Seed Cathedral

Designed by Thomas Heatherwick, the so-called "Seed Cathedral" is pierced by 60,000 transparent acrylic rods that each contain a seed. I loved it. Congratulations for winning the Royal Institute of British Architects' Lubetkin Prize.

Useful links:
www.heatherwick.com
www.architecture.com
http://en.expo2010.cn

21 Things You Should Never Buy New

Wise Bread's opinion piece in U.S. News & World Report about jewelry was interesting. Many thaniks. www.wisebread.com

Zero Carbon Elevator

Matthew Lloyd's zero carbon elevator was simply brilliant. www.matthewlloyd.co.uk + www.lfa2010.org

Random Thoughts

The Jaguar's polish is important because you see yourself reflected in it - you can't detach yourself from the object.

- Fiona Banner
www.fionabanner.com
www.tate.org.uk/britain

Brilliant. I loved it.

Start-Up Stories

Entrepreneurs talk about how to build businesses. Many thanks to BBC. It was inspiring.

Broke, U.S.A

It's a fascinating book. It's full of stories of financially ignorant people making bad decisions. What can be done? Educate yourself. Really. http://garyrivlin.com

Wine: Best Enjoyed Young

I agree. Many thanks to Jeffrey Iverson for sharing the info.

Useful links:
http://la-contre-etiquette.com
www.o-chateau.com
www.lemeurice.com

Art Market Update

Souren Melikian Report. How long will the conceptual approach, which gives precedence to names and history over aesthetic achievement, make up for the precipitous decline in quality as leftovers are being sifted through again and again? Differently put, could the proportion of unsaleable goods become so large that Impressionist and Modern art auctions will cease to be financially viable? Whoever happens to have the answers will benefit from the undivided attention of auction house managers, not to mention collectors. So true.

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

Jewelry Trends 2010

Jewelry Trends Report. www.jic.org

Booze Under A Microscope

The micrographs by Florida State University chemistry lab was stunningly beautiful. I liked the colorful patterns. Really. www.chem.fsu.edu

Ecomagination Initiative

Ecomagination Report. http://ge.ecomagination.com

Gary Hamel Viewpoint

Leadership from the Inside Out — Part II was briliant. I liked Drew Williams's mantra, borrowed from Mike Breen: low control, high accountability.

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

Art Market Update

The Economist report. When art prices fell, auction houses struggled to attract sellers. Collectors faced with death, divorce or debt—three common reasons for selling—still consigned their works for auction. But discretionary selling fell back sharply. With the memory of the record prices of 2007 still fresh in many collectors’ minds, the question they asked themselves was “why sell if you don’t have to?” Spot on.

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

The Maple Leaf Coin

The largest gold coin in the world has been sold by the auction house Dorotheum for $4m (£2.6m) at an auction in Vienna. www.dorotheum.com

Africa's Blood Diamonds

Jason Stearns's opinion piece in Christian Science Monitor on Israeli diamond tycoon Dan Gertler was interesting. http://congosiasa.blogspot.com

Avi Krawitz Viewpoint

Avi Krawitz's opinion piece in Rapaport about De Beers was interesting. De Beers managing director Gareth Penny made an interesting point. Diamond business is a normal business but it deals with an abnormal product. So true.

Useful links:
www.diamonds.net
www.debeersgroup.com
www.dtcbotswana.com

Random Thoughts

The antithesis of this action bias is, of course, patience. Patience is a weapon you can use to protect yourself from becoming an ADHD investor. It is required because the curse of the value investor is to be too early-both in terms of buying (known affectionately as premature accumulation) and in terms of selling. Unfortunately, in the short term being early is indistinguishable from being wrong. Patience and discipline are much needed when the bottom-up search for value fails to uncover any investment of merit. If you can't find something to invest in, then you are best off doing nothing at all. Warren Buffett often talks of the importance of waiting for the fat pitch. I call investing the greatest business in the world. . . because you never have to swing. You stand at the plate, the pitcher throws you General Motors at 47! U.S. Steel at 39! and nobody calls a strike on you. There is no penalty except opportunity lost. All day you wait for the pitch you like; then when the fielders are asleep, you step up and hit it. However, most institutional investors behave like Babe Ruth at bat with 50,000 fans and the club owner yelling, "Swing, you bum!" and some guy is trying to pitch him an intentional walk. They know if they don't take a swing at the next pitch, the guy will say, "Turn in your uniform."

