Translate

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Network Movie

Memorable quote (s) from the movie:

Howard Beale (Peter Finch): I don't have to tell you things are bad. Everybody knows things are bad. It's a depression. Everybody's out of work or scared of losing their job. The dollar buys a nickel's work, banks are going bust, shopkeepers keep a gun under the counter. Punks are running wild in the street and there's nobody anywhere who seems to know what to do, and there's no end to it. We know the air is unfit to breathe and our food is unfit to eat, and we sit watching our TV's while some local newscaster tells us that today we had fifteen homicides and sixty-three violent crimes, as if that's the way it's supposed to be. We know things are bad - worse than bad. They're crazy. It's like everything everywhere is going crazy, so we don't go out anymore. We sit in the house, and slowly the world we are living in is getting smaller, and all we say is, 'Please, at least leave us alone in our living rooms. Let me have my toaster and my TV and my steel-belted radials and I won't say anything. Just leave us alone.' Well, I'm not gonna leave you alone. I want you to get mad! I don't want you to protest. I don't want you to riot - I don't want you to write to your congressman because I wouldn't know what to tell you to write. I don't know what to do about the depression and the inflation and the Russians and the crime in the street. All I know is that first you've got to get mad. You've got to say, 'I'm a HUMAN BEING, Goddamnit! My life has VALUE!' So I want you to get up now. I want all of you to get up out of your chairs. I want you to get up right now and go to the window. Open it, and stick your head out, and yell, 'I'M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!' I want you to get up right now, sit up, go to your windows, open them and stick your head out and yell - 'I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore!' Things have got to change. But first, you've gotta get mad!... You've got to say, 'I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!' Then we'll figure out what to do about the depression and the inflation and the oil crisis. But first get up out of your chairs, open the window, stick your head out, and yell, and say it: "I'M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!"


The Federal Trade Commission’s Guide for the Jewelry, Precious Metals and Pewter Industries

FTC writes:

23.21 Misrepresentation as to cultured pearls.

It is unfair or deceptive to misrepresent the manner in which cultured pearls are produced, the size of the nucleus artificially inserted in the mollusk and included in cultured pearls, the length of time that such products remained in the mollusk, the thickness of the nacre coating, the value and quality of cultured pearls as compared with the value and quality of pearls and imitation pearls, or any other material matter relating to the formation, structure, properties, characteristics, and qualities of cultured pearls.

More info @ http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/guides/jewel-gd.htm

Amber

By Patty C Rice
Van Nostrand Reinhold Company
1980 ISBN 0-442-26138-1

Van Nostrand Reinhold writes:

From history and lore to modern sources and commercial use, Amber: The Golden Gem of the Ages brings you a wealth of information on every aspect of amber. It is as completely up-to-date as it is all encompassing, and is the first definitive study of amber to be published in fifty years.

The author pinpoints the original sources of amber and its variety of colors and textures, the describes its historical usage. She recounts its use by early man during the Stone Age and Bronze Age….the ancient amber trade routes….and the use of amber in classical cultures. Dr. Rice then traces the amber industry’s growth from the guilds of the Middle Ages to current development and mining techniques in the Baltic regions. You will find interesting descriptions of archaeological finds of ancient amber…..intriguing facts on mystical beliefs and folklore associated with amber…and fascinating historical illustrations of the first fake inclusions recorded in amber.

Data on physical and chemical properties are accompanied by appropriate tests and methods for identifying genuine amber. The book features summaries of scientific studies conducted by leading researchers…..geological descriptions of regions where amber is found…and biological information on findings of fossil insects and other anthropods in amber, as well as on the use of amber as a botanical product to gain knowledge of plant evolution.

A complete review of amber’s commercial aspects includes commonly used imitations and substitutes ranging from early Bakelite jewelry to modern Bernit. Detailed methods are provided for pressing or reconstructing small amber chips and using them with plastic to make ‘polybern’ ornaments. Additional step-by-step directions tell you how to cut, drill, and polish rough amber into radiant jewelry.

