International Year Of The Periodic Table

2019 is the International Year of the Periodic Table.

DiamDEXX

Entrepreneur Jeremy Dahan, CEO of diamDEXX, aims to shift peoples’ perceptions of diamonds away from Africa's slavery, suffering, and death by using diamonds for good, and bring Africa back into power by connecting it to the rest of the world.

The Internal World Of Gemstones

Hats off to the late Dr. Eduard J. Gubelin, father of modern day inclusion studies.

Useful link:
http://www.palagems.com/inclusions

Victoire de Castellane

I love her designs. Her jewelry designs are one of the best in the world.

Useful link:
https://victoiredecastellane.com

Montana Yogo Sapphires’ Unique Gemology

Quality should be more important than locality.

Useful link:
https://www.gia.edu/gia-news-research/montana-yogo-sapphires-unique-gemology

Climate Change Could Trigger Global Financial Crisis

How many financial regulators in the world have paid greater attention to the risk of climate change? Very few.

Useful link:
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Climate-Change-Could-Trigger-Global-Financial-Crisis.html

Mary Meeker's Annual Slide Deck

Mary Meeker's annual slide deck . Insightful.

Solgaard

Adrian Solgaard launched his company in 2016 to create a backpack that was fully equipped with tech features, but that also made it hard for thieves to steal from. Over the last few years, this same bag, known as the Lifepack, has been continuously improved. Take a look at Lifepack Solar 2.0, which comes in black and gray with a minimal design that makes it easy to blend in with both formal and relaxed outfits.

Liquid Death

A peculiar canned water start-up.

Useful link:
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/07/ex-netflix-creative-director-raises-1point6-million-for-liquid-death-canned-water.html

Bitcoin And Cryptocurrencies

Who is right? Nouriel Roubini or Michael Novogratz? Only time will tell.

Useful link:
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/08/nouriel-roubini-and-michael-novogratz-battle-over-bitcoin-and-crypto.html

Portrait Diamonds

A unique cutting style from India.

Useful link:

http://www.idexonline.com/FullArticle?Id=44911

The Coco Crush Collection

Take a look.

Useful link:
https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3009630/style-edit-keira-knightley-resumes-her-crush-chanels

Easy Eight

Easy Eight collection includes eight pieces that can be combined to create a total of 22 different looks. This involves playing around with different ways of wearing each garment in the collection. Take a look.

Global Center On Adaptation

The United Nations is currently building a floating office space for its Global Center on Adaptation, in Rotterdam. I hope the rest of the world will will in a responsible manner.

TrustChain Jewelry

TrustChain Jewelry, a new blockchain initiative by Richline will be able to tell consumers where the gold and diamonds in specific rings come from.

Tracr Community

Tracr community is a portal focussed on educating industry participants on sourcing of diamonds.

The Swarovski x CSM 2019 prize

Originality. Plenty of crystals. Out of the world designs. Take a look.

Useful link:
http://www.thejewelleryeditor.com/jewellery/article/designs-on-crystal-dreams-swarovski-csm-2019

A Shoe Designer’s Watch Collection

Get to know George Esquivel.

Useful link:
https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/george-esquivel-uses-watches-to-mark-milestones-2849706

Gemfields Finds Illegal Pits

TIA (This is Africa).

Useful link:
https://www.nationaljeweler.com/diamonds-gems/social-issues/7700-gemfields-finds-illegal-pits-modern-slavery-at-montepuez

What Women Want: Empowering Female Leaders

Deborah Yonick was spot on.

Useful link:
https://www.diamonds.net/News/NewsItem.aspx?ArticleID=63662&ArticleTitle=What%2bWomen%2bWant%253a%2bEmpowering%2bFemale%2bLeaders

Travellers Wanted

Sounds like your dream summer? Then apply online before July 8. The trip will take place in summer 2020.

Code Conference 2019

Mary Meeker will be delivering her annual Internet Trends Report — the most highly anticipated slide deck in Silicon Valley — again at Code Conference 2019. Take note.

Clandestina

Get to know Idania del Rio, co-founder of Cuba’s first independent fashion label Clandestina.

Herge's Tintin

A piece of comic book history has a new owner. The original drawing used for the first published magazine cover to feature Hergé’s Tintin sold for over $1.12 million at auction on Saturday, Heritage Auctions has announced. Part of a sale of European Comic Art held in Dallas, Texas, held over the weekend, the illustration is one of the few known privately owned cover drawings signed by the Belgian cartoonist—the vast majority are held by the Museé Hergé in Louvain-la-Neuve, near Brussels—and also one of the oldest, dating back to 1930. Neither the winning bidder or the previous owner has been identified.