- James Montier
http://behaviouralinvesting.blogspot.com

Brilliant. I loved it.

Sudarshan Shetty's Art

Margot Cohen's opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal about Sudarshan Shetty's artwork was interesting and inspiring. Many thanks.

Useful links:
www.galleryske.com
www.saffronart.com

Edahn Golan Viewpoint

Two guys are put in a room with a suitcase full of cash. They are told they will not be allowed to leave the room until they decide on how they will divide the cash between them. Alternatively, they can leave the money in the suitcase and walk away with nothing. The door closes and Abe immediately offers to split the money 50/50 and go home. Berry offers him in return a dirty look and replies, "I'm taking 90 percent of the money. If you don't like the idea, I'm OK with walking away with nothing at all. The choice is yours. After a heated back and fourth, Abe sees that Berry is not budging, and concludes that the only way for him to get any money is by accepting Berry's hard-line stance. The KP talks this week bare resemblance to this story. www.idexonline.com

Edahn Golan was spot on. All of us should know that life is not perfect. Give and take or lose it all. Compromise.

The Power Of Ideas

An entrepreneurial platform created by The Economic Times to seek, nurture and groom business ideas. www.ideas.economictimes.com

Gem Lab Update

GEMNOTES Vol. 1, No. 3, June 2010. www.gemlab.net

Random Thoughts

A black and white image reduces photography to its simplest elements — shapes and shades. In the same way, a T-shirt is clothing in its simplest form.

- Ken Miller
www.uniqlo.co.uk

Brilliant. I loved it.

Art Market Update

Siouren Melikian's Art Market Report. Name = Everything. That sums up the trend of the market of today. Period. www.sothebys.com + www.christies.com

Diamonds, Development, And Property Rights

Brilliant video indeed. This video details the problems faced by diamond miners working with alluvial diamonds in the Central African Republic, and the challenges of affirming property rights at the grass roots level. The video briefly summarizes the 8-step process PRADD developed to translate customary rights into statutory rights. The process combines community development techniques to identify, organize, and motivate miners with GPS devices to precisely locate the mining claims.

Useful links:
www.usaid.gov
www.ardinc.com

Startup Update

Near-Eye Tool for Refractive Assessment (NETRA) is a brilliant innovation by the researchers at the MIT Media Lab. I hope the technology becomes available/affordable for hundreds of millions of people in the developing world. www.media.mit.edu

Glastonbury Festival 2010

Glastonbury Festival, the world-renowned festival started in 1970 is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2010. www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk

IDEA 2010

IDEA winners. www.fastcodesign.com/idea-2010

Random Thoughts

One was recently asked, how do you spot a hoodoo when you are in or dangerously close to their presence? I would say that their past record of failures is a good starting point. As is their ability to talk a much better game than they play. Also, their attempt to impress you with the trappings of success, ( a conference call with their five principals is a usual gambit). Not to be disregarded is their locus of operations, often from a ephemerally built recreational area where permanent lodgings and such things as pianos are not availalbe. The inclination to befriend you and flatter you is also a clue. But how can this be quantified, and how can we learn to avoid them? What should you do when you've met a hoodoo? I've always taken to burning my shirts, especially if they've hugged me as they ofen do. Dare I ask the question of whether there are such things as hoodoos or is it a figment of random numbers? No, that would be too mind boggling. But please help with your insights.

- Victor Niederhoffer
www.dailyspeculations.com

Stay vigilant, really.

Grizzly Man

Entertaining. Educational. Visually stimulating. Dreams vs. Reality. Briliant documentary indeed.

Useful link:
http://wernerherzog.com

NeuroSky

It sounds very exciting, really. I hope NeuroSky's systems work. www.neurosky.com

Global Business BBC

Stuart Rutherford was brilliant. I thoroughly enjoyed the program. Many thanks to Peter Day.

