All Rise: Somebodies, Nobodies, and the Politics of Dignity by Robert W Fuller is an interesting book that enlightens us with working models of dignity at workplace, personal relationships, to mention a few + it's a new way of thinking + it's direct and simple + read it.
Useful link:
http://breakingranks.net
Monday, March 17, 2008
Brilliants With Sixfold Symmetry
(via Diamond Cuts in Historic Jewelry:1381-1910) Herbert Tillander writes:
Occasionally Brilliants were fashioned with sixfold instead of the normal eightfold symmetry. In this case, the rough stones must have been dodecahedrons and were fashioned using one of the three-face points as the apex. Unlike diamonds derived from dodecahedrons, with four-face points, part of the top of a sixfold diamond could in theory easily be removed by cleaving. This section could then be used to make a Rose.
An Oval Brilliant with both sixfold and fourfold symmetry is in the Grϋnes Gewölbe, Dresden. This Brilliant, weighing over 10ct has no known pedigree. A close study reveals that it was at one time recut from a Pointed Star Cut with sixfold symmetry. It was given a different pavilion with fourfold symmetry, but the culet is still hexagonal. The refashioning was probably done at the end of the seventeenth century since the height proportions, as in most diamonds derived from dodecahedrons, are comparatively modern, with c.32° crown angles and c.43° pavilion angles.
Occasionally Brilliants were fashioned with sixfold instead of the normal eightfold symmetry. In this case, the rough stones must have been dodecahedrons and were fashioned using one of the three-face points as the apex. Unlike diamonds derived from dodecahedrons, with four-face points, part of the top of a sixfold diamond could in theory easily be removed by cleaving. This section could then be used to make a Rose.
An Oval Brilliant with both sixfold and fourfold symmetry is in the Grϋnes Gewölbe, Dresden. This Brilliant, weighing over 10ct has no known pedigree. A close study reveals that it was at one time recut from a Pointed Star Cut with sixfold symmetry. It was given a different pavilion with fourfold symmetry, but the culet is still hexagonal. The refashioning was probably done at the end of the seventeenth century since the height proportions, as in most diamonds derived from dodecahedrons, are comparatively modern, with c.32° crown angles and c.43° pavilion angles.
The Romantic Movement In France
(via The Outline of Art) William Orpen writes:
In this picture, which was the real beginning of his lasting fame, Delacroix proved himself to be one of the world’s great colorists, and laid the foundations of the new handling of color which became the greatest pictorial triumph of the nineteenth century. Color in his hands was no dead thing, it became something alive, scintillating and vibrating; his results were obtained not only by the happy choice of invididual tints, but still more by the science with which he knew how to juxtapose one color against another so as to accentuate the brilliancy of each and secure a glowing harmony.
The art of Delacroix is distinguished by three things—its color, its poetry, and its decorative qualities. He turned naturally to Dante, Shakespeare, and Byron for subjects, not so much because they provided him with good themes to illustrate, as because in their poetry he found those passionate ideals and aspirations which animated his own mind. When actual events aroused a similar intensity of emotion, he painted them also. Though usually he eschewed political subjects, the Revolution of July 1830 moved him to paint his famous picture ‘The Barricade,’ now known as ‘Liberty Guiding the People, a picture which is at once a fragment of actuality and the emodiment of an ideal. For this is a true historical picture in so far as it does represent with fidelity a typical incident during the street fighting of the Revolution; and at the same time the heroine of the barricade, with her Phrygian cap, streaming tricolor, and musket, is an allegory of Libery, liberty for the people and liberty for art. Exhibited in the Salon of 1831 this picture perplexed the authorities, who could neither deny its excellence as a work of art nor altogether approve of its firebrand politics. The Director of Fine Arts temporarily solved the problem by purchasing the picture for the nation, and then turning its face to the wall! Today the picture is one of the chief treasures of the French School in the Louvre.
