Platon Viewpoint

The interactive portfolio about the civil-rights era by Platon was educational and insightful. Many thanks.

Useful link:
www.platonphoto.com

Random Thoughts

Money is ready to flow as never before. But the ups and downs of the bidding pattern, not clearly connected with the intrinsic merit of the works being offered, indicate that the market remains haphazard, making reasonably accurate predictions virtually impossible. This is not going to make life easier for auction house specialists or the buyers they hope to attract.

- Souren Melikian

Spot on.

Rare Earth Metals

The Energy Report. www.theenergyreport.com

IDEA 2010

Design excellence. Online gallery of winners. www.idsa.org

Magnum Photo Collection

Magnum Photo Collection has been sold to Michael Dell's investment firm, MSD Capital. Nearly 200,000 vintage prints chronicling events in the past century will be accessible to scholars and the public at The University of Texas at Austin's Harry Ransom Center.

Useful links:
www.magnumphotos.com
www.msdcapital.com
www.hrc.utexas.edu

Chinese Turquoise

GIA Laboratory has written an interesting piece on turquoise from China's Hubei Province. What makes the turquoise so intriguing is the presence of uranium inclusions. The authors state that although exposure to these levels of radiation is not considered significant, breathing dust that might be created during cutting should be avoided. I wonder how many gem cutters worldwide are aware of it.

Useful links:
www.hps.org
www.nrc.gov
www.gia.edu

Random Thoughts

The former the Crown Jewel of Bavaria has been turned into a piece of hard candy. It's as if someone had painted over a Rembrandt painting. Graff was recklessly trying to increase the market value.

- Hans Ottomeyer
www.dhm.de

Laurence Graff has officially renamed the gem as the Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond. Stay tuned for more news.

JVC’s Anti-Money Laundering Kit

JVC’s PACK – USA PATRIOT Act Compliance Kit. For more information, visit www.jvclegal.org

Nick Gentry

Floppy disk drives into art. www.nickgentry.co.uk

Chris Jordan

Portraits of American Mass Consumption. www.chrisjordan.com

Inside Art

Inside Art: Creative responses to the collection by young offenders. 8 February – 25 April, 2010. www.nationalgallery.org.uk

Build Your Bling Contest

eBay has unveiled its Build Your Bling contest, where registered eBay members can win a diamond ring worth up to $25,000. Learn more @ www.diamonds.ebay.com

Bakelite

Bakelite, the 20th century’s first plastic, is an amazing product. Most people associate Bakelite with jewelry, but today the material is used to create an array of 20th century objects—ash trays, toilet seats, door handles, blocks, bracelets, clocks, dinnerware, flashlights, toasters, kitchen mixers, and toy cars—to name a few. Check it out.

Useful links:
www.hrm.org
www.amsterdambakelitecollection.com

Random Thoughts

That’s the auction phenomenon. When wealthy people compete against each other they don’t want to lose.

- Christophe Van de Weghe
www.vdwny.com

Spot on.

Size DOES Matter

Size DOES Matter opens at the FLAG Art Foundation in New York on February 19, 2010. Don't miss. www.flagartfoundation.org

Soichi Noguchi, International Space Station

Check out his Twitter pictures from space. They are stunningly beautiful. http://twitpic.com/photos/Astro_Soichi

The Cultured Pearl Association Of America

CPAA Educational Tools. www.cpaa.org

Arthur Groom

Arthur Groom, a New Jersey retailer/developer of an emerald treatment (ExCel Process), has become the latest victim of the financial crisis, filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Groom sells clarity-enhanced stones through Eternity Natural Emeralds, a division of Arthur Groom and Co. Many thanks to Michelle Graff for the info.

Useful link:
www.arthurgroom.com

Open Doors

Open Doors Survey. http://opendoors.iienetwork.org

Luke Johnson Viewpoint

Luke Johnson was spot on. Entrepreneurs build real companies that employ people and generate value for an economy. They do not amass riches through the misery of others; they create wealth and jobs, and make the capitalist system work.

We remember the winners but forget the hundreds of losers – they all appeared to be “sure things” at the time. That is why venture capital investing is hard to do well. Genuine innovation is a perilous game.
- Luke Johnson

Useful links:
www.lukejohnson.org
www.riskcapitalpartners.co.uk
www.gladwell.com