The nonprofit Resource Generation offer programs and seminars for wealthy adults to better understand themselves as philanthropists, their place in the socio-economic system, and their capacities to contribute to social change + I liked the concept.
Useful links:
www.resourcegeneration.org
www.ackerman.org
www.criticalresistance.org
www.thresholdfoundation.org
www.fordfound.org
www.philanthropy.iupui.edu
Friday, March 14, 2008
Harding Brothers
The Bristol-based Harding Brothers operates a number of cruise ships whose itineraries take them, literally, all over the world + the jewelry sales have gone up with the introduction of leading brands which I believe is due to a magic combination of offering the right brands, targeting product to the location and employing salespeople who really know the business.
I think it's a brilliant idea.
Useful link:
www.hardingretail.co.uk
I think it's a brilliant idea.
Useful link:
www.hardingretail.co.uk
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) Update
The U.S. Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has issued new guidelines for the jewelry industry via http://www.fincen.gov/20080310.html which I think might impact compliance obligations.
Useful links:
www.fincen.gov
www.jvclegal.org
Useful links:
www.fincen.gov
www.jvclegal.org
Marc Prensky
Don't Bother Me Mom--I'm Learning! by Marc Prensky is a fascinating book + the educational value of the games are priceless.
Useful link:
www.marcprensky.com
Useful link:
www.marcprensky.com
Jeffries’ Square Brilliant
(via Diamond Cuts in Historic Jewelry:1381-1910) Herbert Tillander writes:
David Jeffries was the first writer to describe the Square Brilliant Cut. In 1750, when his Treatise on Diamonds first appeared, the Square Cut had been in fashion for about fifty years and was the dominant Brilliant Cut. Round, oval and drop-shaped Brilliants were also fashioned but were considered Fancy Cuts; to these Jeffries only devoted a single page.
Jeffries, a jeweler and a dealer in diamonds, was fortunate enough to live in London at a time when cutters in that city were famous for the quality of their work. He devoted himself to the study of diamond fashioning and discussed his theories in great detail with the master cutters, selecting for analysis only the most perfect Brilliants. The results were theoretical, in that they ignored the fact that cutters were obliged to produce the most profitable gem possible from each crystal or piece of rough. However, Jeffries was a pioneer in that he showed the way for both jewelers and laymen to discover ‘a well or even ill made Brilliant’. His fifty-five diagrams show ideally proportioned Brilliants for weights from 1-100ct. For each diamond he gave the correct depth and the correct culet size. A comparison of any Square Cut Brilliant would show whether it matched the weight indicated for its size or whether it was lumpy or spread.
Unlike that of the ‘Peruzzi’ design and the Round Brilliants, the table facet of Jeffries’ Square Brilliant is not a regular octagon. Instead, it has fourfold symmetry with the facet edges meeting alternately at 150° and 120°, a shape which goes suprisingly well with the outline. The facet edges forming the internal star are not straight, but bent at an angle towards the center of the gem and therefore not parallel to the other facet edges. The main angles of both crown and pavilion are 45°. The height of the crown and depth of the pavilion have a ratio of 1:2, resulting in a table size of about 56 percent. The girdle should be as thin as possible, though not ‘knife-edged’ (to avoid chipping). The size of the culet conforms with the results of the calculations made by Eppler roughly two hundred years later, i.e. 8 to 10 percent.
David Jeffries was the first writer to describe the Square Brilliant Cut. In 1750, when his Treatise on Diamonds first appeared, the Square Cut had been in fashion for about fifty years and was the dominant Brilliant Cut. Round, oval and drop-shaped Brilliants were also fashioned but were considered Fancy Cuts; to these Jeffries only devoted a single page.
Jeffries, a jeweler and a dealer in diamonds, was fortunate enough to live in London at a time when cutters in that city were famous for the quality of their work. He devoted himself to the study of diamond fashioning and discussed his theories in great detail with the master cutters, selecting for analysis only the most perfect Brilliants. The results were theoretical, in that they ignored the fact that cutters were obliged to produce the most profitable gem possible from each crystal or piece of rough. However, Jeffries was a pioneer in that he showed the way for both jewelers and laymen to discover ‘a well or even ill made Brilliant’. His fifty-five diagrams show ideally proportioned Brilliants for weights from 1-100ct. For each diamond he gave the correct depth and the correct culet size. A comparison of any Square Cut Brilliant would show whether it matched the weight indicated for its size or whether it was lumpy or spread.
