures is priceless. The images tell their own stories. Let's share it.

Useful link:
www.annenbergspaceforphotography.org

The Pekar Project

The American Splendor author's new project must be interesting.

Global Business BBC

Tune in to listen to Peter Day ask whether particular female skills can help to guide the world out of the ruins. Skills such as being ‘risk aware’, not afraid of asking questions about financial instruments they don’t understand and understanding the value of human capital.

Useful links:
www.som.cranfield.ac.uk
www.audurcapital.is
www.worklifepolicy.org
www.gmgplc.co.uk

50 Best Websites 2009

There were a few familiar names, but the Time list also had new useful websites. Thanks.

Random Thoughts

One must realize that trading/investing/advising is a lot more detailed than just showing up and buying. There are many nuances that one has to learn to recognize. There are many forms of deception that the market mistress employs in order to separate you from your money. And you have to remember that in the market, not only is the mistress trying to separate you from your money, there are predators everywhere, that are hunting you too. You must be willing to work hard, study hard and prepare hard, and develop your sixth sense. It takes years of practice, trial and error, a thick skin and a willingness to lose money … to get to the point that you can make money, and make it consistently.

- Scott Brooks

Spot on.

Academic Earth

You can audit classes from the comfort of your computer. Try it. http://academicearth.org

Puer Tea 2009

There is Champagne, France; Tequila, Mexico; and Parma, Italy — all places turned trade names known for their unique, high-quality foods. Now, if China has its way, there could be another: Puer. It is already a hit in South East Asia, Europe and the U.S.A. Caveat Emptor! Look out for fakes.

Campbell Bridges: A Remembrance

Rest well, old friend, and save a few stones for the rest of us when we join you, wherever you are. Joel E. Arem.

Love And Lies

I was really intrigued by the clever deceits of orchids and their reproductive strategy. Michael Pollan's article in the National Geographic on orchids was brilliant. I have learned a lot.

Useful link:

www.michaelpollan.com

Gone In 39 Seconds

It has been reported that six robbers with hammers and helmets on, to avoid any potential exposure from closed circuit camera footage, were able to rob ₤2 million ($3.28 million) worth of goods from Mozaferain Jewellers in London. Why do you want to be in the jewelry business in London? You are unprotected. Even if you have security, what could you do to them? Sad, really.

The Climate Group Report

How much carbon dioxide do computers emit? According to a report published by the Climate Group, computers, printers, mobile phones and the widgets that accompany them accounted for the emission of 830m tonnes of carbon dioxide around the world in 2007. We are indulging right now in activity that is equally as polluting as air travel: using a computer. Shocking, really. www.theclimategroup.org

Innovalight

Brian Korgel's new product, the so-called solar ink was interesting. Instead of installing solar panels on your roof, you could spray solar ink all over the rooftop and sun-facing walls of your home to generate energy. I can hardly wait to see it.

Useful link:
www.innovalight.com

Hybrid Thinking

Dev Patnaik's opinion piece in Wired on hybrid thinking was interesting. As he rightly put it, innovation demands that you see the world through multiple lenses at the same time, and draw meaning from seemingly disparate points of data.

Useful link:
www.jumpassociates.com

Eddie Borgo

Select items from Borgo’s new man-jewels line will be available on his web site www.eddieborgo.com

Handspring Puppet Company

I think puppetry is very interesting. I think the craft of making puppets that move well is intriguing to an audience which is used to the most incredibly sophisticated technology around. It is 17th Century technology pulling audiences in the 21st Century. Amazing, really.

Useful link:
www.handspringpuppet.co.za

Saadiyat

Saadiyat (island of happiness): Coming soon, an offshoot of the Louvre + a new Guggenheim museum + a National Museum inspired by the British Museum + a performing arts centre designed by the British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid + several art schools/pavilions +++ If all goes well, by 2013, Abu Dhabi will become one of the world’s most important emerging regions in terms of contemporary culture. www.saadiyat.ae

Creativity

Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi provides brilliant insights on the complexity of the creative person and process. A must read.

Ten Thousand Villages

I think poverty can be alleviated if tiny businesses in poor countries are able to sell their goods in rich ones for a fair price. I am really impressed with The Ten Thousand Villages concept because it helps the craft workers to find their niche in the commercial marketplace.

Useful link:
www.tenthousandvillages.com

Stairway To Heaven

There's a lady who's sure
All that glitters is gold
And she's buying a stairway to heaven.
When she gets there she knows
If the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for.
Ooh, ooh, and she's buying a stairway to heaven.

There's a sign on the wall
But she wants to be sure
'cause you know sometimes words have two meanings.
In a tree by the brook
There's a songbird who sings,
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven.
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it makes me wonder.

There's a feeling I get
When I look to the west,
And my spirit is crying for leaving.
In my thoughts I have seen
Rings of smoke through the trees,
And the voices of those who standing looking.
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it really makes me wonder.

And its whispered that soon
If we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason.
And a new day will dawn
For those who stand long
And the forests will echo with laughter.