When you want to know more about the Russian amber room….Chinese amber carvings or amber art from the Middle Ages….or the mythological surrounding amber in various cultures---consult Amber: The Golden Gem of the Ages. Every aspect of amber is covered in this comprehensive volume. Its beautiful illustrations include rare amber carvings, mosaics and chess produced by Lithuanian artisans. You will marvel at the wealth of new scientific knowledge gained from investigations of amber. And if gemology is your hobby or occupation, you will make good use of the charts and tabular information comparing amber with common substitutes, along with the numerous techniques for constructing amber ornaments and finished jewelry items.

About the author
Dr Patty Rice has lectured at numerous gem and mineral clubs, shows and conferences in the U.S and Canada. Her articles on amber have appeared in American Way, Gems and Minerals International, Lapidary Journal, and Rock and Minerals.

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

The Insider Movie

Memorable quote (s) from the movie:

Mike Wallace (Christopher Plummer): In the real world, when you get to where I am, there are other considerations.

Lowell Bergman (Al Pacino): Like what? Corporate responsibility? What, are we talking celebrity here?

Mike Wallace (Christopher Plummer): I'm not talking celebrity, vanity, CBS. I'm talking about when you're nearer the end of your life than the beginning. Now, what do you think you think about then? The future? In the future I'm going to do this? Become that? What future? No. What you think is "How will I be regarded in the end?" After I'm gone. Now, along the way I suppose I made some minor impact. I did Iran-Gate and the Ayatollah, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Saddam, Sadat, etcetera, etcetera. I showed them thieves in suits. I've spent a lifetime building all that. But history only remembers most what you did last. And should that be fronting a segment that allowed a tobacco giant to crash this network? Does it give someone at my time of life pause? Yeah.

This Budget To Be A Girl's Best Friend

(via Times News Network) Bharti Jain writes:

With the Union Budget (India) likely to abolish the import duty on cut and polished diamonds (CPDs) and gemstones, the gems & jewellery industry is in for some happy times. Another planned initiative for the industry is the introduction of the presumptive tax regime, which allows for computation of income-tax on the basis of turnover.

The proposal to cut the Customs tariff on import of CPDs and gemstones from 5% to nil follows a recommendation to this effect by the MR Sivaraman committee set up last year to study the rationalization of taxes and tariffs applicable to the forex-earning gems and jewellery sector.

The finance ministry is keen to put the sector – which accounted for nearly 15% of the country’s total exports and 19% of the total world demand for gems and jewellery in 2006 – on a growth trajectory that will see centres like Mumbai emerging as a diamond hub on the lines of cities like Antwerp and Bangkok. To that end, the ministry is said to have decided to reflect in the coming budget the recommendations of the Sivaraman committee on both the customs tariff as well as introduction of presumptive tax.

The presumptive tax regime was introduced in the last budget for the shipping sector, wherein the tax to be paid by companies in the sector would be calculated on the basis of tonnage. The proposal is now set to be replicated for the gems and jewellery sector, mainly to cut down on administrative costs and to encourage output as increased production would mean less taxes. This proposal, according to sources in the government, would be revenue-neutral.

As for the duty cut, the government is keen on seeing the emergence of centres like Mumbai as major diamond hubs, competing with other international diamond destinations like Antwerp and Bangkok. The abolition of duties on CPDs and gemstones, which accounted for 23% of total imports by the gems and jewellery sector, is expected to increase exports of studded and finished ornaments.

Duty cuts may essentially help Indian jewellers, most of whom are in the unorganised sector, cater to the growing demand of bulk buyers from the US and European Union for Indian diamond studded jewellery due to its affordability. Lower import rates will bring India on par with major competitors like Thailand which have zero tariffs on import of gold diamonds and gemstones. At the same time, it will create more jobs as the gems and jewellery trade is highly labour intensive, employing nearly 2 million workers.