10000 Year Clock

Alexander Rose is executive director at the Long Now Foundation in San Francisco. He and colleagues are building the 10,000 Year Clock.

Ylang 23

Get to know Ylang 23—a leading independent jewelry retailer, which operates stores in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, and does brisk business online.

Robinson Pelham

Take a look at U.K.-based designer Robinson Pelham's new jewelry collections.

Alexis Bittar

Alexis Bittar has debuted a small-but-creative collection inspired by Pride Month. Take a look

Stak

Argodesign has created a new immersion brewing system called Stäk that seamlessly integrates the brewer and carafe into one coffee maker that also looks good on your countertop. Take a look.

We Know Plastic Is Harming Marine Life. What About Us?

No one knows.

Useful link:
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/06/plastic-planet-health-pollution-waste-microplastics

No Visible Bruises

Get to know Rachel Louise Synder.

Useful link:
https://www.globalgrit.com

50 Days To The Moon

50 articles, one published each day until July 20, exploring the 50th anniversary of the first-ever Moon landing. You can check out 50 Days to the Moon here every day. 

The David H. Koch Hall Of Fossils - Deep Time

The David H. Koch Hall of Fossils—Deep Time is now on view at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. A must visit.

Museum Of The Future

The Museum of the Future stands encased in stainless steel adorned with Arabic calligraphy. The design has already won awards, although the museum does not open until next year. Plans for the interior are equally ambitious. The museum aims to serve as a base for exploration of the greatest challenges and technologies that will shape the future, from climate change to medical breakthroughs. The museum is an initiative of the Dubai Future Foundation, led by Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, which has a mandate to make the city a hub for innovation and a testbed for emerging technologies. The Foundation's other projects include a global blockchain council, autonomous transport, and a recreation of the Palmyra Arch. A must visit.

David LaChapelle’s Paradise

A brilliant photo essay.

Useful link:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/lifestyle/lachapelle-paradise-found/?utm_term=.0fe42d49d50d

A Tectonic Plate May Have Peeled Apart—And That Could Shrink The Atlantic Ocean

It's certainly an interesting story. The fact of the matter is we still don't know a lot.

Useful link:
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2019/05/tectonic-plate-peeled-apart-could-shrink-atlantic-ocean-geology

Climate Change Report

Climate change could bring about the end of civilisation as we know it within three decades, an Australian think tank has warned. The report by Breakthrough, endorsed by a retired Australian admiral, says a war-time response is needed to avoid the doomsday scenario. The report speaks a harsh but necessary truth. Take note.

Unscaled

Kevin Maney is a journalist, author, and cofounder of Category Design Advisors. His most recent book, written with Hemant Taneja, is Unscaled: How AI and a New Generation of Upstarts Are Creating the Economy of the Future.

In Gold We Trust Report

Take a look at Incrementum's 13th annual In Gold We Trust report.

What Differentiates Renaissance Copies, Fakes And Reproductions?

Where does the original end and the copy begin? Or, where does the copy end and the fake begin?

Useful link:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/austin-exhibition-asks-what-differentiates-renaissance-copies-fakes-and-reproductions-180972094

Hackers Steal 7,000 Bitcoin Worth $40 Million From Binance Exchange

How in the world will anyone trust Bitcoin if hackers keep stealing from the so-called safe cryptocurrency exchanges?

Useful link:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-08/crypto-exchange-giant-binance-reports-a-hack-of-7-000-bitcoin?srnd=premium-asia

The Tucson Gem And Mineral Show

The best gem and mineral show in the world.

Useful link:
https://robbreport.com/style/jewelry/an-insiders-look-at-the-jewelry-industrys-best-kept-secret-the-tucson-gem-and-mineral-show-2849434

The War For Kindness

Empathy is not like a person’s adult height, something unalterable. Instead, it is a characteristic that can be actively encouraged or discouraged. This is the central message of a new book, 'The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World', by Jamil Zaki, the director of the Social Neuroscience Lab at Stanford University. A must read.

QuantumBlack

QuantumBlack, the advanced analytics firm, has now launched Kedro, an open source tool created specifically for data scientists and engineers. It is a library of code that can be used to create data and machine-learning pipelines. These are the building blocks of an analytics or machine-learning project.

Four Sigmatic

Get to know Tero Isokauppila, the founder of rapidly growing start-up Four Sigmatic.