In the same year Delacroix made a journey to Morocco which had a considerable effect on his art, for he delighted alike in the brilliant colors and picturesque costumes of this sunny land, and on his return exhibited a number of pictures of Eastern subjects, which were enthusiastically received, and, inspiring other artists to do likewise, he gave birth to a school of artists known as the ‘Orientalists.’ Delacroix himself, however, was too big and varied a genius to confine himself to one subject, and having given a lead to the Orientalists he now devoted much of his time to decorative painting.
Though regarded by his great rival Ingres and by the classical painters as a revolutionary, Delacroix was full of respect for tradition, only whereas David and Ingres adhered to the tradition of Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci, Géricault and Delacroix upheld the tradition of Michael Angelo, Titian, Veronese, and Rubens. Though his own researches into color were perhaps his most valuable legacy to the art of France, the intention of Delacroix was not to break with the tradition but to bring back the color and methods of the old masters into modern painting. The romanticism of Delacroix was a half-way house between the old Classicism and the Realism that was coming, and as he in his youth had challenged the position of Ingres and the Classicists, so in his later years his own romanticism was challenged by Courbet the Realist.
Owing to this long battle between the classics and the romantics, the doors of the Academy were closed against Delacroix for five-and-thirty years, and it was not till he was sixty—and so barred by age from holding a professorship a the Ecole des Beaux Arts—the he was at last admitted as a member of the Institute. The artist did not long enjoy the distinction, for he died at Paris in 1863.
The Romantic Movement In France (continued)
In this picture, which was the real beginning of his lasting fame, Delacroix proved himself to be one of the world’s great colorists, and laid the foundations of the new handling of color which became the greatest pictorial triumph of the nineteenth century. Color in his hands was no dead thing, it became something alive, scintillating and vibrating; his results were obtained not only by the happy choice of invididual tints, but still more by the science with which he knew how to juxtapose one color against another so as to accentuate the brilliancy of each and secure a glowing harmony.
The art of Delacroix is distinguished by three things—its color, its poetry, and its decorative qualities. He turned naturally to Dante, Shakespeare, and Byron for subjects, not so much because they provided him with good themes to illustrate, as because in their poetry he found those passionate ideals and aspirations which animated his own mind. When actual events aroused a similar intensity of emotion, he painted them also. Though usually he eschewed political subjects, the Revolution of July 1830 moved him to paint his famous picture ‘The Barricade,’ now known as ‘Liberty Guiding the People, a picture which is at once a fragment of actuality and the emodiment of an ideal. For this is a true historical picture in so far as it does represent with fidelity a typical incident during the street fighting of the Revolution; and at the same time the heroine of the barricade, with her Phrygian cap, streaming tricolor, and musket, is an allegory of Libery, liberty for the people and liberty for art. Exhibited in the Salon of 1831 this picture perplexed the authorities, who could neither deny its excellence as a work of art nor altogether approve of its firebrand politics. The Director of Fine Arts temporarily solved the problem by purchasing the picture for the nation, and then turning its face to the wall! Today the picture is one of the chief treasures of the French School in the Louvre.
In the same year Delacroix made a journey to Morocco which had a considerable effect on his art, for he delighted alike in the brilliant colors and picturesque costumes of this sunny land, and on his return exhibited a number of pictures of Eastern subjects, which were enthusiastically received, and, inspiring other artists to do likewise, he gave birth to a school of artists known as the ‘Orientalists.’ Delacroix himself, however, was too big and varied a genius to confine himself to one subject, and having given a lead to the Orientalists he now devoted much of his time to decorative painting.
Though regarded by his great rival Ingres and by the classical painters as a revolutionary, Delacroix was full of respect for tradition, only whereas David and Ingres adhered to the tradition of Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci, Géricault and Delacroix upheld the tradition of Michael Angelo, Titian, Veronese, and Rubens. Though his own researches into color were perhaps his most valuable legacy to the art of France, the intention of Delacroix was not to break with the tradition but to bring back the color and methods of the old masters into modern painting. The romanticism of Delacroix was a half-way house between the old Classicism and the Realism that was coming, and as he in his youth had challenged the position of Ingres and the Classicists, so in his later years his own romanticism was challenged by Courbet the Realist.