More info @ http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/This_Budget_to_be_a_girls_best_friend/articleshow/1601463.cms

How To Create Asterism With Metal Foils Or Plates

Asterism can be produced by engraving metal foils or plates on doublets to imitate popular gemstones with stars. To imitate the phenomena silver, copper, brass or steel may be used as metal backings on doublets by scratching three sets of parallel lines sets of lines or grooves, using emery or carborundum paper. Other variations include scratched metal foils as backings to create four or six-rayed stars or metal foils with a network of engraved or impressed lines, along with a protective third layer of plastic or mineral. A good example is synthetic blue spinel triplet with a middle layer of engraved metal foil.

For well informed buyers, if the gemstones are unset identification is not difficult. The first hint is the color, diffused asterism and physical appearance.

H Stern

H. Stern writes:

At the beginning of the 1950s a small Brazilian jewelry company was making a name for itself in international circles. With beautiful jewels and an audacious marketing strategy for that time, the company was poised to revolutionize the traditional jewelry industry. Behind the rising brand was Hans Stern, a young German émigré’ and a carioca’ (is the native of Rio de Janeiro) at heart. Several years earlier, 1945, at age 22, he had founded a small gemstone trading business in Rio de Janeiro—the beginning of this success story.

More info @ http://www.hstern.net/en/institucional/historia

The Federal Trade Commission’s Guide for the Jewelry, Precious Metals and Pewter Industries

FTC writes:

23.20 Misuse of terms such as "cultured pearl," "seed pearl," "Oriental pearl," "natura," "kultured," "real," "gem," "synthetic," and regional designations.

(a) It is unfair or deceptive to use the term "cultured pearl," "cultivated pearl," or any other word, term, or phrase of like meaning to describe, identify, or refer to any imitation pearl.

(b) It is unfair or deceptive to use the term "seed pearl" or any word, term, or phrase of like meaning to describe, identify, or refer to a cultured or an imitation pearl, without using the appropriate qualifying term "cultured" (e.g., "cultured seed pearl") or "simulated," "artificial," or "imitation" (e.g., "imitation seed pearl").

(c) It is unfair or deceptive to use the term "Oriental pearl" or any word, term, or phrase of like meaning to describe, identify, or refer to any industry product other than a pearl taken from a salt water mollusk and of the distinctive appearance and type of pearls obtained from mollusks inhabiting the Persian Gulf and recognized in the jewelry trade as Oriental pearls.

(d) It is unfair or deceptive to use the word "Oriental" to describe, identify, or refer to any cultured or imitation pearl.

(e) It is unfair or deceptive to use the word "natura," "natural," "nature’s," or any word, term, or phrase of like meaning to describe, identify, or refer to a cultured or imitation pearl. It is unfair or deceptive to use the term "organic" to describe, identify, or refer to an imitation pearl, unless the term is qualified in such a way as to make clear that the product is not a natural or cultured pearl.

(f) It is unfair or deceptive to use the term "kultured," "semi-cultured pearl," "cultured-like," "part-cultured," "pre-mature cultured pearl," or any word, term, or phrase of like meaning to describe, identify, or refer to an imitation pearl.

(g) It is unfair or deceptive to use the term "South Sea pearl" unless it describes, identifies, or refers to a pearl that is taken from a salt water mollusk of the Pacific Ocean South Sea Islands, Australia, or Southeast Asia. It is unfair or deceptive to use the term "South Sea cultured pearl" unless it describes, identifies, or refers to a cultured pearl formed in a salt water mollusk of the Pacific Ocean South Sea Islands, Australia, or Southeast Asia.

(h) It is unfair or deceptive to use the term "Biwa cultured pearl" unless it describes, identifies, or refers to cultured pearls grown in fresh water mollusks in the lakes and rivers of Japan.

(i) It is unfair or deceptive to use the word "real," "genuine," "precious," or any word, term, or phrase of like meaning to describe, identify, or refer to any imitation pearl.