Useful links:
www.safesave.org
www.thepoorandtheirmoney.com
www.portfoliosofthepoor.com

Polaroid Collection Of Photography

Polaroid artistry. I loved it.

Manet A La Palette

A self portrait by French painter Edouard Manet has been sold for more than £22m - a record price for the artist's work at Sotheby's auction house in London. www.sothebys.com

The Great Debate 2010

Discussions. Share ideas. Action. The Great Debate is a unique partnership between The Birmingham Assay Office and Reed Exhibitions as part of the international jewelry show in London. All the best.

Useful links:
www.theassayoffice.co.uk
www.jewellerylondon.com

Blood Diamond III

Human Rights Watch report. www.hrw.org

Insider's Guide To Shopping The Shows

The JCK story by Martha White on trade show tactics was insightful. www.jckonline.com

Small Spaces

Small spaces @ the V & A. Don't miss. www.vam.ac.uk

Poker Faces

Brilliant stars indeed.

The reason I won 11 bracelets is my ability to read opponents. These new guys are focused on the math, and they are changing everything.
- Phil Hellmuth

Useful links:
www.barrygreenstein.com
www.philhellmuth.com
http://twitter.com/themavenvt
www.doylebrunson.com
www.annieduke.com

Album Art

I loved it. Many thanks to Scott Thill. www.morphizm.com

Rough Diamond Report

The IDEX Online Rough Diamond Report. www.idexonline.com

Martin Rapaport Viewpoint

The Kimberley Process (KP) is aiding and abetting severe human rights violations as it certifies, legalizes and legitimizes blood diamonds. Corrupt governments have turned the KP on its head. Instead of eliminating human rights violations the KP is legitimizing them. The diamond trade and consumers cannot trust the Kimberley Process, its system of warranties, or those that promote the Kimberley Process as an assurance of the legitimate source of diamonds. We must face the fact that the Kimberley Process is a politicized government-controlled initiative that is incapable of eliminating human rights violations in the diamond sector. It’s time for the World Diamond Council and responsible NGO’s to withdraw from the KP. The solution is outside the KP. The diamond trade must take full responsibility for how and where it buys its diamonds. It must stop hiding behind the KP and recognize that it has moral and ethical obligations that transcend national and international laws. While governments cannot enforce international human rights standards due to sovereignty issues, diamond traders can use their purchasing power to enforce such standards. The key to understanding this issue is that, in the end, our diamonds are only as good as we are.

- Martin Rapaport
www.diamonds.net
www.kimberleyprocess.com
www.worlddiamondcouncil.com

Spot on.

Will Price Viewpoint

I agree with you. The hardest part of any business is the first step. Once begun, the journey takes on a life of its own. It's hard work + accumulated luck, period. http://willprice.blogspot.com

Montreal Jazz Festival 2010

All that jazz. Don't miss. www.montrealjazzfest.com

Stephen Doyle

Cogratulations to Stephen Doyle for winning this year's National Design Award for communications design. www.doylepartners.com

Random Thoughts

The raw data they were using dates back to '70s and '80s. These resources are not worth anything if you can't get there or don't have enough security to get them out of the ground.

- Stan Coats
www.bgs.ac.uk

So true.

Design Thinking: Changing Consumer Behavior One Water Bottle At A Time

John Edson was spot on. Design thinking is making a big impact in business/life.

Useful links:
www.dmi.org
www.ethoswater.com
www.korwater.com

Money Lessons From Mom And Dad

Tom Lauricella's opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal about his personal experience watching his parents with their money was educational and insightful. Many thanks for the brilliant total internal reflection.

Plan far ahead. A 10-year plan is of no avail. A 20-year plan is insufficient. A 50-year plan is what you need, and ignore the 'charge it' and 'cash it in' impulse. Teach your children to do the same.
- Tom Lauricella

Michael Crawford

I loved the deconstructed map of America. www.michaelcrawford.org

Diamond Market Update

Michael Allen's opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal about Angolan's current blood diamond problems was insightful. Many thanks. It's the alluvial diamond mines that are difficult to secure causing the problems. No easy solutions, really.