Unlike that of the ‘Peruzzi’ design and the Round Brilliants, the table facet of Jeffries’ Square Brilliant is not a regular octagon. Instead, it has fourfold symmetry with the facet edges meeting alternately at 150° and 120°, a shape which goes suprisingly well with the outline. The facet edges forming the internal star are not straight, but bent at an angle towards the center of the gem and therefore not parallel to the other facet edges. The main angles of both crown and pavilion are 45°. The height of the crown and depth of the pavilion have a ratio of 1:2, resulting in a table size of about 56 percent. The girdle should be as thin as possible, though not ‘knife-edged’ (to avoid chipping). The size of the culet conforms with the results of the calculations made by Eppler roughly two hundred years later, i.e. 8 to 10 percent.
The Victorian Age
(via The Outline of Art) William Orpen writes:
5
Watts for nobility of thought and conception and Stevens for grandeur of design and execution will, in all probablity, be considered by posterity to have been the two most eminent artists of the Victorian era, but though it may be less easy to find, among the painters, the outstanding giants who mark the same period in literature, the very number of names as distinguished as they as they are familiar show how active and flourishing the arts were during the Queen’s long reign. Many artists who enjoyed, and still enjoy, a wide popularity must necessarily be omitted from this Outline, but no survey, however hasty, of Victorian painting can ignore the band of Scottish artists who won fame in the south as well as in the north. Among them we may mention the historical and romantic painter John Pettie (1839-93); Peter Graham, the cattle painter; John MacWhirter, the popular painter of the Highlands; William M’Taggart, unrivalled in his delicate yet vigorous renderings of foaming seas and windy shores; and Sir W Q Orchardson, the leader of this band of Scottish students, and one of the most polished, typical, and popular of all Victorian artists. William Quiller Orchardson (1835-1910) was born in Edinburgh and came to London about 1862, and thereafter maintained and held his position as one of the most popular of Academy exhibitors. He excelled in a variety of subjects: his ‘Sir Walter Gilbey’ and ‘Master Baby’—a group of his wife and child—rank among the great portraits of the nineteenth century; ‘Napoleon on Board the Beellerophon is one of the best known and most admired of modern historical paintings; but perhaps the best loved of all his works are those paintings of contemporary life, like ‘The Tender Chord’, which, without being positively ‘anecdotal,’ yet suggest a story and convey a sentiment. It was the distinction of Orchardson that his story-telling was never crude and obvious, his sentiment was always gentle and refined, his execution was suave and accomplished, so that his pictures, often representing moods of wistful reverie, charmed the eye of the beholder and at the same time conjured up a scene which dwelt in the memory and made its own appeal to the imagination.
5
Watts for nobility of thought and conception and Stevens for grandeur of design and execution will, in all probablity, be considered by posterity to have been the two most eminent artists of the Victorian era, but though it may be less easy to find, among the painters, the outstanding giants who mark the same period in literature, the very number of names as distinguished as they as they are familiar show how active and flourishing the arts were during the Queen’s long reign. Many artists who enjoyed, and still enjoy, a wide popularity must necessarily be omitted from this Outline, but no survey, however hasty, of Victorian painting can ignore the band of Scottish artists who won fame in the south as well as in the north. Among them we may mention the historical and romantic painter John Pettie (1839-93); Peter Graham, the cattle painter; John MacWhirter, the popular painter of the Highlands; William M’Taggart, unrivalled in his delicate yet vigorous renderings of foaming seas and windy shores; and Sir W Q Orchardson, the leader of this band of Scottish students, and one of the most polished, typical, and popular of all Victorian artists. William Quiller Orchardson (1835-1910) was born in Edinburgh and came to London about 1862, and thereafter maintained and held his position as one of the most popular of Academy exhibitors. He excelled in a variety of subjects: his ‘Sir Walter Gilbey’ and ‘Master Baby’—a group of his wife and child—rank among the great portraits of the nineteenth century; ‘Napoleon on Board the Beellerophon is one of the best known and most admired of modern historical paintings; but perhaps the best loved of all his works are those paintings of contemporary life, like ‘The Tender Chord’, which, without being positively ‘anecdotal,’ yet suggest a story and convey a sentiment. It was the distinction of Orchardson that his story-telling was never crude and obvious, his sentiment was always gentle and refined, his execution was suave and accomplished, so that his pictures, often representing moods of wistful reverie, charmed the eye of the beholder and at the same time conjured up a scene which dwelt in the memory and made its own appeal to the imagination.
