Friday, September 21, 2007
It's A Family Affair
Kate Betts writes about the 100-year-old diamond company, Kwiat + other viewpoints @ http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1659346_1659345_1658229,00.html
The Economics Of Human Behavior
Daniel Gross writes about Alan Greenspan + his new memoir, 'The Age of Turbulence' (see an excerpt here and an interview) + human behavior = psychology = anthropology = economic irrationality + other viewpoints @ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20824935/site/newsweek
I liked it.
I liked it.
The Role Of A Lifetime
I found Michael Douglas's philosophy on work/family @ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20657189/site/newsweek interesting and insightful.
I liked it.
I liked it.
Matisse And The Nun
Rebecca Spence writes about Henri Matisse's friendship with Sister Jacques-Marie + the creation of the Chapel of the Rosary in Vence + other viewpoints @ http://artnews.com/issues/article.asp?art_id=1947
The Tale Of Prince Raven Of Bangalore
Chaim Even-Zohar's fairy tale version of linking diamond industry personalities with Prince Raven was brilliant. http://www.idexonline.com/portal_FullEditorial.asp
Selling Diamonds
(via Diamond Promotion Service) The Professionals: Traditionally, these people have been considered your best prospects for diamond jewelry. They are different. They spend easily. They are interested in new things.
Like the wealthy, they are interested in quality and service. They buy where they have confidence, and you must convince them that you are as professional in your calling as they are in theirs, if you are to win them as customers.
Many of the professionals—particularly the business executives—are highly mobile. They travel a lot, and so they can buy jewelry elsewhere if you don’t win their confidence. They are often transferred from one community to another as they climb the business ladder. So you should watch for and cultivate any professionals who move into your community.
Middle Management
Most of these are young people on the way up. They have good incomes, but they also have expenses for children and schooling and homes and entertainment.
Diamond jewelry fits into their way of life, but when they buy diamonds they want to get the most of their money. So you can appeal to them by showing them the versatility of diamonds; how the same piece can be worn as a different piece for different occasions.
Furthermore, these people tend to be group oriented. Sell one member of a group and you have pre-sold many others in it.
White Collar And Blue Collar
As pointed out earlier, the distinction between white and blue collars is fast disappearing. Members of both groups want beautiful things, just as members of other groups do, and with increasing incomes they can afford beautiful things. This is the mass market for diamonds.
If you are going to communicate with this market, you and your sales people should know—and share—the interests of its members. You should know how to talk to all of them and to each of them. You should show what merchandise appeals to them, and here generalities are useless because tastes vary from community to community. You should know the practicable price ranges—and they can run higher than you would think.
Some jewelers seem to be afraid to cater to the blue collar group lest they alienate their other customers. It is difficult to be all things to all people, but it is not impossible. You can serve a millionaire and a truck driver side by side, if you enjoy the confidence of each.
Selling Diamonds (continued)
Like the wealthy, they are interested in quality and service. They buy where they have confidence, and you must convince them that you are as professional in your calling as they are in theirs, if you are to win them as customers.
Many of the professionals—particularly the business executives—are highly mobile. They travel a lot, and so they can buy jewelry elsewhere if you don’t win their confidence. They are often transferred from one community to another as they climb the business ladder. So you should watch for and cultivate any professionals who move into your community.
Middle Management
Most of these are young people on the way up. They have good incomes, but they also have expenses for children and schooling and homes and entertainment.
Diamond jewelry fits into their way of life, but when they buy diamonds they want to get the most of their money. So you can appeal to them by showing them the versatility of diamonds; how the same piece can be worn as a different piece for different occasions.
Furthermore, these people tend to be group oriented. Sell one member of a group and you have pre-sold many others in it.
White Collar And Blue Collar
As pointed out earlier, the distinction between white and blue collars is fast disappearing. Members of both groups want beautiful things, just as members of other groups do, and with increasing incomes they can afford beautiful things. This is the mass market for diamonds.
If you are going to communicate with this market, you and your sales people should know—and share—the interests of its members. You should know how to talk to all of them and to each of them. You should show what merchandise appeals to them, and here generalities are useless because tastes vary from community to community. You should know the practicable price ranges—and they can run higher than you would think.
Some jewelers seem to be afraid to cater to the blue collar group lest they alienate their other customers. It is difficult to be all things to all people, but it is not impossible. You can serve a millionaire and a truck driver side by side, if you enjoy the confidence of each.