Owing to this long battle between the classics and the romantics, the doors of the Academy were closed against Delacroix for five-and-thirty years, and it was not till he was sixty—and so barred by age from holding a professorship a the Ecole des Beaux Arts—the he was at last admitted as a member of the Institute. The artist did not long enjoy the distinction, for he died at Paris in 1863.
The Romantic Movement In France (continued)
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Designed For Pleasure
Designed for Pleasure: The World of Edo Japan in Prints and Paintings, 1680-1860 is @ Asia Society and Museum, 725 Park Avenue, at 70th Street, New York, U.S.A, Part 1, through March 30, 2008; Part 2, April 4 to May 4, 2008.
Useful links:
www.asiasociety.org
www.takashimurakami.com
Useful links:
www.asiasociety.org
www.takashimurakami.com
Wood Chips Into Ethanol
I found the concept of turning wood chips (a type of bacteria that helps termites digest wood could be key to making ethanol cheaply from wood and grass) into fuel intriguing + the startup ZeaChem believes they have developed a unique biorefinery technology using combinations of biochemical and thermochemical processing to produce ethanol more efficiently.
Useful link:
www.zeachem.com
Useful link:
www.zeachem.com
R.E.M Update
R.E.M fans will now be able to get free access to download their latest album through the social-networking application iLike, starting on March 24, 2008.
Useful links:
www.remhq.com
www.ilike.com
Useful links:
www.remhq.com
www.ilike.com
Cassandra's Dream
Cassandra's Dream is a suspense film directed by Woody Allen, starring Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell + it's about two brothers with serious financial woes, in the end they lose everything in strange ways + I've been a Woody Allen fan for a long time, and his movies are always driven by characters, which I like.
Useful links:
www.cassandrasdreammovie.com
www.woodyallen.com
Useful links:
www.cassandrasdreammovie.com
www.woodyallen.com
Diamond Price Speculation
The world-record high prices on quality diamonds is rather interesting because this has happened before + the dealers tend to have short memories or they may be going through momentary autism, or they may never learn from past mistakes, or is it pump and dump, I really don't know, but I found the article @ http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL126151820080312 educational + insightful + now on the dangers of speculative pricing by dealers -- you be the judge!
Cultured Pearl Association Of America
Check out the videos of 5th Annual Tahitian Pearl Trophy Ceremony at New York City's Rockefeller Center Hotel Club Quarters @ Cultured Pearl Association of America
Useful link:
www.cpaa.org
Useful link:
www.cpaa.org
The Panic Of 1907
The book The Panic of 1907: Lessons Learned from the Market's Perfect Storm by Robert F. Bruner + Sean D. Carr is a great read and timely + it's a unique study in human behavior + it's easy-to-read and insightful + gem & jewelry & art dealers should read it.
Door-to-Door Sales: The Forgotten Channel
Door-to-Door Sales: The Forgotten Channel by Dylan Bolden and Tom Lutz suggest two ways to sell even more: squeezing salespeople more efficiently, by creating denser sales territories, closer to their homes; and putting more 'feet on the street', either by contracting out or by building a robust in-house recruitment, retention and training system.
Useful link:
www.bcg.com
I think it is vital to get the incentive structure right; who knows, the concept could be applicable in the gem & jewelry sector.
Useful link:
www.bcg.com
I think it is vital to get the incentive structure right; who knows, the concept could be applicable in the gem & jewelry sector.
The Gradual Recutting Of An Indian Table Cut
(via Diamond Cuts in Historic Jewelry:1381-1910) Herbert Tillander writes:
In the Six Voyages of John Baptista Tavernier there is an illustration of the fourth diamond that Tavernier sold to Louis XIV when he returned from his last voyage in 1669. At this point the stone weighed 51 9/16 ct. From Taverniers sketches it was impossible to produce a plausible side view of the gem with the recut Brilliant inscribed. But when I inverted the pictures, as Barbot (1858) and Kluge (1860) had done, the solution became immediately obvious. The first recutting (delivered by Alvarez in 1678) involved a loss of only about 9 ct—from 51 9/16 to 42 10/16 ct. At this stage the crown was only ‘brillianteered’—that is, the forty smallest facets were applied and polished—and the bulky pavilion was left untouched. The 1691 inventory described the stone as cut ‘à facettes, à la mode’, omitting the phrase ‘des deux côtés’.