A Return To The Grand Tour: Micromosaic Jewels From The Collection Of Elizabeth Locke

A must visit.

Useful link:
https://www.nationaljeweler.com/fashion/antique-estate-jewelry/7694-elizabeth-locke-s-micromosaic-jewels-head-to-vmfa

Our Antibiotics Are Becoming Useless

Why it took so long?

Useful link:
https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/5/7/18535480/drug-resistance-antibiotics-un-report

ALROSA Technology To Present New Diamond Identification Tool

Get to know ALROSA Diamond Inspector.

Useful link:
http://www.idexonline.com/FullArticle?Id=44794

BlueRock Diamond

BlueRock Diamonds has announced it had recovered its largest diamond to date, a 24.9 carat gem quality stone. BlueRock owns and operates the Kareevlei Diamond Mine in the Kimberley region of South Africa.  The miner’s largest diamond prior was 16.28 carats, which sold for $78,947.

Formula 1 Pirelli Grand Prix Du Canada

The worlds of automotive racing and fine timepieces will collide in the best possible way this weekend at the Ritz-Carlton Montreal, where Phillips’ watch department will hold a private selling exhibition timed to coincide with the Formula 1 Pirelli Grand Prix Du Canada. From June 7-9, Paul Boutros, Phillips’ head of watches in the Americas, and watch consultant Geoff Hess will showcase approximately 15 sport-themed timepieces, many of them chronographs, made by such storied brands as Rolex, Heuer and Omega. Retail prices range from $9,500 to $75,000.

Fashion Snoops

Get to know Fashion Snoops, the trend forecasting agency.

Super Bowl Ring

Patriots’ fans can acquire their own piece of the Super Bowl LIII Championship through a selection of personalized fine jewelry and championship collectables. All pieces in this collection are inspired by the teams championship ring and are available for a limited time through the Jostens website.

The Cost Of Machine Learning

According to a new paper that will be presented at the annual Association for Computational Linguistics conference in Florence, Italy, later this summer, training one popular off-the-shelf machine translation algorithm has a similar carbon footprint to five vehicles’ entire lifetimes, including their fuel.

Unbound Merino

This $65 T-shirt is made by a startup called Unbound Merino, founded in 2016, that creates wool travel clothes that can go weeks without being washed. Take a look.

Traffic Index

The Dutch-based navigation company TomTom NV has discovered in the course of research for its 2018 traffic congestion index that the German cities with the highest and fastest-growing apartment rents are also the most congested. This finding contains an important message for city planners: Instead of trying to fight cars, perhaps it’s worth putting effort into building more housing and decentralizing the business infrastructure to put people closer to their jobs. Take note.

$6M Bubble Gum Ring To Lead Christie’s HK

I hope there will be a buyer for the Bubble Gum Diamond ring.

Useful link:
https://www.diamonds.net/News/NewsItem.aspx?ArticleID=63686&ArticleTitle=%25246M%2b%25e2%2580%2598Bubble%2bGum%25e2%2580%2599%2bRing%2bto%2bLead%2bChristie%25e2%2580%2599s%2bHK

Pink Diamond Finds No Buyer At Bonhams

Auctions are always full of surprises. There is always a tomorrow.

Useful link:
https://www.diamonds.net/News/NewsItem.aspx?ArticleID=63681&ArticleTitle=Pink%2bDiamond%2bFinds%2bNo%2bBuyer%2bat%2bBonhams

These Amazing Met Gala Looks Took More Than A Thousand Hours Of 3D Printing

3D printing inspires.

Useful link:
https://www.technologyreview.com/s/613500/these-amazing-met-gala-looks-took-more-than-a-thousands-hours-of-3d-printing

Deeper Learning

Jal Mehta and Sarah Fine's book Deeper learning is defined as a set of competencies that include content mastery, critical thinking, collaboration, and effective communication. A must read.

Sun And Moon

Mark Holborn’s new book Sun and Moon: A Story of Astronomy, Photography and Cartography presents a deeply researched, richly photographed history of modern space exploration. A must read.

JK Place

Ori Kafri’s small collection of hotels is legendary—among the discerning few who know it. Launched in 2008, JK Place made its grand debut in a historic structure just off Florence’s Piazza Santa Maria Novella in 2003 with just 20 stylish rooms and a residential vibe that is rare to come by in the standardized world of hospitality. The name is an homage to his father (Jonathan Kafri, aka “JK”) and the properties are, in a word, exquisite. Filled with original artworks, custom furnishings, and designed down to the tiniest detail (the rugs, the slippers and even the newspapers are branded with an elegant “JK”), Kafri’s projects throughout Italy and France are utterly singular. It stands to reason then that their creator would be equally singular in his own tastes. A must visit.