Selling Diamonds (continued)
Thursday, September 20, 2007
About Music And Gemstones
Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who could not hear the music.
Angela Monet
Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music.
Sergei Rachmaninov
To stop the flow of music would be like the stopping of time itself, incredible and inconceivable.
Aaron Copland
Music takes us out of the actual and whispers to us dim secrets that startle our wonder as to who we are, and for what, whence, and whereto.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Music fills the infinite between two souls.
Rabindranath Tagore
I think there is a link between music and gemstones. The moment you are able to see through the soul of colored gemstones/diamonds you realize that a lifetime is not enough.
Angela Monet
Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music.
Sergei Rachmaninov
To stop the flow of music would be like the stopping of time itself, incredible and inconceivable.
Aaron Copland
Music takes us out of the actual and whispers to us dim secrets that startle our wonder as to who we are, and for what, whence, and whereto.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Music fills the infinite between two souls.
Rabindranath Tagore
I think there is a link between music and gemstones. The moment you are able to see through the soul of colored gemstones/diamonds you realize that a lifetime is not enough.
Hannah And Her Sisters
Greatest Opening Film Lines (Hannah and Her Sisters - 1986):
God, she's beautiful. She's got the prettiest eyes. She looks so sexy in that sweater. I just want to be alone with her and hold her and kiss her, tell her how much I lover her, take care of her. Stop it, you idiot. She's your wife's sister.
I like this one.
God, she's beautiful. She's got the prettiest eyes. She looks so sexy in that sweater. I just want to be alone with her and hold her and kiss her, tell her how much I lover her, take care of her. Stop it, you idiot. She's your wife's sister.
I like this one.
Why Small Is Big
Linda Yablonsky writes about unique but intimately scaled sculptures by creative artists that are making a large impact in art arena + new ways of exploring the effect of form on space by different artists + other viewpoints @ http://artnews.com/issues/article.asp?art_id=1946
Selling Diamonds
(via Diamond Promotion Service) Your Market Potential: You can start with the assumption that almost every woman and girl in your community wants to wear diamond jewelry. So your market is the people in your community with whom you can communicate.
But to be able to communicate with them, you have to know who they are and what makes them tick. Therefore, it would be a good idea for you to look at your community as though you had never seen it before. How does it make its living? What are its income levels? How does the social order break down into life styles and motivations?
These are the influences that will determine how these people look upon you and what they expect of you. These are the factors that can clue you on the slant of your promotions and displays and on the type of merchandise you should carry in your store.
I think that almost any community has six groups that can be good customers for diamonds:
The Wealthy: Is the wealthy class in your community a large one—or is it relatively small? Is it conservative? Or does it follow the current fashions? Do its members buy jewelry in the community? Or do they prefer to buy in larger cities or abroad?
A few wealthy customers can be a tremendous asset for even a fairly large jeweler. They can be counted upon for a fairly regular annual volume. And they exercise a certain natural leadership that will bring others to your store.
You don’t have to stock big ticket items to attract the wealthy. They are interested in quality and service. You can appeal to them with diamond pieces of good design and craftsmanship—in the traditional mode, if they are conservative—in the modern manner, if they are more adventurous. You can win their confidence by demonstrating your sure knowledge of diamonds.
Selling Diamonds (continued)
But to be able to communicate with them, you have to know who they are and what makes them tick. Therefore, it would be a good idea for you to look at your community as though you had never seen it before. How does it make its living? What are its income levels? How does the social order break down into life styles and motivations?
These are the influences that will determine how these people look upon you and what they expect of you. These are the factors that can clue you on the slant of your promotions and displays and on the type of merchandise you should carry in your store.
I think that almost any community has six groups that can be good customers for diamonds:
The Wealthy: Is the wealthy class in your community a large one—or is it relatively small? Is it conservative? Or does it follow the current fashions? Do its members buy jewelry in the community? Or do they prefer to buy in larger cities or abroad?
A few wealthy customers can be a tremendous asset for even a fairly large jeweler. They can be counted upon for a fairly regular annual volume. And they exercise a certain natural leadership that will bring others to your store.
You don’t have to stock big ticket items to attract the wealthy. They are interested in quality and service. You can appeal to them with diamond pieces of good design and craftsmanship—in the traditional mode, if they are conservative—in the modern manner, if they are more adventurous. You can win their confidence by demonstrating your sure knowledge of diamonds.