Art: Creative Ways To Manufacture Demand
The article Pump and Dump by Gady A. Epstein via http://www.forbes.com/global/2008/0324/022.html explains the tricks of the art business in China + here is what Liang Changsheng, art director of the Contemporary Artwork Auction firm in Beijing has to say: The trick of creating that next hot artist is an idiot's game. First get critics to write about him (The critics are paid by artists, auction houses and galleries for this service). Then organize exhibitions to introduce his work (That's paid for, too, even at the most prestigious national museums). Then you can put the work in auction with an establishing price and buy it back yourself in order to set an example for the public. Of course, it would be better if some other bidders join in.'
SAD Syndrome
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a mood disorder + the sufferers experience depressive symptoms in the winter + when the depressive symptoms occur in summer rather than winter, the condition is often referred to as Reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder (RSAD) and can include heightened anxiety, fatigue, etc + the seasonal mood variations are believed to be related to light + I have come across many dealers, diamond/colored stone graders and jewelers who are SAD and the best thing to do is not to show stones or jewelry when you recognize the symptoms.
Useful links:
www.sada.org.uk
www.mayoclinic.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seasonal_affective_disorder
Useful links:
www.sada.org.uk
www.mayoclinic.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seasonal_affective_disorder
Colored Stone Market Update
White sapphires are in high demand for color enhancements (coating + surface diffusion), especially beryllium treatment + colorless/white sapphires are also perceived as diamond simulants, but now beryllium treatment has dramatically changed the market landscape + many of the small colorless sapphires used in inexpensive jewelry are synthetic flame fusion sapphires.
Heard On The Street
The colored gemstone treaters from Thailand are always ahead of the gem testing laboratories in the treatment vs. detection challenge.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
D Diamond Concept
I found the new concept restaurant + lounge bar called 'D Diamond' @ the Elements shopping mall in Hong Kong, by Damiani, brilliant! + I believe it's one-of-a-kind restaurant embedded with Damiani jewels in special showcases + Italian/Japanese cuisine.
Useful link:
www.damiani.it
www.hiphongkong.com
Useful link:
www.damiani.it
www.hiphongkong.com
Lord Of War
Victor Bout, one of the world’s most famous + wanted arms traffickers + blood (conflict) diamond dealer, was arrested in Thailand here + he inspired the Nicholas Cage movie 'Lord of War'.
Useful links:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0399295
New York Times magazine profile of Bout
Useful links:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0399295
New York Times magazine profile of Bout
Caire’s Theory Of The Gradual Evolution Of The Brilliant Cut
(via Diamond Cuts in Historic Jewelry:1381-1910) Herbert Tillander writes:
For about two hundred years now, people writing about diamonds have been speculating about how the Brilliant Cut came into being. None of the writers of the eighteenth century, not even Jeffries (1750) or Dutens (1776), concerned themselves with the historical aspects of the diamond industry. In fact, Caire, the Paris jeweler, appears to have been the first person to take an interest in how cuts developed.
He began by studying Jeffries’ sequence for the faceting of a Brilliant. In this, the rough pyramidal crystal was first symmetrized and lowered in height and then bruted into the shape of an old Table Cut with four crown facets. These were split into eight and then into sixteen facets before the stone was finally ‘brillianteered’. Caire suggested that what he called the Single Cut was achieved by slicing off the corners of the Table Cut, and the Double Cut by splitting the resultant eight facets.