Random Thoughts

You can tell a lot about what you're up against in a sales pitch by the way they serve you coffee.

- John R Grizz Deal
www.hyperionpowergeneration.com

Spot on.

Next Generation Photo Blog

I really liked the photo blog. Many thanks to Phil Coomes for sharing the info.

Useful link:
http://julia-photoma.blogspot.com

Burma Gem Sales Statistics

Many thanks to Palagems for the special report. www.palagems.com

Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines 2010

The Euro-Gem theme this year: De la pierre brute au bijou (From rough stone to jewel). Don't miss. www.euromineral.fr

The Rug Market

Kelly Crow's opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal about world's top rug collection was educational and insightful. They are unique work of art.

Age + Color + Condition + Weave + Imagery = Quality grade criterias

Useful links:
www.christies.com
www.textilemuseum.org

National Design Awards 2010

The Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum has announced the winners of the 2010 National Design Awards. The awards are the closest thing the country has to a Nobel Prize in design. Check this years winners. www.nationaldesignawards.org

Education Of A Wandering Man

It's a true masterpiece. www.louislamour.com

Quick Reference Guide For Gold And Silver

The Jewelers Vigilance Committee (JVC) has published a Quick Reference Guide for manufacturers and sellers of jewelry made from combinations of gold and silver. The new publication supplements JVC’s Essential Guide to the U.S. Trade in Advertising Gold and Silver Jewelry (The Essential Guide). Check it out. www.jvclegal.org

ICA Congress 2011

The 2011 ICA Congress will be held in Brazil on April 30 - May 4, 2011. The congress will be hosted by IBGM-Brazilian Gems & Jewellery Trade Association. The theme for the 2011 ICA Congress is Ethical Mining & Fair Trade: Certification challenges from Mine to Market. www.gemstone.org

Art Fairs To Remember

Collectors have come to prefer buying at art fairs to entering sometimes intimidating private galleries. That is one reason why dealers take part. For them fairs are also a great way to meet new clients. So true. The lovers of art and antiques are enjoying the surprise of having so much choice. Many thanks to Economist for the update.

Useful links:
www.haughton.com
www.masterpiecefair.com
www.olympia-antiques.co.uk
www.lifaf.com

Random Thoughts

It is really that simple: Design follows money. Get budget, get design. Design firms don't design without clients (which requires budgets), and in-house departments are not very effective without great people (which also requires budgets). Think of this as Designomics.

- Thomas Lockwood
www.dmi.org

Spot on.

Pierino da Vinci Sculpture

Pierino da Vinci's sculpture is indeed a treasure of the utmost importance. Just do the right thing. www.mla.gov.uk

Visions Of Dubai Gold Coin

The Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) and the World Gold Council (WGC) has launched The Palm edition of the Visions of Dubai gold coin series. The coins also carry DMCC’s stamp of quality and authenticity and are made of 24-karat gold. They are available in 1 ounce, 1/2 ounce, 1/4 ounce and 1/10 ounce sizes. Check it out.

Useful links:
www.dmcc.ae
www.emiratesgold.ae
www.gold.org

Technology Update

The Economist report on wireless technology was brilliant. Harvesting energy was interesting. It is magical, really.

Useful links:
http://research.nokia.com
http://techresearch.intel.com
www.fultoninnovation.com
http://ecoupled.com
www.witricity.com
www.powercastco.com

YouTube Play 2010

Anyone with access to a video camera and a computer will have an opportunity to catch the eye of a Guggenheim curator and vie for a place in a video-art exhibition in October at all of the foundation’s museums: the Solomon R. Guggenheim in New York, the Deutsche Guggenheim in Berlin, the Guggenheim Bilbao in Spain and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice. A brilliant way to discover innovative work, really. Many thanks.