Selling Diamonds (continued)
UniverSoul Circus
New Business Models: Oscar Raymundo writes about UniverSoul Circus + How An Independently Owned African-American Circus Made It To The Big Top + the unique experience the concept provides to family live entertainment+ the business with soul-factor + other viewpoints @ http://www.fastcompany.com/articles/2007/09/universoul-circus.html
Selling Diamonds
(via Diamond Promotion Service) I liked the concept. It's simple and effective. I also think it should work for colored stones + jewelry as well. The important thing here is being able to see through and connect the dots.
Selling is a fascinating occupation. When you sell diamonds, you can be proud of it. You can be proud of the product and proud of your sales know-how.
Almost anyone can be an order taker—that is, someone who is competent enough to accept money in exchange for any item selected by the customer. But to be a diamond salesman requires not only specific knowledge of diamonds but also specific knowledge of the professional art of building sales and creating customer satisfaction.
Selling diamonds requires that you take three steps:
1. Study your market potential
2. Promote store traffic
3. Follow through and sell at the counter.
All three steps are equally important. Studying your market potential tells you who your best customers are. Promoting store traffic brings them into your store. Once they are in the store, selling them diamonds at the counter puts money into the cash register.
Generally, store management assumes the responsibility for the first two steps. Then the sales staff is responsible for selling the individuals who enter the store, whether they are prepared to buy or are just looking.
So that you will function well in all these selling steps, it is useful to review and analyze each procedure from time to time. Your salesmen can’t do their best if your management doesn’t bring people into the store. Your management is wasting time bringing people into the store if your salesmen don’t follow through. It’s all part of one integrated effort.
Selling Diamonds (continued)
Selling is a fascinating occupation. When you sell diamonds, you can be proud of it. You can be proud of the product and proud of your sales know-how.
Almost anyone can be an order taker—that is, someone who is competent enough to accept money in exchange for any item selected by the customer. But to be a diamond salesman requires not only specific knowledge of diamonds but also specific knowledge of the professional art of building sales and creating customer satisfaction.
Selling diamonds requires that you take three steps:
1. Study your market potential
2. Promote store traffic
3. Follow through and sell at the counter.
All three steps are equally important. Studying your market potential tells you who your best customers are. Promoting store traffic brings them into your store. Once they are in the store, selling them diamonds at the counter puts money into the cash register.
Generally, store management assumes the responsibility for the first two steps. Then the sales staff is responsible for selling the individuals who enter the store, whether they are prepared to buy or are just looking.
So that you will function well in all these selling steps, it is useful to review and analyze each procedure from time to time. Your salesmen can’t do their best if your management doesn’t bring people into the store. Your management is wasting time bringing people into the store if your salesmen don’t follow through. It’s all part of one integrated effort.
Selling Diamonds (continued)
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
About Flowers
As a lotus flower is born in water, grows in water and rises out of water to stand above it unsoiled, so I, born in the world, raised in the world having overcome the world, live unsoiled by the world.
Buddha
If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.
Buddha
He is happiest who hath power to gather wisdom from a flower.
Mary Howitt
I liked this one.
Buddha
If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.
Buddha
He is happiest who hath power to gather wisdom from a flower.
Mary Howitt
I liked this one.
Chocolate Wisdom
(via Elaine Sherman, Book of Divine Indulgences) Chocolate causes certain endocrine glands to secrete hormones that affect your feelings and behavior by making you happy. Therefore, it counteracts depression, in turn reducing the stress of depression. Your stress-free life helps you maintain a youthful disposition, both physically and mentally. So, eat lots of chocolate!
'Las cosas claras y el chocolate espeso.' (Ideas should be clear and chocolate thick.)
Spanish proverb
(via Lora Brody, author of Growing Up on the Chocolate Diet) Don't wreck a sublime chocolate experience by feeling guilty. Chocolate isn't like premarital sex. It will not make you pregnant. And it always feels good.
(via Forrest Gump in 'Forrest Gump' - 1994) Life is like a box of chocolates - you never know what you're going to get.
I liked this one.
'Las cosas claras y el chocolate espeso.' (Ideas should be clear and chocolate thick.)
Spanish proverb
(via Lora Brody, author of Growing Up on the Chocolate Diet) Don't wreck a sublime chocolate experience by feeling guilty. Chocolate isn't like premarital sex. It will not make you pregnant. And it always feels good.