Obviously he had to substantiate this theory by illustrating the sequence. As actual specimens did not exist, he selected the nearest thing he could find, four poorly fashioned Indian Cut diamonds from among stone imported simply as raw material to be fashioned into Brilliants. However, his examples were unconvincing, so he produced names of ‘inventors’ for two phases: Cardinal Mazarin for the Double Cut and purely fictitious character, Peruzzi, for the Brilliant Cut itself. In his revised edition of Bauer’s Edelsteinkunde (1932), the gem expert Schlossmacher unwisely reiterated Caire’s ideas and supplemented them with sketches of his version of the Peruzzi design. Caire’s theories were accepted as gospel and are still considered so by many people.
Not, however, Tom Brunés, who believed that ancient cabalistic geometry was the origin of the design of the Square Brilliant. In his monograph The Secrets of Ancient Geometry, he reproduced a diagram of a symbol that was already accepted several thousand years ago: a circle with a square, with two inverted triangles. To this, two more triangles were added. When the circle is removed, we are left with an eight-pointed star, a symbol widely used in architecture, especially in ancient temples, mosaic floors, stained glass windows, etc. It is in this star within a square that we can really see where the basic pattern of a Square Brilliant originated. A few more points are joined, a few more parallels ruled, and there we have the completed design of the Peruzzi Cut! As in ancient geometry, no measuring device is needed.
For about two hundred years now, people writing about diamonds have been speculating about how the Brilliant Cut came into being. None of the writers of the eighteenth century, not even Jeffries (1750) or Dutens (1776), concerned themselves with the historical aspects of the diamond industry. In fact, Caire, the Paris jeweler, appears to have been the first person to take an interest in how cuts developed.
He began by studying Jeffries’ sequence for the faceting of a Brilliant. In this, the rough pyramidal crystal was first symmetrized and lowered in height and then bruted into the shape of an old Table Cut with four crown facets. These were split into eight and then into sixteen facets before the stone was finally ‘brillianteered’. Caire suggested that what he called the Single Cut was achieved by slicing off the corners of the Table Cut, and the Double Cut by splitting the resultant eight facets.
Obviously he had to substantiate this theory by illustrating the sequence. As actual specimens did not exist, he selected the nearest thing he could find, four poorly fashioned Indian Cut diamonds from among stone imported simply as raw material to be fashioned into Brilliants. However, his examples were unconvincing, so he produced names of ‘inventors’ for two phases: Cardinal Mazarin for the Double Cut and purely fictitious character, Peruzzi, for the Brilliant Cut itself. In his revised edition of Bauer’s Edelsteinkunde (1932), the gem expert Schlossmacher unwisely reiterated Caire’s ideas and supplemented them with sketches of his version of the Peruzzi design. Caire’s theories were accepted as gospel and are still considered so by many people.
Not, however, Tom Brunés, who believed that ancient cabalistic geometry was the origin of the design of the Square Brilliant. In his monograph The Secrets of Ancient Geometry, he reproduced a diagram of a symbol that was already accepted several thousand years ago: a circle with a square, with two inverted triangles. To this, two more triangles were added. When the circle is removed, we are left with an eight-pointed star, a symbol widely used in architecture, especially in ancient temples, mosaic floors, stained glass windows, etc. It is in this star within a square that we can really see where the basic pattern of a Square Brilliant originated. A few more points are joined, a few more parallels ruled, and there we have the completed design of the Peruzzi Cut! As in ancient geometry, no measuring device is needed.
Once In Golconda
Once in Golconda – A true Drama of Wall Street 1920-1938 by John Brooks is a great book and I see similarities all around, even though the setting is 1920s and 30s Wall Street, the story is familiar + I enjoyed it.