If there's a bustle in your hedgerow
Don't be alarmed now,
Its just a spring clean for the may queen.
Yes, there are two paths you can go by
But in the long run
There's still time to change the road you’re on.
And it makes me wonder.

Your head is humming and it won't go
In case you don’t know,
The pipers calling you to join him,
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow,
And did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind.

And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul.
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold.
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last.
When all are one and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll.

And shes buying a stairway to heaven.

- Led Zeppelin

What a great song that has such sweet convergences and divergences.

Intelligent Community Forum

The ICF = building a knowledge-based workforce + combining government and private-sector digital inclusion + fostering innovation and marketing economic development + doing the right thing.

Useful link:
www.intelligentcommunity.org

Swarg Thi Sunder Gujarat

A new Gujarati film titled 'Swarg Thi Sunder Gujarat' has been released in Surat, India. The movie highlights the hardships being faced by diamond workers.

The Mistakes We Make

Thank you, Mr. Statman. Great advice.

1. Goldman Sachs is faster than you.
2. The future is not the past, and hindsight is not foresight.
3. Take the pain of regret today and feel the joy of pride tomorrow.
4. Investment success stories are as misleading as lottery success stories.
5. Neither fear nor exuberance are good investment guides.
6. Wealth makes us happy, but wealth increases make us even happier.
7. I’ve only lost my children’s inheritance.
8. Dollar-cost averaging is not rational, but it is pretty smart.

The Rainbow Technique

Kai-hung Fung maps various organs using 3D computed tomography (CT) scans. After feeding the data into a computer, he adds color to his works using a method he invented called the 'rainbow technique'. But he makes no other alterations, preferring a pure picture of what body parts really look like. I think they were stunningly beautiful: a magical integration of art, science and technology.

Sustainability For Wilderness Safaris

Thomas Friedman's opinion piece in the New York Times on eco-tourism + connecting nature's dots was brilliant. How do you become part of nature's system?

If you spend enough time in nature and allow yourself to slow down sufficiently to let your senses work, then through exposure and practice, you will start to sense the meanings in the sand, the grasses, the bushes, the trees, the movement of the breezes, the thickness of the air, the sounds of the creatures and the habits of the animals with which you are sharing that space.
- Map Ives

Useful links:
www.wilderness-safaris.com
www.conservation.org

Random Thoughts

The force of mortality is how your probability of death increases as you age. Actuaries often deal with the first differential equation of the probability of death as you age. Within your first years, about ten, your probability of death decreases and then it starts increasing in your teens. After about your mid 20's, your probability of death increases more slowly, but at a nearly constant rate. This compounding of decay starts taking a visible toll in probabilities near the latter 50's, forming a curve. Then by the 70's, there is a steep, almost linear slope continuing on into the 80's … Well your chances of making it past the 80's are slim. Reading between the lines, you can see all the sad causes of ruin: the developing stage that tragically never makes it to maturity, the high flying youth with a secret death wish, the one in a million lighting strike from being at the wrong place at the wrong time, and finally the simple decay of age. Surely the speculator could sympathize and learn from studying this force. This force of mortality fits closely to a cubic equation of age. The coefficient of the cubic term (the constant multiplied by age to the third power) is small and does not reveal itself until age to the third power is large. The square term never really affects the outcome much, leaving the curve level through most of the early adult years. The turbulence of youth is captured by the constant and first term. It would seem reasonable that much of the wisdom, anxiety and even depression that often accompany old age stems from the understanding that only comes from life experience and first hand observation of this function of ruin. Once you comprehend the importance of this ruin function, you can see its effects and influences in major issues of human life, the individual, companies and governments, which are the three major forces of the economy. Such a function with time's effect can drive small flaws or weaknesses into a major chance of total ruin. This insight alone tends to cause paranoia, anxiety and depression, seeing many likewise aged friends succumbing to this force. However, perhaps the wisdom is drawn from the insight of the myriad of ways nature handles these ruinous forces. The individual spirit does not accept that he is ill conceived. Millions make the self sacrifice to feed, cloth and shelter their families and give them that extra something that lets them know they are special. They live with integrity and pass on, letting others know it's ok that they take over, and that our spirit will have meaning as long as those we love thrive. The company, government or individual that allows itself to be reinvented periodically can continue a long line. The question is what are the signs of a company handling the hand-off to the next generation successfully? Such are the thoughts of a two hour Sunday morning run.

-Russell Sears

Thank you Russell. So true. You said it so well.

Solar Energy

If we talk about geothermal or wind, all these other sources of renewable energy are limited in their quantity. The total power needs of the humans on Earth is approximately 16 terawatts (A terawatt is a trillion watts). In the year 2020 it is expected to grow to 20 terawatts. The sunshine on the solid part of the Earth is 120,000 terawatts. From this perspective, energy from the sun is virtually unlimited.