(j) It is unfair or deceptive to use the word "gem" to describe, identify, or refer to a pearl or cultured pearl that does not possess the beauty, symmetry, rarity, and value necessary for qualification as a gem.

Note to paragraph (j): Use of the word "gem" with respect to cultured pearls should be avoided since few cultured pearls possess the necessary qualifications to properly be termed "gems." Imitation pearls should not be described as "gems."

(k) It is unfair or deceptive to use the word "synthetic" or similar terms to describe cultured or imitation pearls.

(l) It is unfair or deceptive to use the terms "Japanese Pearls," "Chinese Pearls," "Mallorca Pearls," or any regional designation to describe, identify, or refer to any cultured or imitation pearl, unless the term is immediately preceded, with equal conspicuousness, by the word "cultured," "artificial," "imitation," or "simulated," or by some other word or phrase of like meaning, so as to indicate definitely and clearly that the product is a cultured or imitation pearl.

More info @ http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/guides/jewel-gd.htm

Chinese Jade Throughout The Ages

By Stanley Charles Nott
Charles E Tuttle Company
1962 ISBN 0-8048-0100-2

Charles E Tuttle Company writes:

Centuries before the Christian era Jade was valued in China as the purest and most divine of natural treasures, and it evoked a reverence accorded to no other material. It was chosen by the Chinese as the vehicle for communication with the unseen powers of the universe, as the emblem of imperial authority, and as a charm against evil influence. From the earliest times it appears to have been credited with medicinal properties. In its ritual character it was believed to have qualities of solar light and so to have relationship with the powers of heaven. Naturally it was thus appropriate as an attribute of the emperor. To the artist craftsman it appealed not only in its range of exquisite colors but also in his hardness, which to him was a symbol of eternity. He had the artistic impulse to master this hardness in such a way as to give the effect of natural fluency. The resulting creations have provided the inspiration for this book.

First published in 1936 and since then a collector’s item of increasing rarity, Chinese Jade Throughout The Ages comprises a review of the characteristics, decoration, folklore, and symbolism of this esteemed mineral that has always held a proud place among the gems of the world. The book presents a full descriptive account of the significance and meaning of the carvings produced in this prized stone by Chinese craftsmen from the earliest times, through the Chou and succeeding dynasties, down to the twentieth century. In the achievement of his task, the author has endeavored to embody the results of study that occupied his leisure moments over number of years: the study of an intriguing and beautiful art that for many centuries has been interwoven into the very life of the Chinese.

The text is illustrated with a magnificent series of more than 350 reproductions in color (39 plats), black and white (110 plates), and line (73 drawings) of choice pieces selected from the chief Asiatic, European, and American collections. Many of these pieces are displayed here for the first time. In addition, the book explains not only the wealth of symbolic designs used in the decoration of jade but also a large number of the marks and devices by which collectors identify the origin and the date of valued pieces.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Gitanjali Partners With Tri-Star Worldwide

(via) National Jeweler Network writes:

Gitanjali USA Inc., a subsidiary of Gitanjali Gems Ltd., announced the purchase of a majority interest in Tri-Star Worldwide LLC, a BHP sightholder, CanadaMark licensee, manufacturer and global distributor of Canadia-brand diamonds and diamond jewelry.

"We are excited to have partnered with Gitanjali, the most vertically integrated diamond house in the world," Tri-Star Chief Executive Officer Oren Sofer said in a statement.

"Gitanjali has extensive global distribution channels. This will help Tri-Star to propel Canadia to new levels not only in our existing markets of North America and the United Kingdom, but also in the Indian and Middle Eastern markets where they have well-established retail networks."

More info @ http://www.nationaljewelernetwork.com/njn/content_display/diamonds/e3ica3d2cfe98b3521902f113461f115762

Diamonds May Have A Future As A Commodity

Here is an interesting article about diamond being perceived as a commodity. It will be interesting to see what De Beers and the industry as a whole is going to do. In my view they don't like diamond being perceived as a commodity. The industry believes diamond is different from other precious stones and metals. But you will never know. Good luck to Martin Rapaport!