The gem was finally transformed into a well-made Brilliant in 1786, when most of the old French Crown diamonds were refashioned in Antwerp. Now it weighed only 26¾ ct and was described as ‘un très grand diamant brilliant, forme carrée, coins émousses, de bonne eau, et net’.
In the Six Voyages of John Baptista Tavernier there is an illustration of the fourth diamond that Tavernier sold to Louis XIV when he returned from his last voyage in 1669. At this point the stone weighed 51 9/16 ct. From Taverniers sketches it was impossible to produce a plausible side view of the gem with the recut Brilliant inscribed. But when I inverted the pictures, as Barbot (1858) and Kluge (1860) had done, the solution became immediately obvious. The first recutting (delivered by Alvarez in 1678) involved a loss of only about 9 ct—from 51 9/16 to 42 10/16 ct. At this stage the crown was only ‘brillianteered’—that is, the forty smallest facets were applied and polished—and the bulky pavilion was left untouched. The 1691 inventory described the stone as cut ‘à facettes, à la mode’, omitting the phrase ‘des deux côtés’.
The gem was finally transformed into a well-made Brilliant in 1786, when most of the old French Crown diamonds were refashioned in Antwerp. Now it weighed only 26¾ ct and was described as ‘un très grand diamant brilliant, forme carrée, coins émousses, de bonne eau, et net’.
The Romantic Movement In France
(via The Outline of Art) William Orpen writes:
These methods of painting—though afterwards employed by the Pre-Raphaelites—were then a complete innovation in painting, and the painting was so novel in conception, so contrary to the received ideas of the time, that when it was at length completed and shown in the Salon of 1819 it was at first greeted with nothing but abuse. Nevertheless, this picture marks a turning-point in the history of French painting; it brought strong feeling and pulsating life into the barren and frozen official art, and gave new ideals to the younger generation.
At the time the genius of Géricault was more highly appreciated in England than in France, and after the exhibition of his masterpiece the artist visited London, where his drawings and paintings of horses were intensely admired, and Géricault did signal service to the art of both countries by returning to Paris full of praise for the painting of Bonington and Constable, whose pictures he introduced to and made known in Paris. Unfortunately for the world this great genius was short-lived. Early in 1823 he was stricken down by a mortal illness, and after eleven months of terrible suffering, borne with fortitude and composure, he died in January 1824 at the early age of thirty-three. His place at the head of the Romantic School was taken by Delacroix, who had been his friend and fellow student in the studio of Guérin.
Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix was born at Charenton in 1798, but spent his early years at Marseilles, where he gained that love of vivid color and bright sunshine which afterwards distinguished his paiting. His father, an ex-foreign minister under the Directory and subsequently prefect of Marseilles and Bordeaux, did not take kindly to the idea of his son becoming a painter, but he died before his son came of age, and Eugène Delacroix then found shelter with a married sister in Paris, where he overcame family opposition and was allowed to study art.
His father, however, had left him penniless, and the young artist was so poor that in 1822, after painting his first great picture ‘The Barque of Dante,’ he could not afford to buy a frame, but sent the canvas to the Salon surrounded by four laths which he had colored with yellow powder. There it was seen by Baron Gros, who generously recognized the great talent of the poor artist, and not only persuaded the administration to give the picture a handsome new frame, but hung it in a place of honor in the Salon Carré.
‘The Barque of Dante’ made the painter famous at once, and did not offend the Classicists. Gross said the picture was ‘Rubens reformed,’ and paternally advised the artist. ‘Come to us; we will teach you how to draw.’ Delacroix was grateful to Gros for his kindness, but went his own way, and two years later he shocked the Classicists and delighted te Romantics by his picture ‘The Massacre of Scio.’