The Victorian Age
(via The Outline of Art) William Orpen writes:
4
In the same year as Stevens, namely 1817, there was born in London another great artist, who, though he certainly gained honors and rewards during his lifetime, nevertheless found himself hampered by the circumstances of his time in carrying out the desires of his art. George Frederick Watts was born in London on February 23, 1817, the son of a Welsh father, who encouraged his artistic bent and permitted him to study at the Academy schools and also under the sculptor William Behnes (1795-1864). When he was twenty five Watts entered the competition for the best designs for decorating in fresco the new House of Lords, and won the first prize of £300 with his ‘Caractacus led Captive through the Streets of Rome.’ This was competition in which both Alfred Stevens and Ford Madox Brown were unsuccessful. On the strength of this prize Watts in 1843 went to Italy, where he remained for four years, mostly in Florence, and was befriended by Lord Holland. Returning to England, Watts entered another competition in 1847 for decorating the House of Lords, this time in oils, and again won the first prize of £500 with his ‘Alfred inciting the Saxons to resist the Danes.’ As a result of these successes Watts was employed for the next ten years on mural decorations, painting ‘St George overcoming the Dragon’ for the House of Lords and his allegory of ‘Justice’ for the great hall of Lincoln’s Inn; but though his desire was to continue painting in this style, further opportunities were denied him. He offered to give his time freely in painting decorations for Euston railways station, but the offer was declined, and balked of his intention to create elevating works of art in public buildings, he began that great series of painted allegories with which his name is most closely associated.
Explaining his own ideals Watts once said: ‘My intention has not been so much to paint pictures that charm the eye, as to suggest great thoughts that will appeal to the imagination and the heart, and kindle all that is best and noblest in humanity.’ Successful in his early years and never covetous of great wealth, Watts was able in his middle years to paint exactly as he pleased without thinking of sales and patrons. He painted portraits, but he never painted any person he did not respect and admire, and the noble series of portraits of the great men of his time which he gave to the National Portrait Gallery shows how little, even in portraiture, did Watts paint for money. Similarly, the pick of his allegorical paintings, a cycle of the history of humanity, was kept for years in his own gallery at Little Holland House, till in 1897 he generously presented the collection to the Tate Gallery. Watts was essentially a philosophical artist and he has not inaccurately been described as ‘ a preacher in paint,’ for, in his opinion, it was not enough for an artist to portray noble aspirations, he must also ‘condemn in the most trenchant manner prevalent vices,’ and utter ‘warning in deep tones against lapses from morals and duties.’ All aspects of Watts art may be seen to advantage in the room devoted to his works at the Tate Gallery, where his beautiful ‘Hope’ and his ‘Love and Life’ reveal noble aspirations of humanity, while his unforgettable ‘Mammon’ and ‘The Minotaur’ condemn prevalent vices and warn against lapses from morals.
As a sculptor Watts is represented at the Tate Gallery by his bronze bust of ‘Clytie,’ but his most important work in this medium is his equestrian group ‘Physical Energy,’ originally designed as a monument to Cecil Rhodes and set up over the empire-builder’s grave on the Matoppo Hills, South Africa. A replica of this fine statue has been placed in Kensington Gardens.
The life of Watts was long and full of honors. He was elected A.R.A and R.A in the same year, 1867; twice he was offered and refused a baronetcy, but two years before his death he accepted the Order of Merit. He died in 1904 at the great age of eighty-seven, his last years having been spent chiefly in his country house at Compton, Surrey, where a large permanent collection of his works is still visible to the public.
The Victorian Age (continued)
4
In the same year as Stevens, namely 1817, there was born in London another great artist, who, though he certainly gained honors and rewards during his lifetime, nevertheless found himself hampered by the circumstances of his time in carrying out the desires of his art. George Frederick Watts was born in London on February 23, 1817, the son of a Welsh father, who encouraged his artistic bent and permitted him to study at the Academy schools and also under the sculptor William Behnes (1795-1864). When he was twenty five Watts entered the competition for the best designs for decorating in fresco the new House of Lords, and won the first prize of £300 with his ‘Caractacus led Captive through the Streets of Rome.’ This was competition in which both Alfred Stevens and Ford Madox Brown were unsuccessful. On the strength of this prize Watts in 1843 went to Italy, where he remained for four years, mostly in Florence, and was befriended by Lord Holland. Returning to England, Watts entered another competition in 1847 for decorating the House of Lords, this time in oils, and again won the first prize of £500 with his ‘Alfred inciting the Saxons to resist the Danes.’ As a result of these successes Watts was employed for the next ten years on mural decorations, painting ‘St George overcoming the Dragon’ for the House of Lords and his allegory of ‘Justice’ for the great hall of Lincoln’s Inn; but though his desire was to continue painting in this style, further opportunities were denied him. He offered to give his time freely in painting decorations for Euston railways station, but the offer was declined, and balked of his intention to create elevating works of art in public buildings, he began that great series of painted allegories with which his name is most closely associated.