(via Forrest Gump in 'Forrest Gump' - 1994) Life is like a box of chocolates - you never know what you're going to get.
I liked this one.
An Actor's Journey: From Electrifying Youth To The Heart Of Darkness
Marlon Brando 1924 - 2004
(via The Guardian) Peter Bradshaw reviews Marlon Brando's passionate, most sensual, and most thrilling acting career + other viewpoints @ http://www.guardian.co.uk/greatinterviews/story/0,,2162223,00.html
(via The Guardian) Peter Bradshaw reviews Marlon Brando's passionate, most sensual, and most thrilling acting career + other viewpoints @ http://www.guardian.co.uk/greatinterviews/story/0,,2162223,00.html
Why Have There Been No Great Women Comic-Book Artists?
Carly Berwick writes about the rightful place of women in the comic canon + Linda Nochlin's famous essay 'Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?' + other viewpoints @ http://artnews.com/issues/article.asp?art_id=1924
Treated Flux-Grown Synthetic Rubies
It has been reported that flux-grown synthetic rubies using the Kyropoulos Method have been treated by inducing rutile 'silk' similar to those found in the natural untreated rubies + it's a spin-off product. The treatment (s) is detectable by experienced gemologist (s) + 3 carat plus size stones are already in the international market and sold without disclosure.
(via Tairus) Kyropoulos Method
Chemically pure Al2O3 powder is used as raw material. A unique technique of raw material preparation allows sapphires to grow with Al2O3 purity, up to 99.997%. The whole growth process (25 kg sapphire crystal) takes 14 days and is controlled automatically. Raw material is loaded into the growing station, where optimum conditions are maintained. The essence of the improved Kyropoulos method is that sapphire crystal sprouts deep into the melt and during the process of crystallization. The crystals become cylindrical-shaped due to the formation of shrinkage cavity. The occurrence of shrinkage cavity is due to the difference in the densities of the liquid and solid sapphire ( 3 and 4 gm3 accordingly). Maintenance of the required diameter of crystals is carried out by automatic displacement of the seed crystal (without rotation). During the process the crucible is fixed. The pace of the draw of the crystal is lower than the pace of crystallization. As a result, only a small layer adjoining the growing surface, not the whole crystal, is in the melt. Thermal gradient, which provides the growth of crystal is maintained by the furnace construction that gives wedge-shape form to the crystallization front. The melt in crucible is achieved through resistive heating. Decreasing capacity on a heater is carried out with the use of precision system for capacity adjustment. Coating of crystals occurs in the same zone of growth inside the crucible. Such method allows the crystals to grow with minimal mechanical stress.
(via Tairus) Kyropoulos Method
Chemically pure Al2O3 powder is used as raw material. A unique technique of raw material preparation allows sapphires to grow with Al2O3 purity, up to 99.997%. The whole growth process (25 kg sapphire crystal) takes 14 days and is controlled automatically. Raw material is loaded into the growing station, where optimum conditions are maintained. The essence of the improved Kyropoulos method is that sapphire crystal sprouts deep into the melt and during the process of crystallization. The crystals become cylindrical-shaped due to the formation of shrinkage cavity. The occurrence of shrinkage cavity is due to the difference in the densities of the liquid and solid sapphire ( 3 and 4 gm3 accordingly). Maintenance of the required diameter of crystals is carried out by automatic displacement of the seed crystal (without rotation). During the process the crucible is fixed. The pace of the draw of the crystal is lower than the pace of crystallization. As a result, only a small layer adjoining the growing surface, not the whole crystal, is in the melt. Thermal gradient, which provides the growth of crystal is maintained by the furnace construction that gives wedge-shape form to the crystallization front. The melt in crucible is achieved through resistive heating. Decreasing capacity on a heater is carried out with the use of precision system for capacity adjustment. Coating of crystals occurs in the same zone of growth inside the crucible. Such method allows the crystals to grow with minimal mechanical stress.
Philip Roth
My God! The English language is a form of communication; conversation isn't just crossfire where you shoot and get shot at; where you've got to duck for your life and aim to kill; words aren't only bombs and bullets / no, they're little gifts, containing meanings.
I liked this one.
I liked this one.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Al Pacino
I am a Al Pacino fan. He has played in some of the greatest movies of our lifetime. Here is an excerpt of an interview by Ken Burns @ http://www.usaweekend.com/03_issues/030126/030126pacino.html
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