(via Market Watch) Myra P. Saefong writes:

What's at stake could be the first-ever futures market for diamond trading. It's impossible, say some industry experts. Others just say it's nearly impossible.

But after more than 20-years, Martin Rapaport, publisher of the Rapaport Diamond Report -- a primary source of diamond prices for the trade, plans to make his second attempt at creating one.

"Not only is it possible to create a futures market, but we are going to do it," he said.

Back in 1982, Rapaport submitted a contract proposal to the New York Commodities Exchange for the
creation of a futures market for diamonds.

It was rejected, he said, because the "diamond industry didn't want price transparency."

Now he's writing up a new proposal, one that he expects will be ready in another year or two, though he won't specify where he'll submit it.

Rapaport's biggest setback, however, may be that he has to first convince the diamond industry that diamonds are, in fact, a commodity.

Diamonds are "definitely a commodity. You buy and sell them for cash," he said. "They're a natural resource with limited supply; they're well defined; they're certified; they're analyzed, graded, tradable around the world."

More info @ http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/diamonds-may-have-future-commodity/story.aspx?guid=%7b9376AEDE-CB8D-4101-AC8C-CF0015191A65

Two For The Money Movie

Memorable quote (s) from the movie:

Walter Abrams (Al Pacino): You're a lemon. Like a bad car. There is something... there is something inherently defective in you, and you, and you, and me, and all of us. We're all lemons. We look like everyone else, but what makes us different is our defect. See, most gamblers, when they go to gamble, they go to win. When we go to gamble, we go to lose. Subconsciously. Me, I never feel better than when they're raking the chips away; not bringing them in. And everyone here knows what I'm talking about. Hell, even when we win it's just a matter of time before we give it all back. But when we lose, that's another story. When we lose, and I'm talking about the kind of loss that makes your asshole pucker to the size of a decimal point - you know what I mean - You've just recreated the worst possible nightmare this side of malignant cancer, for the twentieth goddamn time; and you're standing there and you suddenly realize, Hey, I'm still... here. I'm still breathing. I'm still alive. Us lemons, we fuck shit up all the time on purpose. Because we constantly need to remind ourselves we're alive. Gambling's not your problem. It's this fucked up need to feel something. To convince yourself you exist. That's the problem.

The Federal Trade Commission’s Guide for the Jewelry, Precious Metals and Pewter Industries

FTC writes:

23.19 Misuse of the word "pearl."

(a) It is unfair or deceptive to use the unqualified word "pearl" or any other word or phrase of like meaning to describe, identify, or refer to any object or product that is not in fact a pearl, as defined in 23.18(a).

(b) It is unfair or deceptive to use the word "pearl" to describe, identify, or refer to a cultured pearl unless it is immediately preceded, with equal conspicuousness, by the word "cultured" or "cultivated," or by some other word or phrase of like meaning, so as to indicate definitely and clearly that the product is not a pearl.

(c) It is unfair or deceptive to use the word "pearl" to describe, identify, or refer to an imitation pearl unless it is immediately preceded, with equal conspicuousness, by the word "artificial," "imitation," or "simulated," or by some other word or phrase of like meaning, so as to indicate definitely and clearly that the product is not a pearl.

(d) It is unfair or deceptive to use the terms "faux pearl," "fashion pearl," "Mother of Pearl," or any other such term to describe or qualify an imitation pearl product unless it is immediately preceded, with equal conspicuousness, by the word "artificial," "imitation," or "simulated," or by some other word or phrase of like meaning, so as to indicate definitely and clearly that the product is not a pearl.