Explaining his own ideals Watts once said: ‘My intention has not been so much to paint pictures that charm the eye, as to suggest great thoughts that will appeal to the imagination and the heart, and kindle all that is best and noblest in humanity.’ Successful in his early years and never covetous of great wealth, Watts was able in his middle years to paint exactly as he pleased without thinking of sales and patrons. He painted portraits, but he never painted any person he did not respect and admire, and the noble series of portraits of the great men of his time which he gave to the National Portrait Gallery shows how little, even in portraiture, did Watts paint for money. Similarly, the pick of his allegorical paintings, a cycle of the history of humanity, was kept for years in his own gallery at Little Holland House, till in 1897 he generously presented the collection to the Tate Gallery. Watts was essentially a philosophical artist and he has not inaccurately been described as ‘ a preacher in paint,’ for, in his opinion, it was not enough for an artist to portray noble aspirations, he must also ‘condemn in the most trenchant manner prevalent vices,’ and utter ‘warning in deep tones against lapses from morals and duties.’ All aspects of Watts art may be seen to advantage in the room devoted to his works at the Tate Gallery, where his beautiful ‘Hope’ and his ‘Love and Life’ reveal noble aspirations of humanity, while his unforgettable ‘Mammon’ and ‘The Minotaur’ condemn prevalent vices and warn against lapses from morals.
As a sculptor Watts is represented at the Tate Gallery by his bronze bust of ‘Clytie,’ but his most important work in this medium is his equestrian group ‘Physical Energy,’ originally designed as a monument to Cecil Rhodes and set up over the empire-builder’s grave on the Matoppo Hills, South Africa. A replica of this fine statue has been placed in Kensington Gardens.
The life of Watts was long and full of honors. He was elected A.R.A and R.A in the same year, 1867; twice he was offered and refused a baronetcy, but two years before his death he accepted the Order of Merit. He died in 1904 at the great age of eighty-seven, his last years having been spent chiefly in his country house at Compton, Surrey, where a large permanent collection of his works is still visible to the public.
The Victorian Age (continued)
James Andreoni
I found an interesting piece in the NY Times Magazine on What Makes People Give + what really intrigued me is the 'Warm Glow' theory (translation: In the warm-glow view of philanthropy, people aren’t giving money merely to save the whales; they’re also giving money to feel the glow that comes with being the kind of person who’s helping to save the whales.)
I think James Andreoni was spot on. He is right.
Useful link:
http://econ.ucsd.edu/~jandreon
I think James Andreoni was spot on. He is right.
Useful link:
http://econ.ucsd.edu/~jandreon
Random Thoughts
Memory for complex events is basically a reconstructive process. Memory belongs to the imagination. Human memory is not like a computer which records things; it is part of the imaginative process, on the same terms as invention.
- Alain Robbe-Grillet
- Alain Robbe-Grillet
Twin Light
Alfa Mirage's Twin Light (Xenon + LED light) is an interesting light source that enables users to view alexandrite (natural alexandrite= red violet under Xenon light/blue violet under LED light) easily + it's user-friendly (gemological light source + as a penlight for viewing jewelry) and portable.
Useful link:
www.alfamirage.com
Useful link:
www.alfamirage.com
Opal Update
Opals are becoming a popular gemstone in China because its one-of-a-kind gemstone status with the so-called play-of-color, its character + life + a good story + one theory behind the demand for opals could be the diminishing margins in the diamond jewelry business + innovative jewelers are now looking elsewhere to make money + they think with effective consumer education on opal they could work out a sustainable business model in China provided the rough supplies are consistent.
Useful links:
www.opals-australia.com.au
www.opals-australia.com.au
Useful links:
www.opals-australia.com.au
www.opals-australia.com.au
Bienvenue chez les CH'TIS
Bienvenue chez les CH'TIS is a French motion picture comedy starring Kad Merad + Dany Boon + Zoé Félix + I really liked the plot + I think it's a feel-good movie.
Useful link:
www.bienvenuechezleschtis-lefilm.com
Useful link:
www.bienvenuechezleschtis-lefilm.com
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