Useful links:
www.guggenheim.org
www.youtube.com

India Startup Update

Sandeep Singhal's viewpoints was interesting. Great execution starts with having a very clear understanding of the problem that you are trying to address, having a plan to meet that need, and building a strong team to execute against the plan. It is about being able to create and sell a compelling value proposition to your customers, always seeking feedback from them, and being flexible based on what you hear. It is about being aware of what competitors are doing and being a step ahead of them. Spot on. Many thanks.

Useful links:
www.nexusvp.com
www.medusind.com

Random Thoughts

As an executive who travels the world, I feel there is nothing more disturbing than to see and hear about children who have been victimized. As a parent of young children, I just couldn't stand by and ignore this global tragedy any longer. With Jewelgirls, the jewelry industry and consumers, as a whole, can directly help innocent children to put their lives back together and be less susceptible to trafficking altogether.

- Rodney Rahmani
www.brilliantstars.com
www.fairfund.org

Spot on.

BBC's Opera Season

Top 11 Arias. Check it out. www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/opera

Pala Minerals

Pala International has announced the debut of the firm’s website for the mineral enthusiast: Palaminerals.com. Check it out. I really liked Pala International's slogan: The only way to sell quality is to buy it.

Ruby / Sapphire Market Update

Russell Shor's opinion piece in National Jeweler about traditional corundum sources, treatments, and maintaining consumer confidence was insightful. Many thanks. www.gia.edu

Tony Awards 2010

The American rock ’n’ roll story Memphis has won the Tony Award for best musical, and the British production Red for the best play and five other Tonys, one of the highest totals for a play in recent years. Congratulations!

Vast Discovery Of Mineral Deposits In Afghanistan

James Risen's story in the New York Times about the discovery of untapped mineral deposits by the United States Geological Survey was interesting. Afghanistan becoming the Saudi Arabia of lithium is good news and bad news for the region. We are going to see kabuki play of the century between China, Russia, United States, Pakistan, Iran and the crazy war-mongers in the region. Stay tuned.

John Underkoffler Project

G-speak from John Underkoffler was brilliant. He has unveiled his latest work at TED. Don't miss. http://oblong.com

Sustainable Brands Innovation Open 2010

What is sustainable innovation? Check out Sustainable Brands Conference's second annual Innovation Open in Monterey, CA. Lively discussions. World-changing impact.

Tiffany's iPhone Application

Tiffany's engagement ring finder via iPhone was a brilliant idea. Check it out. http://www.tiffany.com/Engagement/Browse.aspx

Conflict Gold: The New Blood Diamonds

Sasha Lezhnev viewpoints. It does make sense. The human devastation is real. www.enoughproject.org

The New Retail Consumer

Margo De Angelo/Phyllis Schiller's report in Rapaport about America's changing demographics and the impact was educational and insightful. Many thanks.

Useful links:

www.ahaa.org

www.pewhispanic.org

www.hispanicad.com

www.multicultural.com

www.targetmarketnews.com

www.blackamericastudy.com

www.3af.org

www.asian-nation.org

www.asianweek.com

www.vividmagazine.net

www.ethnictechnologies.com

Undead Jazz Fest 2010

Hats off to Brice Rosenbloom. Just do it. www.undeadjazzfest.com

Random Thoughts

When you put out something like this, there's going to be a lot of naysayers. But the people who really have good eyes in this field that I've shown the painting to, they've all agreed with me. With attributions, it's not the number of people who agree with you, it's the quality of their judgments.

- Everett Fahy
www.metmuseum.org

Spot on.

Global Business BBC

Peter Day reviews the problems facing the press and the business press in particular. Check it out.

Useful links:
http://europe.wsj.com
www.c-changemedia.com
www.buzzmachine.com
http://journalism.nyu.edu
www.penenberg.com

Rating Diamond Grading Labs

Rob Bates was spot on. There are no easy answers. If the industry can find a way to settle this, they would have a far more ethical industry, really.

Yair Shimansky Collection

Yair Shimansky has created the exquisite Diamond Soccer Ball. The unique diamond studded ball made from 6620 white and 2640 black round brilliant cut South African diamonds, weighing 3500 carats in totality, give this ball a total weight of 2.2kgs and a value of $2.5 million. Check it out. www.shimansky.co.za

Random Thoughts

Good jobs — in bulk — don’t come from government. They come from risk-takers starting businesses — businesses that make people’s lives healthier, more productive, more comfortable or more entertained, with services and products that can be sold around the world. You can’t be for jobs and against business.