More info @ http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/guides/jewel-gd.htm

Travels In India

By Jean Baptiste Tavernier
Baron of Aubonne
Translated from the original French edition of 1676 with a biographical sketch of the Author, Notes, and Appendices, &c.
By V Ball
Edited by William Crooke
Oriental Books Reprint Corporation, New Delhi, India
1977

Oriental Books Reprint Corporation writes:

Jean Baptiste Tavernier’s Travels in India contains the details of his journeys that he undertook traversing the greater part of this country. Rightly considered as one of the most renowned travelers of the seventeenth century, his Travels, like those of other European travelers, are in important source book for the history of India of the seventeenth century.

An avid traveler, Tavernier undertook seven voyages to the East of which six brought him to India including Ceylon and South East Asia between the years 1641 and 1667 and is thus an important source material for the history of Mughal India and Deccan Sultanates. A jeweler by profession, he also undertook journeys to various mines and other sources of precious stones.

The present volume of Tavernier’s Travels In India has been translated by Valentine Ball and the present edition has been edited by William Crooke.

A detailed life sketch of Tavernier apart, this edition also contains a detailed Bibliography, Notes on Tavernier’s History and Geography, six Appendices in which are respectively discussed the Koh-i-nur, list of diamond mines in India, the diamond mines of Bengal, the diamond mines of Boraeo, the ruby mines of Burma and the Sapphire of Washings of Ceylon and two early works by foreign travelers, and a detailed Index and Glossary.

An important source book, Travels in India is an indispensable work for all those interested in various facets of life during the times of the Mughals.

Monday, February 12, 2007

On Investing

Robert Klein (comedian) writes:

"In the book of things people more often do wrong than right, investing must certainly top the list, followed closely by wallpapering and eating artichokes."

The Apartment Movie

A memorable quote from the movie:

C.C. Baxter (Jack Lemmon): On November 1st, 1959, the population of New York City was 8,042,783. If you laid all these people end to end, figuring an average height of five feet six and a half inches, they would reach from Times Square to the outskirts of Karachi, Pakistan. I know facts like this because I work for an insurance company - Consolidated Life of New York. We're one of the top five companies in the country. Our home office has 31,259 employees, which is more than the entire population of uhh... Natchez, Mississippi. I work on the 19th floor. Ordinary Policy Department, Premium Accounting Division, Section W, desk number 861.

Chameleon Diamonds

What is Chameleon diamond?

Sometimes colored gemstones tend to show certain phenomenal effects when properly cut. Well informed buyers are familiar with the phenomenal effects in corundum (stars), chrysoberyl (cat's eye), alexandrite (color change), opal (play of color), sunstone (aventurescence), labradorite (labradorescence), moonstone (schiller) and aventurine quartz (aventurescence). The optical effects are due to inclusions, reflection, twinning, selective absorption or diffraction.

But there is an unusual phenomenon in diamond known in the trade as ‘chameleons’. In nature, chameleons are large lizards that are well-known for their ability to change their body color, a unique physical and physiological condition due to their mood, light and temperature, where the skin color plays an important role in adapting to the surroundings, communication among the species or rivalry fights. You may see a similar chameleon-like phenomenon in natural green diamond. The suitable natural green (grayish yellow green) diamonds react to heat and change color temporarily, becoming yellow (greenish orangish yellow), and then reverts to its stable color. When you have a large stone with the unique phenomenon, the color shift becomes easier to perceive and describe, especially if you have a comparison stone. Chameleon-like diamonds are perceived to be one of the great mysteries of the diamond world. There are various
interpretations by gem experts on the cause and effect, and most specimens are sold with lab reports. Overall it is still not known as to why these diamonds change from deep green to yellow when heated or left in darkness.

The chameleon-like diamonds are rare, and not well understood by the public, dealers and jewelers due to lack of awareness or education. One has to wonder how many chameleon-like diamonds may have slipped through a dealer’s hand due to lack of knowledge. How many jewelers have ever seen a chameleon-like diamond? Very few. Collectors who are familiar with the chameleon-like effect in diamonds often pay high premiums for large stones at international auctions. Because of its celebrity status and stunning look, imaginative designers have recognized the potential by designing chameleon-like diamonds in one-of-a-kind jewelry to create a masterpiece.