Hollman Inc.

Get to know Hollman Inc., which controls a massive 70 percent of the “non-metal” sector of a $1 billion locker market.  Over the last two decades, the Texas-based company has lured Apple, Nike, Google, Goldman Sachs and a number of elite athletic organizations, like the Chicago Cubs, with chic solutions to their varied storage needs. While the company offers some mix-and-match pre-fab options, it views itself as more of an interior design firm specializing in bespoke locker facilities that fit the personality of its clients.

Lee Strasberg Theatre And Film Institute

Studying at the legendary Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute in New York is the place for serious artists to discover their true self.

Space Weather Affects Your Daily Life. It’s Time To Start Paying Attention.

Get to know Tamitha Skov. She is one of the few who explain space weather.

Useful link:
https://www.technologyreview.com/s/613622/space-weather-affects-your-daily-life-its-time-to-start-paying-attention

Cocoa’s Child Laborers

Much of chocolates we buy still starts with child labor.

Useful link:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/business/hershey-nestle-mars-chocolate-child-labor-west-africa/?utm_term=.ffdf64bc2bbc

Top Trainer Bob Baffert

If there's a heaven, it's in that winner's circle.

Useful link:
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/06/06/sport/bob-baffert-profile-winning-post-kentucky-derby-spt-intl/index.html

Couture Design Awards

A premier event when it comes to jewelry design.

Useful link:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonydemarco/2019/06/05/couture-design-awards-honor-the-best-in-jewelry-design/#3400d2cc35a4

Bonhams To Auction One Of The World's Rarest, Most Valuable Clocks

Take note.

Useful link:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/joanneshurvell/2019/06/05/bonhams-to-auction-one-of-the-worlds-most-valuable-clocks/#508e19904a68

A Picture Is Worth 1,000 Words

Get to know Michelle Ong.

Useful link:
https://www.nationaljeweler.com/fashion/style/7690-in-new-carnet-book-a-picture-is-worth-1-000-words

Hong Kong’s Latest Disruptive Art Mall

Get to know Adrian Cheng.

Useful link:
https://robbreport.com/travel/destinations/millennial-entrepreneur-adrian-cheng-new-art-mall-2848243

The Giga Pearl

Take a look. Nature has no rules.

Useful link:
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-48139566/a-pearl-as-you-ve-never-seen-it-before

Wayfinding

M.R. O’Connor is a journalist who writes about science, technology and ethics, and the author of  Wayfinding: The Science and Mystery of How Humans Navigate the World. A must read.

Jay Matternes

Take a look at the memorable works by the renowned American painter and naturalist Jay Matternes.

Flying-V

Take a look at the idea behind the Flying-V, an aircraft design that promises 20% fuel savings compared to the Airbus A350–thanks to the laws of physics. That’s the main reason why Franco-Dutch airline Air France-KLM is going to fund the development of this concept. 

How To Get A Better Night's Sleep

Want additional sleep tips? Read the New York Times guide on how to get a better night’s sleep.

Secrets Of Sand Hill Road

Get to know Scott Kupor.

Useful links:
https://a16z.com/author/scott-kupor
https://www.wired.com/story/how-early-stage-vcs-decide-where-invest

One Of Fashion’s Top Tastemakers Breaks Into Indie Perfumes

Get to know Carine Roitfeld.

Useful link:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-06/carine-roitfeld-perfume-7-lovers-released?srnd=premium-asia

Tristan Harris Says Tech Is Downgrading Humanity — But We Can Fix It

Tristan Harris was spot on.

Useful link:
https://www.vox.com/recode/2019/5/6/18530860/tristan-harris-human-downgrading-time-well-spent-kara-swisher-recode-decode-podcast-interview

Making Connections With The New Digital Consumer

What worked with the consumers over the past 20 years may not work for the next 20 years.

Useful link:
https://www.strategy-business.com/feature/Making-connections-with-the-new-digital-consumer?gko=ccc89

American Cosmic

According to Diana Pasulka, a professor at the University of North Carolina and author of the new book American Cosmic, belief in UFOs and extraterrestrials is becoming a kind of religion — and it isn’t nearly as fringe as you might think. More than half of American adults and over 60 percent of young Americans believe in intelligent extraterrestrial life. This tracks pretty closely with belief in God, and if Pasulka is right, that’s not an accident.

