Random Thoughts

Just like in nature, you need scavengers to clean up.

- John Stark
www.ppmamerica.com

How true!

Gemstone Treatments Update

Prime Art & Jewel claims to be the first U.S. jewelry wholesaler to receive NRC license for the distribution of Electron and Neutron Irradiated Gemstones. Go to http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/irradiated-gemstones.html for further information on irradiated stones.

Useful links:
www.prime-art.com
www.nrc.gov

Atypical Elements Of Art Auctions

I found art auctions on cruise ships @ http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/16/arts/design/16crui.html intriguing. This is definitely a 'buyer beware' article on collecting art. A must-read.

Useful links:
www.parkwestgallery.com
www.artprice.com
www.salvadordalimuseum.org
www.fineartregistry.com

The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight is a 2008 American superhero film based on the DC Comics character Batman, co-written and directed by Christopher Nolan.

Useful links:
http://thedarkknight.warnerbros.com
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0468569

Absolute stunner + full of surprises. This is a fantastic movie!

Fly By Night

Jeff Sherr's 'Fly By Night' video @ http://scher.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/14/fly-by-night/index.html was fantastically beautiful. I liked it.

Useful link:
http://fezfilms.net

The End Of Food

The End of Food: How the Food Industry is Destroying Our Food Supply--And What We Can Do About It by Thomas F. Pawlick is an interesting book, makes a good case, and insightful.

Useful link:
www.theendoffood.com

Is there a model for the future?

Diamond Grading Labs

Ken Gassman writes about diamond grading labs, their certificates and methodology + other viewpoints @ http://www.idexonline.com/portal_FullMazalUbracha.asp?id=30649

Hats off to Ken Gassman! It was a brilliant article.

Heard On The Street

Fall in love in haste, repent at leisure.

India-British Trade + Diamonds

(via the-week) According to London-based Commonwealth Business Council, rough diamonds accounted for as much as 70 percent of British exports to India until two years ago. Nearly half that level now, they still account for 33 percent of exports, often concealed in official trade reports as 'non-metallic mineral manufactures'. Scrap metals account for another three percent. Although India is the third largest consumer of diamonds, with an eight percent share after America (51 percent) and Japan (11 percent), much of the diamonds sold to India through Britain are thought to head straight to Surat, Gujarat, for cutting and polishing. Eleven out of every 12 diamonds sold around the world are processed in India, irrespective of where they are mined. In terms of value, the exported precious stones are worth around 1.1 billion pounds ($2 billion).The Commonwealth Business Council figures, which are to be released officially later this month in its report, 'India UK Trade and Investment Flows 2008', are backed up by British government statistics.

Useful link:
www.cbcglobal.biz

Random Thoughts

Ain’t only three things to gambling: knowing the 60-40 end of a proposition, money management, and knowing yourself.

- 'Puggy' Pearson, the late, great poker pro

How true!

Online Games + The Experience

Recent advancements in video game designs are offering advanced degree of realism + connect with the characters much more + each moment in a game is providing a unique experience.

Useful links:
www.naturalmotion.com
www.lucasarts.com
www.gamedaily.com

Jewelry From Mine To Shelf

Wal-Mart Stores Inc is introducing a line of gold and silver jewelry that can be traced from mines and manufacturers that meet its environmental and human rights standards. A customer who buys the jewelry can log on to a website to see where their particular piece of jewelry was mined and learn about the suppliers' environmental programs.

Useful links:
www.walmart.com
www.samsclub.com

As the largest retailer of jewelry in the world, we see an opportunity to bring more sustainable practices to this industry.
- Wal-Mart

Hats off to Wal-Mart! Wal-Mart's move is definitely a baby step in the right direction. I hope other brand jewelers would recognize the need and follow Wal-Mart's footsteps that meet sustainability standards.

Starbucks Phenomenon

I found John Quelch's views on Starbucks' troubles + the impact @ http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/5973.html educational and insightful.

Useful link:
Marketing Know: How

Stores no longer have the soul of the past and reflect a chain of stores vs. the warm feeling of a neighborhood store.
- Howard Schultz

How true!

Carbon Capture + Storage (CCS) System

I found the article on carbon capture and storage system @ http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jul/14/carboncapturestorage.fossilfuels very interesting. My view is even if they find a suitable location for storing carbon, the real challenge would be proper maintenance and monitoring systems. But at least it's a step in the right direction.

Useful links:
www.ldeo.columbia.edu
www.bgs.ac.uk

Naturalist

Naturalist by Edward O. Wilson (two-time Pulitzer Price winning author) is a wonderful autobiography by one of world's foremost biogeographers and proponents of the conservation of biodiversity. A must-read.

Useful links:
www.eol.org
www.macfound.org

Rio Tinto Diamonds Update

Rio Tinto Diamonds, the world's largest supplier of champagne diamonds, has released its latest range of champagne diamond promotional materials. Go to the Web site for further information.

Useful link:
www.riotintodiamonds.com

Harry Clarke

Economist writes about Irish artist Harry Clarke + interesting original illustrations + other viewpoints @ http://www.economist.com/daily/columns/artview/displayStory.cfm?story_id=11734867

Useful links:
Harry Clarke
www.wolfsonian.org
www.nationalgallery.ie

Random Thoughts

Advances in electronic paper, of which Kindle (Amazon's new wireless reading device) is an example. Eventually every surface in the world will be a display of some sort.

- Nicholas Negroponte
Chairman, One Laptop Per Child
http://laptop.org

Chinese Wine Market

According to wine merchants, Berry Brothers & Rudd, China is set to become the world's largest producer of bulk wine in 50 years time as well as a major force in fine wine + global warming will cause a radical shake-up of the industry. Can the Europeans, especially the French, Americans, and Australians compete with the Chinese?

Useful link:
www.bbr.com

In 50 years, consumers will ask for wine by the brand name or flavour and won't know, or care, where it has come from.
- Jasper Morris

Ivory Update

The standing committee of the UN's Convention on Endangered Species (Cites) is meeting in Geneva to discuss Asian tiger farming, the export of mahogany from the Amazon basin and a proposal to allow China to import elephant ivory. Many experts believe elephant ivory is a booming black-market commodity worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and China is the biggest customer. I think giving China the right to import more ivory legally will simply fuel the black market.

Useful link:
www.cites.org