- Eicke Weber
Director, Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems

Useful links:
www.acciona-na.com
www.ise.fraunhofer.de
www.nrel.gov
www.abengoasolar.com
http://us.sunpowercorp.com

Taking profit from every one of the rays of sun—that's our goal.
- Valerio Fernández
Director, Abengoa Solar

Just do it.

Gary Hamel Viewpoint

A great commentary on organized religion’s management problem. Organizations lose their relevance when the rate of internal change lags the pace of external change. And that’s the problem that besets many churches today. Gary, you were spot on.

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

Dinh Q. Le

Dinh Q. Le is best known for his woven-photographs. His artwork includes installation, video, sculpture, and urban intervention.

Useful link:
www.san-art.org

Richard Thompson

A beautiful singer (amazing voice), composer and instrumentalist. Only a very few rock musicians have tallied such an ­impressive body of work.

Useful link:
www.richardthompson-music.com

Platform 21

What makes Dutch design so inextricably Dutch? Stop recycling, Start repairing. I completely agree. www.platform21.nl

Yuken Teruya

Teruya morphs paper bags back into what they once were: trees. A unique piece of art. www.yukenteruyastudio.com

Gem Market News

According to Stuart Robinson, gemstone editor of Gem Market News, the prices of diamonds and tanzanite have fallen quite dramatically while emerald prices, particularly of the finer Colombian emerald, have stayed steady and even risen is some cases. www.gemguide.com

The Wallace Collection

Hertford House, an imposing red brick house on a leafy London square was one of several impressive properties inherited by the fourth Marquess of Hertford (1800-1870; he is also called Lord Hertford). In 1900, having been bought by the government, it became the Wallace Collection, a national museum. With its many treasures and its domestic setting, it has been a haven for connoisseurs and dreamers ever since. So true. A must visit.

Useful link:
www.wallacecollection.org

Multicoloured Chrysanthemum

I have never seen one flower head that is split exactly down the middle, but this flower is very impressive. They looked like bi-colored tourmalines. Stunningly beautiful, really.

Useful link:

www.rhs.org.uk

The Fine Art Of Investing

Miles Brignall's opinion piece for the Guardian on contemporary art + the ability to recognize quality and value was interesting.

Useful links:
www.newbloodart.com
www.rca.ac.uk

Botanical PaperWorks

I liked their plantable business cards, eco-calendar, etc. You can bury them in the backyard and watch them sprout into flowers or herbs. Brilliant idea.

Useful link:
www.botanicalpaperworks.com

Bram Geenen

The Gaudi stool was stunningly beautiful. The shape of the stool was defined in the same way that Antoni Gaudi designed the structure of his churches, by making a model out of hanging chains, and so letting gravity determine the strongest shape for taking forces. www.bramgeenen.com

Alvar Aalto

Edge-Paracentric Architecture = architecture that lies outside the mainstream = problem-solving and sustainability. www.alvaraalto.fi

U.S.Bills

Out of all the bad though, comes some shocking news. Researchers have found that nearly nine out of ten bills circulating in the U.S. and its northern neighbor are tainted with cocaine. Thanks to non-destructive testing via gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer. Is the worldwide financial crisis driving people to use cocaine, one of the most common illegal drugs in the world? It is hard to know the truth.

Useful link:
www.acs.org

Crafts Collection

I really liked Crafts Collection, a venture sponsored by the Danish Ministry of Culture. Their new wares grabs your attention. Design simplified.

Useful link:
www.craftscollection.dk

David Goldblatt

Intersections Intersected: The Photography of David Goldblatt. The exhibition is organized by the New Museum. Don't miss.

Useful links:
www.davidgoldblatt.com
http://newmuseum.org

Heard On The Street

Let genuine people know that you are buying colored gemstones and what is that you want to buy. Once the market knows, the colored stones will find their way to you. The more you deal with people, the better the feel you get for it. It's really amazing how much more you learn when you actually put your money on the table.

Women Want More

I found Michael Silverstein + Kate Sayre's new book Women Want More: How to Capture Your Share of the World's Largest, Fastest-Growing Market very interesting. There is a lot to learn about female economy, really. A must read.

Useful link:
www.womenwantmorethebook.com

Walk Talk Tours

Listening to commentaries by pros is one of the more entertaining ways to discover a new city. Check out the link www.walktalktour.com

Passing Strange: The Movie

It's a Spike Lee movie. Don't miss.

Useful links:
www.passingstrangemovie.com
www.40acres.com

Chaim Even Zohar Viewpoint

I think Moti Ganz, President, International Diamond Manufacturers Association (IDMA) has opened a Pandora’s Box. It's about diamond weighing practices. Diamond traders pay diamond grading laboratories some $250 million a year for certification. To this one must add shipping costs, administrative costs, insurance and interest payments on the time that is lost as the stone is taken out of the normal selling cycle. Now according to Moti why should the industry lose an additional $100-$135 million because of the how-many-decimals-after-the-point issue. Maybe he is right on this point. Many in the industry may not have thought about it. Thanks Chaim for highlighting the issue.

Useful links:
www.idma.net
www.cibjo.org

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.