Range

David Epstein is a writer who had a NYT bestseller in 2014 called The Sports Gene. His new book is called Range. In this podcast interview, Epstein discusses the book. Take note.

Level

Take a look at Level, a new healthcare startup.

Money20/20

Money20/20, a fintech and payments conference which holds its European leg in Amsterdam, is showcasing startups from around the continent to help accelerate their growth. Log on to Money20/20 website.

RapNet Members Say ‘No’ To Synthetics

Over to you.

Useful link:
https://www.diamonds.net/News/NewsItem.aspx?ArticleID=63790&ArticleTitle=RapNet%2bMembers%2bSay%2b%25e2%2580%2598No%25e2%2580%2599%2bto%2bSynthetics

Geologist Who Discovered Oldest Water On Earth Wins Top Science Prize

Hats off to Dr. Barbara Sherwood Lollar.

Useful link:
http://www.mining.com/geologist-discovered-oldest-water-earth-wins-top-science-prize

Do The 4Cs Still Make The Grade?

I think the 4Cs are a bit outdated. The world has changed.

Useful link:
https://www.diamonds.net/News/NewsItem.aspx?ArticleID=63680&ArticleTitle=Do%2bthe%2b4Cs%2bStill%2bMake%2bthe%2bGrade%253f

The Gem Lab That Refuses To Grade Synthetics

The French Gemological Laboratory must have its own reasons why they don't want to grade man-made diamonds.

Useful link:
https://www.diamonds.net/News/NewsItem.aspx?ArticleID=63682&ArticleTitle=The%2bGem%2bLab%2bThat%2bRefuses%2bto%2bGrade%2bSynthetics

Girls Who Code

Since 2012, Girls Who Code has been trying to close the gender gap in tech, teaching computer science skills to nearly 200,000 young women and launching mentoring programs across the country. I hope they continue doing the good work.

Ford v. Ferrari

The 20th Century Fox has debuted the first trailer for its eagerly anticipated new film Ford v. Ferrari, an award season hopeful that stars Oscar winners Matt Damon and Christian Bale. Directed by James Mangold, the lauded filmmaker behind Logan and Cop Land, the movie will tell the exhilarating true story behind the American automaker’s attempt to build a car that could finally beat the Italian speed legends at Le Mans. Take note.

Gemstone Expeditions

Check the gem tour dates. For more information on booking your travel, visit gemstoneexpeditions.com.

Sociobiology: The New Synthesis

E.O. Wilson's book Sociobiology: The New Synthesis, a volume in which he took all he knew about insect behavior and applied it to vertebrates—humans among them is a must read.

De Beers Opening Blockchain To Industry

I hope the right toolkit will help members of the trade benefit using blockchain programs.

Useful link:
https://www.diamonds.net/News/NewsItem.aspx?ArticleID=63787&ArticleTitle=De%2bBeers%2bOpening%2bBlockchain%2bto%2bIndustry

Fusarium Oxsporum

A type of fungi could offer clues for finding new gold deposits.

Useful link:
http://www.mining.com/fungi-offer-clues-finding-new-gold-deposits

Cult Of The Dead Cow

Joseph Menn's upcoming book Cult of the Dead Cow: How the Original Hacking Supergroup Might Just Save the World is a must read.

Everest Simulation

Michael Roberto, who now sells an Everest simulation to the C-suite crowd, says the best leaders uncover their biases and weigh decisions accordingly. Take note.

Crypto Trends

Crypto Trends is a free mobile application developed for Android devices which lets you detect dips and gains quickly. All changes are color coded and their significance is also represented in lighter or darker red and green. The ad-free app indeed light and fast.

A Guide To The Food And Wine Capital Of South Africa

Take note.

Useful link:
http://fortune.com/2019/05/04/south-africa-food-wine

The One Number You Need To Know About Climate Change

Take note. Seriously.

Useful link:
https://www.technologyreview.com/s/613328/the-one-number-you-need-to-know-about-climate-change

Inside The Country Estate Of Britain’s Doyen Of Design

Get to know Sir Terrance Conran.

Useful link:
https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2019/05/sir-terence-conran-retail-design-and-decor

One Giant Leap

Charles Fishman has spent the last four years researching and writing One Giant Leap, a book about how it took 400,000 people, 20,000 companies, and one federal government to get 27 people to the Moon. A must read.