Australia’s Argyle diamond mine, famous for its fancy color diamonds also produces chameleon-like diamonds. The stones are recognized by their blue violet gray or gray yellow green color. One interpretation by the experts is that the color may be due to high hydrogen content. Experiments have been conducted in the laboratory by heating and observation to study its unusual properties. The catch-22 is heating an enhanced diamond may result in permanent modification of color. Sophisticated analytical techniques with proper skills in interpreting the test results may be required to separate chameleon-like diamonds from another type of green diamond. If in doubt always consult a reputed gem testing laboratory.

A Miner Finds 143 carat Diamond In Congo

It has been reported that Amos Maseko, a poor miner has found 143 carat diamond in a river near Banalia, 129 km north of Kisangani, in The Democratic Republic of Congo, and sold it for US$1.4 million.

Kisangani is a popular source for alluvial diamonds, where one to three carat size diamonds are usually found. Most of Congo’s diamond reserves are located in the Kasai provinces over 600 km south west of Kisangani. In addition to diamonds, The Democratic Republic of Congo is also known to have ample reserves of gold, silver copper and cobalt.

The Federal Trade Commission’s Guide for the Jewelry, Precious Metals and Pewter Industries

FTC writes:

23.18 Definitions of various pearls.

As used in these guides, the terms set forth below have the following meanings:

(a) Pearl: A calcareous concretion consisting essentially of alternating concentric layers of carbonate of lime and organic material formed within the body of certain mollusks, the result of an abnormal secretory process caused by an irritation of the mantle of the mollusk following the intrusion of some foreign body inside the shell of the mollusk, or due to some abnormal physiological condition in the mollusk, neither of which has in any way been caused or induced by humans.

(b) Cultured Pearl: The composite product created when a nucleus (usually a sphere of calcareous mollusk shell) planted by humans inside the shell or in the mantle of a mollusk is coated with nacre by the mollusk.

(c) Imitation Pearl: A manufactured product composed of any material or materials that simulate in appearance a pearl or cultured pearl.

(d) Seed Pearl: A small pearl, as defined in (a), that measures approximately two millimeters or less.

More info @ http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/guides/jewel-gd.htm

The Color Handbook

By E P Danger
Gower Technical Press
1987 ISBN 0-291-39717-4

Gower Technical Press writes:

In commercial situations, choice of color should never be simply a matter of preference. Choosing the right colors for the right applications directly affects performance in the marketplace. Color can also influence productivity.

The Color Handbook is a permanent and unique handbook for all those concerned with the marketing, selling and productivity aspects of color. There is no other source of reference which covers the same breadth of field, or which contains so much invaluable information in such a succinct form.

Author Eric P Danger draws on the experience and knowledge gained over nearly 30 years as a leading Color Research consultant. Here, in readily accessible terms, he explains the many attributes and characteristics of color, and its importance in the marketplace and the work environment. It is essential reading for those seeking a practical basis for choosing colors which will help achieve maximum sales and provide the best possible conditions in the workplace.

The Color Handbook includes a guide to color principles, color selection techniques, color usage and color trends as they apply to consumer and industrial products, graphical applications, productive and selling environments. A particularly useful section is the comprehensive Color Index, subdivided by hue and analyzed under nearly 100 different headings.

Managers who are responsible for the selection of color in selling applications will find this book extremely useful. It is also intended to help those who are concerned with choice of color as it relates to the likes and dislikes of customers and clients. Advertising agents, architects, designers, interior decorators and decorating contractors and retailers will all find much that is of value to their business within these pages.

It aims to supply answers to the questions that arise in the course of everyday work involving color, giving the user the knowledge and confidence to make the right decisions.

About the author
Eric P Danger has been an independent color research consultant since 1975. He has written numerous reports and articles for the trade and technical press on various aspects of color and marketing. He is also the author of two further titles in this field, Selecting Color for Print and Selecting Color for Packaging.