- Thomas L Friedman
www.thomaslfriedman.com
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/opinion/editorialsandoped/oped/columnists/thomaslfriedman/index.html

Spot on.

Orange Prize 2010

Barbara Kingsolver has won the 2010 Orange Prize for Fiction with her sixth novel The Lacuna. Congratulations. www.kingsolver.com + www.orangeprize.co.uk

Lilith Festival 2010

Meet the new music festival/founders/eco-conscious entrepreneurs and their viewpoints. www.lilithfair.com + www.i4ccampaign.com

World Innovation Forum 2010

Andreas Weigend viewpoint. Web 1.0 (getting business online = ebusiness) = Web 2.0 (customer focus=mebusiness) = Web 3.0. Check it out. www.weigend.com

Art Market Update

George/Mary Bloch’s snuff bottles collection. Chinese snuff bottles, from the mid-18th century on, tend to be made from precious materials, such as jade, ivory, lacquer, porcelain, bronze, silver, enamel, jet, rock crystal and rhinoceros horn. Air-tight with little ivory spoons, they became common among the Chinese because Western-style snuff boxes, so fashionable in England and France from the late 17th century on, proved unsuitable for the warm, muggy climate of the East. They were often given as gifts, some with symbolic meaning—homonyms in praise of fertility or children, for example—and much care went into their craftsmanship. Like Japanese netsuke, snuff bottles were designed as hand-held treasures. Cherish stone as if it were gold is a common declaration among collectors who prize interesting stones. So true.

Useful link:
www.bonhams.com

Food Art

Antoni Miralda's food art was brilliant. www.foodculturemuseum.com I loved it.

Kabuki

Take a look at one of Japan's most exquisite art forms. www.shochiku.co.jp + www.sadlerswells.com

Open Innovation

Open innovation initiatives. Stefan Lindegaard was spot on. Many thanks. www.15inno.com

Global Witness Update

Global Witness Report on Zimbabwe. www.globalwitness.org

Art Market Update

Sara Campbell's story in ARTnews about Norton Simon was interesting. Many thanks. www.nortonsimon.org

Engagement Ring Shopping

Miriam Alexander was spot on. To sell engagement rings, you have to woo the bride as well as the groom. Period. www.theknot.com

Random Thoughts

The crash of 1962 is a reminder that markets always have been messy and that investors' morale always has been fragile. What's more, the problems the regulators sought to solve nearly a half-century ago are still with us today. They probably will be tomorrow, too.

- Jason Zweig

So true!

Global Business BBC

Peter Day reviews brand new companies in Silicon Valley trying to reshape the future in the same old vigorous way. It was interesting and insightful. Many thanks.

Useful links:

www.saffo.com

www.slide.com

www.seriousmaterials.com

www.zappos.com

Art Market Update

Souren Melikian's opinion piece in the New York Times about Richard Wilson's art work was interesting. Many thanks. www.rlfeigen.com

Lena Dunham

Amanda Gordon's story in ARTnews on writer/filmmaker Lena Dunham was inspiring. www.lenadunham.com

Bridal Jewelry

Ken Gassman was spot on. Style is the first consideration for today's brides. It's all about the look. Check out The Knot Survey and much more @ www.theknotinc.com

Couture Show 2010

Take a look at a rare beautiful fancy purplish red diamond via Bruno Scarselli @ Couture Show 2010.

Useful links:
www.couturejeweler.com
www.scarselli.com

Random Thoughts

To get out of jail free, crooks use stolen paintings as negotiating cards. When they get arrested for other criminal activity, they make a deal by providing information that leads to the recovery of stolen paintings.

- Robert Wittman
www.robertwittmaninc.com

So true.

Picasso, The Mediterranean Years

Picasso - The Mediterranean Years is at the Gagosian in London until 28 August, 2010. Don't miss. www.gagosian.com