It will be remembered that Constable’s ‘Hay Wain’ was exhibited in the Paris Salon of 1824, and when Delacroix saw it he was so overwhelmed by its color that he obtained permission to retouch his own ‘Massacre of Scio’. In a fortnight he completely repainted this picture, using the purest and most vivid colors he could find, with the result that it now became as brilliant in color as it had already been in action and movement. The turbulent energy in this painting was too much for the Classicists, and Gros, playing on the title, said, ‘This is the massacre of painting.’ On the other hand, enthusiastic young critics lauded the picture with extravagant praise, one of them asserting that it showed up ‘all the horror of despotism’ in art as in life.
The Romantic Movement In France (continued)
These methods of painting—though afterwards employed by the Pre-Raphaelites—were then a complete innovation in painting, and the painting was so novel in conception, so contrary to the received ideas of the time, that when it was at length completed and shown in the Salon of 1819 it was at first greeted with nothing but abuse. Nevertheless, this picture marks a turning-point in the history of French painting; it brought strong feeling and pulsating life into the barren and frozen official art, and gave new ideals to the younger generation.
At the time the genius of Géricault was more highly appreciated in England than in France, and after the exhibition of his masterpiece the artist visited London, where his drawings and paintings of horses were intensely admired, and Géricault did signal service to the art of both countries by returning to Paris full of praise for the painting of Bonington and Constable, whose pictures he introduced to and made known in Paris. Unfortunately for the world this great genius was short-lived. Early in 1823 he was stricken down by a mortal illness, and after eleven months of terrible suffering, borne with fortitude and composure, he died in January 1824 at the early age of thirty-three. His place at the head of the Romantic School was taken by Delacroix, who had been his friend and fellow student in the studio of Guérin.
Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix was born at Charenton in 1798, but spent his early years at Marseilles, where he gained that love of vivid color and bright sunshine which afterwards distinguished his paiting. His father, an ex-foreign minister under the Directory and subsequently prefect of Marseilles and Bordeaux, did not take kindly to the idea of his son becoming a painter, but he died before his son came of age, and Eugène Delacroix then found shelter with a married sister in Paris, where he overcame family opposition and was allowed to study art.
His father, however, had left him penniless, and the young artist was so poor that in 1822, after painting his first great picture ‘The Barque of Dante,’ he could not afford to buy a frame, but sent the canvas to the Salon surrounded by four laths which he had colored with yellow powder. There it was seen by Baron Gros, who generously recognized the great talent of the poor artist, and not only persuaded the administration to give the picture a handsome new frame, but hung it in a place of honor in the Salon Carré.
‘The Barque of Dante’ made the painter famous at once, and did not offend the Classicists. Gross said the picture was ‘Rubens reformed,’ and paternally advised the artist. ‘Come to us; we will teach you how to draw.’ Delacroix was grateful to Gros for his kindness, but went his own way, and two years later he shocked the Classicists and delighted te Romantics by his picture ‘The Massacre of Scio.’
It will be remembered that Constable’s ‘Hay Wain’ was exhibited in the Paris Salon of 1824, and when Delacroix saw it he was so overwhelmed by its color that he obtained permission to retouch his own ‘Massacre of Scio’. In a fortnight he completely repainted this picture, using the purest and most vivid colors he could find, with the result that it now became as brilliant in color as it had already been in action and movement. The turbulent energy in this painting was too much for the Classicists, and Gros, playing on the title, said, ‘This is the massacre of painting.’ On the other hand, enthusiastic young critics lauded the picture with extravagant praise, one of them asserting that it showed up ‘all the horror of despotism’ in art as in life.
The Romantic Movement In France (continued)
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Mobile UV-Vis Spectrophotometer
The portable UV-Vis Spectrophotometer is an important analytical gemological instrument that provides high resolution absorption + photoluminescence spectrums that are useful in identifying causes of color in diamonds + treated colored diamonds + origin determination of colored stones + pearl color authenticity + it's reliable and user-friendly.
Useful link:
www.oceanoptics.com
Useful link:
www.oceanoptics.com
Guy Kawasaki
Guy Kawasaki, a well-known Silicon Valley entrepreneur, launched of his second media startup, Alltop, at South by Southwest + his business models are unique and inspiring.
Useful links:
http://sxsw.com
http://alltop.com
http://truemors.com
www.garage.com
Useful links:
http://sxsw.com
http://alltop.com
http://truemors.com
www.garage.com
The Cheating Brain
Mary Carmichael's article His Cheating Brain @ http://www.newsweek.com/id/121492 was insightful because I have come across people in the gem & jewelry & art sector with similar traits and I have always wondered how to categorize them with a sweet jargon + I liked the term 'sensation seeker' + I might add sensation seeker with corrosive phenomenal effects + the writer was spot on.
Jewelry Market Update
According to industry analysts Italian jewelers are concerned by the economic slowdown in the United States, which is the most important export market for Italian producers + the rising prices of precious metals + volatile currencies have also added to the uncertainities.
Useful link:
www.cpsarezzo.it
I think jewelry companies in the Far East + South Asia + Southest Asia + the Middle East are also concerned like the Italians by the economic slowdown in the United States + in my view the only way to survive is to focus on quality + uniqueness of products.
Useful link:
www.cpsarezzo.it
I think jewelry companies in the Far East + South Asia + Southest Asia + the Middle East are also concerned like the Italians by the economic slowdown in the United States + in my view the only way to survive is to focus on quality + uniqueness of products.
The Coen Brothers
I am intrigued by the inventive + artistic talents of The Coen Brothers (Joel directs + Ethan produces) + together they have created memorable films I like.
Useful links:
www.coenbrothers.net
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coen_Brothers
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001054/
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001053/
Useful links:
www.coenbrothers.net
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coen_Brothers
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001054/
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001053/
Functional Chocolate
According to Barry Callebaut, nearly a quarter of Western consumers are increasingly interested in chocolate (s) with physical or emotional health benefits + these include Acticoa, a cocoa powder that contains a high level of the antioxidant polyphenols, pro-biotic chocolate for gut health, and a tooth-friendly chocolate made with isomaltulose, a natural constituent of honey and sugar cane.
Useful links:
www.barry-callebaut.com
www.euromonitor.com
www.foodproductiondaily.com
http://www.hawaiianchocolate.com/chocolate_tales_marijuana.html
A lesson for the gem & jewelry & art sector! Are there any diamond (s), colored stone (s) jewelry or art works that provide emotional benefits? Over to you.
Useful links:
www.barry-callebaut.com
www.euromonitor.com
www.foodproductiondaily.com
http://www.hawaiianchocolate.com/chocolate_tales_marijuana.html
A lesson for the gem & jewelry & art sector! Are there any diamond (s), colored stone (s) jewelry or art works that provide emotional benefits? Over to you.
Certifigate: Upgrading The Jennifer Lopez Pink
Chaim Even Zohar writes about the colors of certifigate + the lack of universal nomenclature on the wording of the various color grades + the GIA monopoly on color grades + the consumer's dilema + other viewpoints @ http://www.idexonline.com/portal_FullEditorial.asp
Chaim Even Zohar is the 'natural' voice--not only for the trade but also for the consumers + he has written vividly as to what goes on behind the scene + at times I wonder whether the concept of diamond grading is an idiot's game + the consumer is but one of the victims of GIA’s certifigate + the far greatest damage was done – and still is being done + as he rightly put it, in the small colored goods community, it had become apparent that if you didn’t play the game and were out of favor with the GIA’s power brokers, you really had no chance of staying in the business. Shocking!
Chaim Even Zohar is the 'natural' voice--not only for the trade but also for the consumers + he has written vividly as to what goes on behind the scene + at times I wonder whether the concept of diamond grading is an idiot's game + the consumer is but one of the victims of GIA’s certifigate + the far greatest damage was done – and still is being done + as he rightly put it, in the small colored goods community, it had become apparent that if you didn’t play the game and were out of favor with the GIA’s power brokers, you really had no chance of staying in the business. Shocking!
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